46s 
OSTRICH. 
take an ostrich with the swiftest horse when the 
wind is in its favour, as its expanded wings so much 
assist its flight, that, unless it receives a wound so 
as to disable its wings, it will be in vain to pursue 
the bird. To follow the chase with success, the 
weather should be both warm and calm ; and it is 
then the Arabian hunters mount their fleetest horses 
and seek the bird in its native plains. Perhaps, of 
all the varieties of the chase, this, though the most 
laborious, is yet the most entertaining. As soon as 
the hunter comes within sight of his prey, he ap- 
proaches with a gentle gal] op, so as to keep the 
ostrich always in sight without driving it to the 
mountains. The animal, either insensible of its 
danger, or sure of escaping, begins to run at first 
very gently, with the wing plumes waving in the 
air ; but as the hunters draw near, it doubles its 
speed, and would very soon be out of sight if the 
silly creature continued in a direct line ; instead of 
which, it wheels about in circles, while the hunters 
relieve each other, meet it at unexpected turns, and 
thus keep it employed ; till at last, quite spent with 
fatigue, and finding all power of escape impossible, 
the ostrich endeavours to hide itself from those ene- 
mies it cannot avoid, by covering its head in the 
sand. 
When the Arabians have killed an ostrich they 
open its throat, and make a ligature below the in- 
cision, after which they shake the bird with vio- 
lence and roll it on the ground ; then removing 
