HAWKING IN AFRICA. 129 



moments, and then drawing the folds of his bournous around 

 him like a Roman, related the following story : — 



" In the year Algiers fell into the hands of the Christians, 

 my Cousin Lakdar and myself conceived the idea of playing a 

 joke on one of our neighbors, a sheik of the Ouled-Bou- 

 Ghanem tribe, who, though a man of no account at all, 

 attempted to raise and hunt with falcons. 



"To accomplish our purpose we took two young eagles 

 which we had found in their nests, and taught them to hunt 

 the nias* which our shepherds found in the rocks and 

 brought us every day. 



"When we judged our birds sufficiently instructed and 

 well accustomed to the noise of men and horses, we sent a 

 safe friend to inquire among the servants of the sheik, when 

 and where his next hawking was to take place. 



" Having learned the appointed spot and day, Lakdar 

 and I set out before day-break, driving an ass before us 

 with our hooded eagles and some falcons in case of need. Our 

 destination was Oued-Mellegh, where we heard the sheik was 

 coming with a great party to hunt the bustard that abounded 

 on the plains thereabouts. 



" The sheik and his companions did not arrive for a long 

 time after we had reached the Oued-Mellegh, and as the 

 tamarinds on the borders of the brook gave us a good hiding 

 place, we saw the parties arrive without any danger, and as 

 they deployed on the open plain, we regulated our advance 

 by that of the hunters. 



* Nia8 are the young falcons found in the nest, and hagards the full grown ones. 



