Caccabis Chakor 105 



The river (which is here unfordable and has no 

 bridge) flows below a cirque of black cliffs some 

 300 or 400 feet high. Down the centre of the 

 cliffs, and across the beach to the water's edge, 

 runs a sort of mole formed of enormous boulders 

 and fragments of rock-. During the drive the 

 cliffs are crowned by men, but the ground which 

 is actually driven lies on the opposite side of 

 the river, the terraced fields of another large 

 village. The chakor, driven off these, fly across 

 the river to the cliffs, but are kept on the 

 move by men employed in rolling stones over 

 the edge ; and so the birds fly backwards and 

 forwards over the gun on the mole till they 

 gradually find their way out of the trap. Let 

 us imagine the guns have taken their places. A 

 puff of smoke from the top of the cliff and the 

 report of a matchlock is the sign for the beaters 

 to begin. The long horse - shoe line of black 

 dots on the opposite bank gradually works in, 

 and as the line approaches a roar of stones 

 begins from the cliffs above, and this continues 

 the whole time. " Hai-e-e-e ! " come the warnings 

 from beyond the river, from above, behind, and 

 every direction. The gun on the mole keeps 

 spinning round, first taking a shot this way and 

 then that, as fast as he can. From the cliffs 

 the rocks come crashing down with enormous 



