HUNTING. 
483 
and that which, by driving ferocious animals from the fold, 
and abridging their numbers, even in the wilds and faft- 
neffes of the defert, finds its reward in commerce. Of 
the firft little can be faid, either on the fcore of tafte, or 
refinement of the underlianding. Of the fecond, the call 
of necefiity, and the ordination of Providence, appear to 
have been'the parent. Thus when the Levitical law dif- 
criminated' unclean beafts from clean and Jit for food, that 
fpecies of hunting was fanftioned and confirmed by Holy 
Writ, which had been practiced by man from the firtt 
hour of his being fubjefited to a ftate of nature. Hence 
the hunting and killing the venifon of^the forelt, and the 
“ toiling all night” to catch the fiflies of the fea, are of 
ftmilar defignation, and were part of the means whereby 
the induftry of fallen man was doomed to obtain his fu’o- 
fiftence. Of the third kind, that of deftroying the wild 
beafts and ferocious animals of the defert, too much can¬ 
not be faid i.n its commendation; for belides that it gives 
employment to thoufands and tens of thoufands of hardy 
individuals of the favage tribes, it affords to Cultivated 
fociety many of the comforts -and conveniences of life, 
which otlierwife could not be obtained. For the great 
and extenfive commerce which arifes from the constant 
employment of thefe hunters, fee the article Fur, vol.viii. 
p . I 2^.-1 2 8 . 
Hunting is employed by the princes and rajahs in the 
eaftern countries, more as an objeft of pageantry and (how, 
than from any principle either of public or of private uti¬ 
lity. The feafon moil appropriate for this purpofe is the 
winter, as in other countries; and therefore the coldeft 
period of the year, viz. from the beginning of December 
to the commencement of March; is ufually let apart for 
this diverfion. A circuit of between four hundred and 
fix hundred miles is generally made; the hunters bending 
their courfe towards the fkirts of the mountains, where 
the country is wild and uncultivated. The prince takes 
with him not only his court and harem, but a great part 
of the inhabitants of his capital. His immediate attend¬ 
ants may amount to two thoufand ; or ten, or even twenty, 
according to the magnitude of his eftablilhment; but the 
parade chiefly confilts in a great number of trained ele¬ 
phants.. Hawks are fometimes carried before the ele¬ 
phants, and let fly at whatever game is Iprung by the 
way, which is generally partridges, buftards, quails, and 
different kinds of herons; thefe laft affording excellent 
fiport with the falcons or lharp-winged hawks. Wild 
boars are fometimes ftarted, and either fhot or run down 
by the dogs and horfemen. The royal tiger, however, is 
looked upon as the principal objeft of purfuit. The co¬ 
ver in which he lies is commonly long grafs, or reeds of 
fuch a height as frequently to reach above the elephants; 
whence it is often difficult to find him, particularly as he 
either fteals off, or lies fo ciofe to the ground that he can¬ 
not be roufed till the elephants are almoft upon him. fie 
then roars and ikulks away, but is fhot at as foon as he 
can be feen ; it being generally contrived that the prince 
ihould have the firlt fhot or ltroke with his lance. If 
he be not difabled, the tiger continues to fkulk along, 
followed by the line of elephants; the attendants (hoot¬ 
ing at him as often as he can be feen, till he falls. The 
elephants are generally very much afraid of this terrible 
animal, and difcover their apprehenfions by roaring as 
foon as they begin to fmell him or hear him growl; ge¬ 
nerally attempting to turn from the place where he is. 
When the tiger can be traced to a particular fpot, the 
elephants are difpofed of in a circle round him ; in which 
cafe he will at laft make a defperate effort, fpringing upon 
the elephant that is neareft, and attempting to tear him 
with his teeth or claws. Some, but very few, of the ele¬ 
phants, can be brought to attack the tiger; and this they 
do by curling up their trunks under their mouths, and 
then attempting to tofs or otlierwife deltroy him with 
their tulles, or to crufh him with their feet or knees. It 
is confidered good (port to kill one tiger in a day. 
The other objects in thefe hunting excurfions are wild 
elephants, buffaloes, and rhinocerofes ; but the whole gene¬ 
rally doles with the chace of the antelope, the roe-buck, 
or flag. For this diverfion they train the animal called 
chittah, or hunting leopard, whole vigilance and fagacity 
are llrikingly manifefted in their fubtile mode of feizing 
and lecuring the hunted game. We are told by Pennant 
that the Great Mogul emperor Akbar trained the lynx to 
this diverfion, and fucceeded beyond all his compeers in 
the venifon he killed. The late Tippoo Sultaun was like- 
wife famed for activity and Ikill in this fport; and he 
actually made a prefent of a brace of his hunting leopards 
to his majefty George III. which are preferved in the 
Tower of London. See the article Felis, vol. v-ii. p. 196. 
But the boldeft and molt fkilfnl hunters of wild and 
ferocious animals, are the paftoral warlike tribes of Tar¬ 
tars who inhabit the vaft regions of northern Alia. The 
leifure of this people is ufefully fpent in the violent and 
fanguinary exercife of the chace, either for the deftrufition 
of wild beafts, or accumulation of provilions. The plains 
of Tartary are filled wfith a ftrong and Serviceable breed 
of horfes, w hich are eafilytrained for the purpofes of war, 
and of hunting. In every age they have been celebrated * 
as a bold and hardy race of people. They excel in the 
dexterous management of the, lance: the long Tartar 
bow is drawn with a nervous arm, and the weighty arrow 
is directed to its objeft with unerring aim, and irrefiftible 
force. Thefe arrows are directed with fuccefs againft the 
goat, the roe-buck, the fallow deer, the flag, the elk, and 
the antelope. The vigour and patience both of the men 
and horfes are thus continually exercifed by the fatigues 
of procuring a plentiful fupply of game for the fubfiftence 
of a Tartar camp. But the exploits of thefe hunters are 
not confined to the deftruclion only of thefe timid ani¬ 
mals ; they boldiy encounter the angry wild boar, when 
he turns againft his purifiers, excite the fluggifh courage 
of the bear, and provoke the fury of the tiger, as he (lum¬ 
bers in the thicket. Where there is danger there may be 
glory; and this mode of hunting, which opens the faireft 
field to the exertions of valour, may juftly be confidered 
.as the image and as the Ichool of w-ar. The general 
hunting-matches of the Tartar princes are hence made 
an inftruftive exercife for their numerous cavalry. A cir¬ 
cle is drawn of many miles in circumference, to encom- 
pafs the game or ferocious animals of an extenfive diftrifit; 
and the troops, that form the circle, regularly advance to¬ 
wards a common centre; where the captive animals, fur- 
rounded on every fide, are abandoned to the darts and 
lances of the hunters. In this match, which frequently 
continues many days, the cavalry are obliged to climb the* - 
hills, to fwim the rivers, and to wind through the valleys, 
without interrupting the preferibed order of their gradual 
progrefs. They acquire the habit of directing their eye, 
and their fteps, to a remote objedl; of preferving their 
intervals; of fufpending or accelerating their pace, ac¬ 
cording to the motions of the troops on their right and 
left; and of watching and repeating the lignals of their 
leaders. Their leaders ftudy, in this practical fchool, the 
molt important leffonof the military art; the prompt and 
accurate judgment of ground, of diftance, and of time. 
To employ againft a human enemy the fame patience 
and valour, the fame (kill and difeipline, is the only al¬ 
teration that is required in real war; and the amufements 
of the chace are made to ferve as a prelude to the con- 
queft of an empire. I11 this mode of hunting we may 
defery a virtue ; in that which has no objeft but idle pal- 
time and deliberate cruelty, a vice. 
I21 England we have but three genera of animals, which 
afford the amufement for the hunter, viz. the hare, the 
deer, and the fox. Hare-hunting is conducted by a pack 
of harriers, which are, or Ihould be, trained to toucii no 
other (cent. On the merits of this fport we fliall be filent, 
left we refleft too pointedly againft the humanity of thole 
who purfue it. The turning out from her peaceful form 
the poor harmlefs timid hare, for no other purpofe but to 
expofe her to the moft barbarous of all deaths, that of be¬ 
ing 
