478 



THE NEW BOOK OF THE DOG. 



hounds " of the desert, and made mention 

 of them when treating of sport. The 

 Eastern methods of coursing are highly 

 praised. 



Slughis are often spoken of by Arab 

 writers, and in Arab poetry with the horse 

 and camel " the hounds to the chase well 

 trained " play their part. In a celebrated 

 pre-Islamic poem * is described the sad fate 

 of two " fine-trained lop-eared hounds, with 

 slender sides, which are let slip and lightly 

 outrun the sharp-horned white antelope." 

 In a . Bedawin song, of a later date, a 



A PERSIAN GREYHOUND. 



AFTER THE PAINTING BY O. HAMILTON. 



FROM AN ENGRAVING BY T. E. NICHOLSON. 



blind poet pictures himself again hunting 

 with his Silaga. 



At the time of the Crusades the Grey- 

 hound of the East became the fashion among 

 crusaders, who are said to have brought 

 specimens back to Europe "as a living 

 proof of the pilgrimage accomplished." A 

 beautiful Gazelle Hound is represented in a 

 portrait of Duke Henry the Pious, of Saxony, 

 wearing a collar decorated with the scallop 

 shell (badge of the pilgrim). 

 The exquisite illuminations in many early 

 * One of the seven " Golden Odes " (" Moalla- 

 kat "). Lebid. Translation by Coulston, and 

 Lady Anne Blunt. 



Persian MSS. give another glimpse of the 

 Tazi. In Venetian masterpieces, which por- 

 tray the pomp of West and East, these dis- 

 tinguished-looking Greyhounds with silky 

 ears occupy prominent positions, as in " The 

 Marriage of Cana " and " The Finding of 

 Moses," by Paul Veronese. 



The accounts of travellers in many 

 instances further enrich the story of the 

 Slughi. They are impressed chiefly by the 

 swiftness and appearance of these dogs. 

 Two of these references may be quoted. 

 In 1508 on the shores of the Persian Gulf 

 the great Portuguese 

 conqueror and naviga- 

 tor, Alfonso Dalbo- 

 querque, describes the 

 hunting of gazelle with 

 falcons and " very swift 

 hounds." Nearly four 

 hundred years later, 

 Sir Henry Layard 

 writes to his mother 

 from Nimroud, " I have 

 two beautiful Grey- 

 hounds of first-rate 

 breed. I wish I could 

 send them to you, for 

 with their silky ears 

 and feathered tails 

 they are quite drawing- 

 room dogs. They catch 

 hares capitally, but are 

 too young yet for 

 gazelle." 



Of medium size, with 



exceptional attributes for sport, the Gazelle 

 Hound has the addition of beauty and 

 refinement. With what has been aptly 

 called " a human expression " in his 

 eyes, bespeaking a most gentle and faith- 

 ful disposition, the Slughi will always 

 be found a valuable companion. His 

 symmetry of form and distinguished 

 appearance, make him the pride of his 

 fortunate possessor, and also a conspicuous 

 and very interesting addition to the show 

 ring.* 



* Specimens of the Slughi (Shami) have been 

 imported into England and bred by Miss Lucy 

 Bethel and the Hon. Florence Amherst. 



