THE OSTRICH. 



Romans themselves were not averse to it. 

 Apicius gives us a receipt for making sauce 

 for the ostrich; and Heliogabalus is noted for 

 having dressed the brains of six hundred 

 ostriches in one dish ; for it was his custom 

 never to eat but of one dish in a day, but 

 that was an expensive one. Even among the 

 Europeans now, the eggs of the ostrich are 

 said to be well tasted, and extremely nour- 

 ishing; but they are too scarce to be fed 

 upon, although a single egg be a sufficient 

 entertainment for eight men. 



As the spoils of the ostrich are thus valua- 

 ble, it is not to be wondered at that man has 

 become their most assiduous pursuer. For 

 this purpose, the Arabians train up their best 

 and fleetest horses, and hunt the ostrich still 

 in view. Perhaps of all other varieties of the 

 chace, this, though the most laborious, is yet 

 the most entertaining. As soon as the hunter 

 comes within sight of his prey, he puts on his 

 horse with a gentle gallop, so as to keep the 

 ostrich still in sight; yet not so as to terrify 

 him from the plain into the mountains. Of 

 all known animals that make use of their legs 

 in running, the ostrich is by far the swiftest ; 

 upon observing himself therefore pursued at 

 a distance, he begins to run at first but gently; 

 either insensible of his danger, or sure of 

 escaping. In this situation he somewhat re- 

 sembles a man at full speed ; his wings, like 

 two arms, keep working with a motion cor- 

 respondent to that of his legs: and his speed 

 would very soon snatch him from the view of 

 his pursuers; but, unfortunately for the silly 

 creature, instead of going off in a direct line, 

 he takes his course in circles ; while the hun- 

 ters still make a small course within, relieve 

 each other, meet him at unexpected turns, 

 and keep him thus still employed, still follow- 

 ed for two or three days together. At last, 

 spent with fatigue and famine, and finding all 

 power of escape impossible, he endeavours 

 to hide himself from those enemies he cannot 

 avoid, and covers his head in the sand, or the 

 first thicket he meets. Sometimes, however, 

 he attempts to face his pursuers ; and, though 

 in general the most gentle animal in nature, 

 wh-n drivento desperation, he defendshimself 

 with his beak, his wings, and his feet. Such is 

 the force of his motion, that a man would be 

 utterly unable to withstand him in the shock. 



The Struthophagi have another method of 

 taking this bird ; they cover themselves with 

 an ostrich's skin, and passing up an arm 

 through the neck, thus counterfeit all the 

 motions of this animal. By this artifice they 

 approach the ostrich, which becomes an easy 

 prey. He is sometimes also taken by dogs 

 and nets : but the most usual way is that 

 mentioned above. 



When the Arabians have thus taken an 

 ostrich, they cut its throat, and making a 

 ligature below the opening, they shake the 

 bird, as one would rince a barrel ; then taking 

 off* the ligature, there runs out from the wound 

 in the throat a considerable quantity of blood, 

 mixed with the fat of the animal ; and this is 

 considered one of their greatest dainties. 

 They next flay the bird ; and of the skin, 

 which is strong and thick, sometimes make a 

 kind of vest, which answers the purposes of 

 a cuirass and a buckler. 



There are others who, more compassionate 

 or more provident, do not kill their captive, 

 but endeavour to tame it, for the purposes of 

 supplying those feathers which are in so great 

 request. The inhabitants of Dara and Lybia 

 breed up whole flocks of them, and they are 

 tamed with very little trouble. But it is not 

 for their feathers alone that they are prized 

 in this domestic state ; they are often ridden 

 upon, and used as horses. Moore assures us, 

 that at Joar he saw a man travelling upon an 

 ostrich ; and Adanson asserts, that, at the 

 factory of Podore, he had two ostriches, which 

 were then young, the strongest of which ran 

 swifter than the best English racer, although 

 he carried two negroes on his back. As 

 soon as the animal perceived that it was 

 loaded, it set off running with all its force, 

 and made sevaral circuits round the village; 

 till at length the peeple were obliged to stop 

 it, by barring up the way. How far this 

 strength and swiftness may be useful to man- 

 kind, even in a polished state, is a matter 

 that perhaps deserves inquiry. Posterity 

 may avail themselves of this creature's 

 abilities; and riding upon an ostrich may 

 one day become the favourite, as it most 

 certainly is the swiftest, mode of conveyance. 



The parts of this animal are said to be con- 

 vertible to many salutary purposes in medi- 

 cine. The fat is said to be emollient and re- 



