360 HABITS OF BIRDS. 



highest top of the mountain Lamalmon, while my ser- 

 vants were refreshing themselves from that toilsome 

 rugged ascent, and enjoying the pleasure of a most 

 delightful climate, eating their dinner in the outer 

 air, with several large dishes of boiled goats' flesh 

 before them, this enemy, as he turned out to be to 

 them, suddenly appeared : he did not stoop rapidly 

 from a height, but came flying slowly along the 

 ground, and sat down close to the meat within the 

 ring the men had made round it. A great shout or 

 rather cry of distress called' me to the place. I saw 

 the eagle stand for a minute, as if to recollect him- 

 self; while the servants ran for their lances and 

 shields. 1 walked up as nearly to him as I had time 

 to do. His attention was fixed upon the flesh. I 

 saw him put his foot into the pan, where there was a 

 large piece, in water, prepared for boiling ; but feel- 

 ing the smart, which he had not expected, he with- 

 drew it, and forsook the piece which he held. There 

 were two large pieces, a leg and a shoulder, lying 

 upon a wooden platter: into these he thrust both his 

 claws and carried them off; but I thought he still 

 looked wistfully at the large piece, which remained 

 in the warm water. Away he went slowly along the 

 ground as he had come. The face of the cliff over 

 which criminals are thrown took him from our sight. 

 The Mahometans that drove the asses were much 

 alarmed, and assured me of his return. My servants, 

 on the other hand, very unwillingly expected him, 

 and thought he had already taken more than his 

 share. As I had myself a desire of more intimate 

 acquaintance with this bird, I loaded a rifle gun with 

 ball, and sat down close to the platter by the meat. 

 It was not many minutes before he came, and a pro- 

 digious shout was raised by my attendants, ' He is 

 coming! he is coming!' enough to have dismayed 

 a less courageous animal. Whether he was not quite 



