ARAB SPORTS. 



101 



Nothing can be more elegant than the ngure of this beautiful 

 antelope in the full unfettered freedom of its native wilds. Its 

 slender but vigorous limbs are in the highest degree elastic ; all 

 its actions are animated and graceful. When the approach of a 

 caravan surprises it in its solitude, it pricks up its ears, stretches 

 forth its neck, and fixes an attentive gaze upon the strangers. 

 Distrusting their intentions, it vaults with a few bounds 

 over large stones or bushes, and then again stops, play- 

 fully waving its horns to and fro. When once it has been 

 chased it becomes extremely wary, and on account of its 

 amazing fleetness can only be taken by dint of the utmost perse- 

 verance and cunning. It is often seen in large groups, bounding 

 across the desert with such extraordinary swiftness that it 

 seems bird-like to skim over the surface. From time im- 

 memorial its elegant form and brilliant eye have played a con- 

 spicuous part in Oriental poetry. The Arab loves to compare 

 the eye of his mistress with that of the gazelle — 



* Her eyes' dark charm 'twere vain to tell, 

 But look on that of the gazelle, 

 It will assist thy fancy well ' — 



and '- Thou art as graceful and as beautifully-shaped as a 



gazelle,' is the highest compliment that can be paid to an Oriental 



beauty. 



The chase of the gazelle is a favourite amusement of the 



inhabitants of the Saharian oases. On seeing a herd at a 

 : distance, they approach as cautiously as possible ; and when 



ibout a mile distant, they unleash their greyhounds, who dart 

 [off with the rapidity of arrows, and are excited by loud cries to 



their utmost speed. Yet they only reach the flying herd after 

 [a long race ; and now the scene acquires the interest of a drama. 

 (The best greyhound selects the finest gazelle for his prey, 



which uses all its cunning to avoid its pursuer, springing to the 

 pght, to the left, now forwards, then backwards, sometimes 

 [even right over the greyhound's head ; but all these zigzag 



evolutions fail to save it from its indefatigable enemy. When 



seized it utters a piteous cry, the signal of the greyhound's 

 riumph, who kills it with one bite in the neck. 

 When we consider the scanty vegetation of the Sahara, we 

 innot wonder that animal life is but sparingly scattered over 



[ts surface. The lion, so frequently misnamed ' the king of tlie 



