HAWKING IN THE EAST. 193 



master of the hawks, 'when you see our sport.' I was 

 convinced, at the period he predicted, of the old fellow's 

 knowledge of his business. The first hare seized by the 

 falcon was very strong, and the ground rough. While 

 the bird kept the claws of one foot fastened in the back 

 of its prey, the other was dragged along the ground, 

 till it had an opportunity to lay hold of a tuft of grass, 

 by which it was enabled to stop the course of the hare, 

 whose efforts to escape, I do think, would have torn the 

 hawk asunder if it had not been provided with the 

 leathern defences which have been mentioned. The 

 next time the falcon was flown it gave us a proof of 

 that extraordinary courage which its whole appearance, 

 and particularly its eye, denoted. It had stopped and 

 quite disabled the second hare by the first pounce, 

 when two greyhounds, which had been slipped by 

 mistake, came up and endeavoured to seize it; they 

 were, however, repulsed by the falcon, whose boldness 

 and celerity in attacking the dogs, and securing its prey, 

 excited our admiration and astonishment. We had 

 some excellent sport also with smaller hawks at par- 

 tridges. I was particularly pleased with one bird, which 

 kept hovering over our heads till the game was sprung, 

 and then descending like a shot, struck its prey to the 

 ground." 



The practice of falconry seems to have been as pre- 

 valent in China among the Moguls. The monarch of 

 Persia, with an embassy to the Emperor of China, sent 

 some very fine horses, who returned several shankers, 

 which appear to have been hawks, held in very high 

 estimation. In India also falconry was no less common, 

 and the native princes of the country from time im- 

 memorial have pursued it with undiminished ardom*. 



