480 



falcon thai it is unable to make further resistance. There the bird 

 clings fast, until the huntsman cuts the antelope's throat, and sati- 

 ates the little victor with its blood. 



The Arabs were very fond of fighting-rains: one of the com- 

 manders presented me with a pair of an uncommon size and 

 wonderful power; but they were so expensive in their food, and 

 afforded me so little pleasure by their prowess, that I soon returned 

 them to the donor: after every combat they were regaled with al- 

 monds, raisins and pistachio nuts, as a reward for courage, and 

 renewal of strength. The Indians, from the prince on the musnud, 

 to the subahdar of a small fortress, keep fighting animals. In the 

 acme of Mogul splendour, the menageries of the emperors and 

 great omrahs were stored with elephants, lions, tigers, and other 

 beasts, trained for combat: those who can afford it, still retain a 

 few for that purpose: men in inferior stations are content with 

 fighting rams, goats, game-cocks, and quails. 



The modern Arabians practise the same hospitality as Abra- 

 ham, and the ancient patriarchs. D'Arvieux, travelling with a 

 party to an Emir's camp, halted to dine under a tree at the en- 

 trance of a village; the shaik sent them eggs, butler, curds, honey, 

 olives, and fruit. Where they passed the night they were sup- 

 plied with poultry, sheep, or lambs, according to their number; 

 sometimes alive; oftener dressed, in pilaus, stews, kabob, or kab-ab, 

 which is meat cut into small pieces and placed on thin skewers, 

 alternately between slices of onion and green ginger, seasoned 

 with pepper, salt, and kian, fried in ghee, or clarified butter, to be 

 ate with rice and dholl, a sort of split-pea, boiled with the rice. 

 This is a savoury dish, generally liked by the English, f which I 



