640 
CURIOUS ACCOUNT OP A PARTRIDGE FIGHT. 
Thermometer—S a. m. 62°; halfpasttwa 
p. M, 75® ; 10 p. M. 68 b ; south wind in puffs ; 
disagreeable feeling day ; a little rain.” 
Capt. Rich states a remarkable fact that 
the peasantry in Koordistan are a totally dis- 
tinct race from the other tribes, who seldom, 
*f ever, cultivate the soil ; while, on the other 
hand, the peasants are never soldiers. The 
clannish Koords call themselves Sipah, or 
the military Koords ; but the peasants have 
no other distinguishing name than Rayahs, 
or Keuylees, or villagers. The following is 
a description of a partridge fight. 
"In the aftemoon Mahri'ood iVJasiaf came 
to entertain me with a partridge fight. 'I'his is 
a very favourite diversion of the Koords ; 
and the Masraf, who is a famous sportsman, 
when he heard that 1 had never seen a par- 
tridge fight, was quite delighted to have an 
oppoitunity of showing his collection of game 
partridges, which is a very fine one. He came 
first, attended hy four of bis sons, all very fine 
tall young men. The old gentleman looked 
quite respectable amongst his fine family; 
and he was not a little pleased at my making 
the remark. 
" Oh, sir” said he. " I have three or four 
more of the lads in the house, who will have 
the lionour of kissing your hanrl one day.” I 
was surprised to see the vn-eusieryi freedom of 
the sons beloie their father. They all put 
themselves at their ease, and smoked tlieir 
pipes without the least ceremony. From what 
I had seen among the Turks and Arabs, I 
should not have thought they would even have 
sat down in the presence of their fatiier. 
After a round of coffee and pipes had passed 
the approach of the army, as the old gentle- 
man called it, was announced by a prodigious 
cackling and crowing of the partridges, which 
was audible for a great distance off ; and soon 
a party of stout Koords appeared, bearing on 
their shoulders thirty two cages, each con* 
taining a cock partiidge. The collective and 
incessant cackling or crowing of this party 
caused a strange noise, .something like the 
ticking of a thousand immense watches ; they 
were not silent an instant, except when fight- 
ing. A number of lads of the fancy followed, 
all eagerness for the sight ; and more would 
have rushed in, if, to spare the clubbing and 
cudgelling, by which alone they could be kept 
back, 1 had not ordered the doors to be 
closed. 
The cages were placed round so as to form 
a ring, behind which the spectators stood ; 
the old Masraf, his sons, and myself closing 
the circle on the side of the tent. The scene 
would have suited the pencil admirably ; but 
as it would be out of the question to attempt 
to sketch on the spot, I must see the sight a 
few times before I can attempt to give a gra- 
phic idea of it. 
One of the assistants now opened the door 
of a cage, and let out a bird, who whirled 
hitnselt up in the air as if in defiance, and then 
fiirulted about. waiting for his adversary. Ano- 
ther partridge being let loose, they fell to. 
I’he sight was amusingand by no means cruel. 
It was highly entertaining to see the little 
birds strut about on tiptoe in defiance, jump 
up, bite at each other, j)Iay about to seize a 
lavourable opening, and avoid letting their 
adversary take hold on a bad place. I ob- 
served tlie great feat was to get .hold of the 
nape of the neck. When a partiidge succeed- 
ed in seizing liis adversary in this manner, 
he would hold him like a hull-dog, and some- 
times lead him two or thiee times lourid the 
ring. Sometimes a bird would be frightened 
and run away out of the ring. The battle 
u as then fairly lost ; and the bird so beaten 
will not feel disposed for fighting for two or 
three months alterwaid. Every bird had its 
own name ; and their wings were not clip- 
ped. They were so tame as to allow them- 
selves to he handled without re.sistance ; and 
when a match was over, the birds would 
return to their cages almost of their own 
accord. They never spurred ; all tlieir at- 
tack was an attempt to seize their adversary. 
The Koords looked on with great interest ; 
hut after the novelty was over, it seemed to 
me but a puerile diversion. The Koords aia 
keen sportsmen in horse-racing, partridge, 
ram, and dog fighting. Mahomet, like a true 
Arab, made it lawful to lay money on horse- 
racing; but the Koords carry tire license still 
farther, and allow of belting on their par- 
tridge and dog fights. 
After the exhibition vvas over, two officers 
came to report themselves, as appointed by 
the Darogha to command a patrole of fifteen 
men, who were to keep constantly going- 
round the outside of our house all night. To 
enat le them to pass our Sepoy posts, they 
had made themselves acquainted with " Who 
goes there?” and — “ A friend.” ft was really 
curious to hear Koords in Sulimania endea- 
vouring to pronounce these English words, 
which they had learnt fiom Mahometan na- 
tives of Hindoostan, and subjects of Great 
Britain. They told me they also knew what 
the countersign was. having learnt the mean- 
ing of it in Persia. Their corps de garde they 
established without any ceremony on the roof 
of a neighbouring house ; and walked over all 
the adjoining tools, and through the families 
of the occupants, whenever it suited them. 
To have remonstrated against this abomina- 
ble tyranny would have been fruitless, nor 
would the motive have been understood, 
either by the offenders or sufFerers— to so low 
a degree is the human species debased by a 
long course of savage oppression. Aga 
Minas to-day happened to ask one of the 
police-officeis in attendance if some sort of a 
bedstead could not be procured 1 ” Certain- 
ly,” said the man ; and, without more ado, 
he went to the first kiian, and seized three 
bedsteads belonging to Bagdad merchants, 
who happened to lodge there. He brought 
them in triumph to tlie house. It is need- 
less to say that the bedsteads were immediate- 
ly returned to their owners.” 
Here our limited space compels us to con- 
clude for the present. 
