436 CLASS AVES. 



describes a circle, which the Arab, who pretends merely to 

 observe, and not pursue, knows how to cut at the opportune 

 moment. This kind of chase is particularly pursued at the 

 period when the ostriches unite in considerable numbers to 

 traverse the desei^t. Harassed incessantly, they find no 

 opportunity of eating ; and when they are extremely fatigued, 

 the hunters rush upon them and knock them down with 

 sticks. This is sooner done, when, in addition to the horses, 

 grey-hounds are employed, properly trained to bar their 

 way. Very frequently they are taken alive in this way. 



When the Arabs have killed an ostrich, they open his 

 throat, make a ligature below the hole, and several of them 

 then, taking him by the head and feet, shake and drag him 

 in various directions until are disgorged by the same hole 

 nearly twenty pounds of a substance mingled with blood and 

 fat, of the consistence of coagulated oil, which is called man- 

 teque, and which is employed in the preparation of dishes, 

 and the cure of different maladies. 



Notwithstanding the decided turn of the ostriches for 

 liberty, those which are taken alive are easily tamed, and 

 suffer themselves to be parked up and kept in flocks. They 

 even suffer men to mount them ; but the art has not yet been 

 attained of guiding them like a horse. Those, however, 

 that are taken young and brought up at the Cape of Good 

 Hope, show a certain degree of docility. They will suffer 

 themselves to be ridden, and even climb upon the shoulders 

 of those who are willing to try the experiment ; and it is 

 not improbable that they might be brought to carry bur- 

 dens, and otherwise rendered serviceable to man. The 

 farmers of the Cape have tamed them to such a degree that 

 they are left at liberty to go out of the farm, enter it, and 

 seek their food where they will. But the voracity of these 

 animals is much complained of ; they will swallow chickens 

 entire, and trample the hens under foot. 



