586 DZUNGARIA 



move is generally carried out in full view of the game, 

 but, though they bunch together and display their white 

 rumps, curiosity holds them back from moving away. 

 As the hunters ride along, every two hundred yards or 

 so a man slips from his saddle and conceals himself 

 behind some slight cover, or, if none exist, as is gener- 

 ally the case, he will build a slight breastwork of 

 stones, resting his antique muzzle-loader over the top. 

 When half the number have been left behind in this 

 fashion, the remainder, leading the riderless horses, 

 make a wide detour, and spread out on the opposite 

 side of the herd. With flanks well advanced, they then 

 move in open order towards the guns. Occasionally 

 large numbers are killed in this manner, for the terrified 

 gazelle lose their heads and run down the whole line of 

 guns. More often, however, they break away at the 

 sides, or back through the drivers. 



The Kirghiz, and occasionally the Chantos, have a 

 much more sporting way of hunting gazelle, by means 

 of trained golden eagles, called in Turki " bouragut." 

 This method is only attempted in winter, when the game 

 is easy to approach, and the sportsmen have plenty of 

 time on their hands. Often we saw a man riding along 

 with a hooded eagle on his well-gauntlet ed right hand. 

 The great weight of the bird is supported by means of 

 a forked stick for the wrist, which fits into a socket in 

 the front of the saddle. We were never fortunate 

 enough to see a flight ; but Major Cumberland, in Sport 

 on the Pamirs and Turkestan Steppes, gives such a 

 good account of a kill he witnessed on the Tarim east 

 of Aksu, that I cannot do better than quote his descrip- 

 tion. 



*' I was anxious to see the eagle work, and, as I could 



