THE BAZ-NAMA-YI NASIRY, A PERSIAN TREATISE OF FALCONRY by HELLENIC HORSEBACK ARCHERY SOCIETY

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THE

BAZ-NAMA-YI NASIEI A PERSIAN TREATISE ON FALCONRY

HUNTING AND HAWKING SCENE (from a painting in an ancient PERSIAN MS.

THE

BAZ-NAMA-YI NASIRl A

rEU.SlAX TKEATLSK

(

TL'AXST.ATFD

LIEUT. -COLONEL

FALCOXKY

7?F

D. C.

PHILLOTT

SECRETAKY, BOAIID OF EXAMINERS, CALCUTTA,

GENERAL SECRETARY AND PHILOLOGICAL SECRETARY,

ASIATIC SOCIETY OF BENGAL,

FELLOW OF THE CALCUTTA UNIVERSITY, EDITOR OF THE PERSIAN TEXT OF THE (i.l uj Xfy 'S-SA V ).T /> >i

ETC. KXC.

LONDON 15

UN A

IM)

gl"

1908

AKlTCli

\pOO copies of this

, t

•»••

e e • m

•

hooli

->ti

hare heen printed']

HIS I']XCELLENCY

THE 'ALA^

'L-:\[ULK

formerly

Governor-General of Kirman AND

Perslw Baluchistan

THIS TRANSLATION IS AFFECTIONATELY DEDICATED In

Memory OF

Certain Days not Unpleasant when we

Met

BAG H AND MINGLED OUR TEARS OVER OUR

EXILE

-^39972

the

^^^.. U ,J

l^>-^ >

>v y

'"^

•

r^.

^^^ jn y-f^' ^.j-^Ur^

TRANSLATOirS INTliODUCTION The author

tliis

work was Husdm" 'd-Daidali Taymur Mirza/

one of the nineteen sons of Husayn 'All Mirza,' Farmdn-Farmd the Governor of

Fath ^AlT Shfih,

Province of

tho

general

confusion prevailed

many.

The

Sliali,

establish

A.H. 1250 (A.D.

claimants

the

details of these claims

QfijAr.

the death of Path 'All

aspirants

and one of the sons

Fiirs,

them are

Crown were

the

and the actions

18:34),

the various

and

exceedingly complicated

The old ZiU" 's-Sult/in first mounted the throne His nephew the young Muhammad Mlrza was then Tabrlz_, and his troops had not been paid for some

difficult to follow.

Teheran.

Governor of

However, receiving pecuniary support from the English ambassador, and moral support from the Russian, he marched on

time.

Teheran (pntting out the eyes of a brother or two

was met by the army

(hastily paid

to date,

eii

and even

route), in

and

advance)

The moving spirit in Muhammad MlrziVs army appears to have Ijeen an Englishman named Lynch, wlio, nominally in command of the artillery, virtually managed what cannot be better described than as " the whole show." Tho camp ot lie Zill" 'a-Sidhln

of the

ZiW^ 's-Snltpn.

awoke

in the

morning

to discover that,

General had gone over to the enemy

;

during the night, their

and that

Lynch, having

j\lr.

pointed four big guns at their camp, was haranguing them from his

position,

and exhorting them

appeared reasonable.

Lynch, and part returned home.

!Mi'.

this fine

army was disbanded, scattered

man going

Muhammed

]MJrza

and

opposition,

his

anny crossed " Li a moment,

Part of the Zill" 'n-SHlfoiis

over to

Bear, every

His arguments

go home.

to his

own

like the stars of the

place."

now entered Teheran without

uncle

Great

the Zill" 's-Sulf/hi,

the slightest

in the

greatest

despondency,'' placed the crown on his head and handed him the state jewels.

.Muhammad Shah

(no longer Mirza) then proceeded to

MJr:-! after (not before) a

name

signifies Prince.

translator's introduction

xii

despatch the Zill" 's-Sultdn and most of to the

liis

uncles and brothers

dreaded fortress of Ardabil.

Shaykh

'Ah" Mirza,

ShayMi" H-MulLih,

the requisites of sovereignty except a

prince that

made an even more

of the Shah.

morning

in the

8haykh

evening 'All

though he had none of

band of music/' was another

He was

feeble bid for the throne.

then Governor of Tfiy Sarkan.

bands that play

Royal governors, but a morning band

;

in Persia,

as well as in the evening,

a prerogative

Mirza ordered his band

have

to play in the

and thought that by so doing he

had become Shah. that

Muhammad

However, on receiving the unexpected news Shah was in Teheran, he tendered his submission,

and was soon packed

off to join

the "caravan " at ArdabTl.

Haydar Quli Mlrza, SJhih lyhtiydr, another royal prince, also made a burlesque attempt to obtain sovereignty. His own adherents split into two parties, quarrelled amongst themselves, and then at a moment's notice turned him out of the city of which he was Governor. On his way to Isfahan he fell off his horse, and was carried into that city in a prostrate condition. Once or twice, after this, he

wrath of It

flits

across the page of history as a fugitive from the

Muhammad

Shah.

must not be supposed that

all this

time the Farmdn-Farma, the

father of our author

and the eldest living son of the late Fath 'Ali Shah, was idle. He seems to have been popular in Fars, for Sbiraz was kind enough to offer him the crown of Persia. He induced his brother the Shnjd'" 's-Saltanah, the Governor of Kirman, to have coins struck in his name there, and also the Khutjjah read in his name at the Friday prayers.

days

and

later,

news

further sat on a throne in Shiraz.

the arrival of

Muhammad Shah

few

Teheran

ZiW 's-Sulf/hi, reached him. The Shnjd> 's-SaUajiah, who had arrived at Shiraz from Kirman, was then placed in conmiand of an army, and under him were two of the Farmdn-Farmd's sons, Najaf Qull Mirzfi in command of the of

the abdication of the

Cavalry, and Biza QuIl Mlrza in

command

of the Infantry.

The

army appears to have been Isfahan, the inhabitants of which, it was hoped, would declare for the Farmdn-Farvid. The season was winter. The second march was commenced in a storm of snoAv and rain. The plains became a lake the hill passes were blocked by snow men and horses died guns sank in the mud: property was lost. ,_Rations, too^ ran short, and destination of the

—

translator's introduction

xiii

Even proper

country had lately been visited hy locusts.

the

guides were wanting.

P>ut worst of all,

Lynch was discovered

^\r.

blocking- the way.

artillerymen "deserted" to

Jjynch's

Ml'.

one march fn mii Isfahan,

tampered wirh

Shira/ camp, and

the

In the skirinish

artillery.

its

In the night, three of

next morning,

all

the

camp went hoijily over to Mr. livncli. The rcMuainder of the Shiraz army scattered and disappeared, got entangled in the mountains, and i-etraced its steps to iind Mr. Lynch artillery horses of the Shn-az

some

with

blocking

artillei-y

aj)parently another Lnglishinan

one

and

path,

Shiraz, in

miserable

the army,

o\'

^Fr.

Shir "

— blocking another.

The Shiraz Comniander-iu-Chief, with presumal)ly a i-emnant

plight

his

two nephews, and hack into

eventually slnid<

from hunger and exhaustion.

grand Council was then held, and everybody talked, and the Farmdn-Fiiniiif listened certain^ no

to all

One thing seems (piite Strange rumours now began to

one did anything.

turn.

reach Shiraz of weird Turkish troops that spoke no Persian, and

were commanded by an

nl)i(|uitous

Englishman.

The

panic-stricken, fled with their property.

and

seized

faithful

seize the gates,

and

Farm a V- Farm

that a plan

with

all

city i)eo])le

on their way to

his relations,

adding that the delay Still

the Farrndn-Farmd

he maintained his attitude of keeping " one

still

foot in the stirrup

deserted to

had been concocted for cajituiang

one minuUi meant the loss of everything. shilly-.shallied

coui'se,

eunuch then informed the Farmdn-

Farmtl that he had met some of the

the

city people revolted,

some towers; while the troops, of

the other side.

The merchants,

and one on the ground," giving

advice of his son to

flee,

and then

ear, first to the

to the advice of his

brother the

The re.-ult was, that the two elder jn-inces were taken. 'I'he Farmdji-Farmd was deported to Teheran, where he was honourably treated but s]ieedily died. The Shaj<7> Shiij(7'"

s-SaUannh

to stay.

s-SaUcinah Vins carried

and then sent

Teheran, deprivtd of his

to enliven the family party at Ardabil.

sii^-ht

Tli(>

en route, princes,

Najaf Quli Mirza, Kiza Quli Mirza, Taymur ^Nlirza the author of this Baz-Kama, with Nawab l.lajiya the mother of Najaf QuiT Mirza, and three more princes, brothers or half-brothers, narrowly effected their escape,

and a month

later

reached I^aghdad

in safety.

time relations between the English and Persian Courts were extremely friendly. The eldest prince, Kiza C^)uli Mirza, with

tliat

translator's introduction

xiv

Najaf Qull Mlrza^ and Taymur Mirza our

brothers

his

England

started for

to obtain the mediation of

autlior,

William IV., reaching

Damascus and Beyrout in the summer of 1836. Their journey from Damascus to Bej'rout was as feckless and mismanaged

Loudon

via

as their expedition to Isfahan.

For four months the princes were a popular feature and during that time succeeded

Society,

London

losing their hearts

Then, as they had obtained the object of their

several times.

journey, Lord Palmerston having arranged matters to their satisfaction, they returned to

Baghdad and

Xajaf QulT Mlrza wrote an account

exile. in

Persian of the events that

occurred on the death of their grandfather Fath 'All Shall, and of

own adventures

their

their tour to

in consequence,

and he also kept a diary of

England and back.

As'ad Ya'qTib

who had accompanied Dragoman, secured this MS, in Baghdad

Khaijijdi,^ a Syrian Christian

the princes to Europe as

;

but on his journey back to Syria he was held up by Bedouins and deprived of that portion of the MS. that treated of the actual flight of the princes illiterate

from Shiraz and of the arrest of their father

Arabs mistaking these pages

for the

— the The

Holy Qur'an.

remainder of the journal was translated by him into English, and

under the

title of

a " -Journal of a Residence in England and of a

Journey from and to Syria, of their Royal Highnesses Reeza Koolee Meerza, Najaf Koolee Meerza, and Taymoor Meerza of Persia,'^ was printed in

London

for private circulation only.

The present

tragi-

comic page of Persian history has been compiled, partly from this narrative,

and partly from Persian sources.

Some twenty-eight

years

after

the

bid

fourteen years after the death of their cousin

Muhammad

two princes Riza Qull Mirza and Taymur Mirza Baghidad to revisit their native land.

and

for sovereignty,

Shah, the

from

started

Who knows

what secret

hopes they cherished, what dreams they dreamt of royal favour

In a few j^athetic words, our author, in his Preface, informs us that, at the second stage of their journey, the truth of the sacred text, '

And

know

not

forcibly revealed to him

In his

translation

Asaad Y. Kayat. Christians.

what land death :

Khayydt

shall overtake you,'

his brother suddenly sickened

and

was

died.

the Journal he transliterates his name is a comniou family name amongst Syrian

TRANSLATOk's introduction

Tayimir

Mii-zn

\v:is

well

r(.'ri.'ivL'cl

coustnui companion he became in in A.

II.

12U1 (A.D. 1874); I

by Nasii"

all s]iortin<r

XV \l-I)iii

Slifili,

cxjjeditions.

wiiose

lie died

told, in Tolicnui.

In Persia, and round Ha<^dad, 'ravimir Mlrza's name is still household word. " Ali," exclaim the Persians when liawkinir

mentioned,

was eomposetl

litlio^'iaplied

was

A.H. 1285 (A.D. 1868) and was

Teheran.

lithog-rciphed in

original

a trans-

oric-inally

Bombay, a few pages on pigeons and game-

translation

Teheran edition

by a former owner.

second, and [jcrhaps a third, edition

fowl, apparently wriiten in India, being

The present

'ra^iimr Mirzil wei'e oidy here."

His treatise on Falconry, of which the present book latMii.

added as an Appendix.

has been made from a copy of the whieli marginal notes have been added

For the

versification

indebted to the

assistance of poetical friends. 1).

XV]

f >f^<:

FACSIMILE OF

PAGE OF THE TEHERAN LITHOfiRAPHED EDITION

—

xvn

TTTK

" A

BAZ-^^AMA-YI NASIEl

TRKAirSK OX FALCONRY DEDK'ATKl) TO NAMIJ'' •D-DTX OF FFKSIA

SlIAll Tx THE

Name

Let us embroider

of God, the Mekciflu,, the Compassionate

this Treatise

Praise of the All-Sufficient

;

on Falconry with

and

let

tlio

design of the

us exalt our Pen by a votive

praise to the Groat Fashioner, in the [)ath of whose

offering- of

worship the wing-s of

Pure Spirits of the Saints

tliose falcon-like

Mercy

are spread wide open,' like as the portals of His

are

opened

wide in the faces of those that truly love Him. Let us also praise the matchless beauty and grandeur and perfection Bird,- the robe of

And was

Wo soars

whose being God adorned with

at the distance of

that high-soaring this sacred verse

two bow-strings, or even

further extol the Family, the lliimn

less/"

whose noble

spirit

on the pinions of sure belief and true knowledge,

aloft

winging

way

its

to the eyrie of union with the Eternal

Phoenix

Falcons thricu tour and twain,' that on the wiug

Of Unity soar ever hovering Round Caucasus (within whose rocky caves Dwells the Simnr(^) while ever on their graves The clouds of God's Grace every moment pour Unmimbei-ed blessings from His bounteous store. ;

Tajnls

a play upon the wurds buz,

i.e.,

Quran,

J3"wjn'7,

liii,

the

Lammergeyer

Society of Bengal, Vol. i.e.,

a goshawk," and bdz, "open."

Mii/iammad.

the 14

II,

Ma''sri7}is,

dcscenrlants the 12 Tiuaras.

No.

;

vide Journal

and Proceedings Asiatic

10, li>06.

which are Muhammad, Fdtimah, and

his

xviu

PERSIAN author's introduction

Thus says

this

His Royal Highness Prince Taijniur

writer^

Mlrza,^ son of the Blessed- Husayn 'Al7 Mlrza, Farinnu-Farnw^

and grandson

of the

Blessed- King Foih 'All

Allah has clothed in the Robes of Light) reign

the

Pardon (a

King Muhammad

and a Dweller

Shah,

brothers Bizo Quit

M7rzi7, Wall,

both

— ''At

Him

perfect benedictions on

writer,

its f^ilent "

years,

inmates as

visiting

the

the grace of

iVf ter

a residence of

God and Fate

God we

peace and freedom,

'')

—best of blessings and decreed,

QnU Mlrzd

Qnll Mlrzd and Najaf

brother Bizn

departed from the Province of

journey to Europe, returning to the Holy Places

thirty

1250

and Shali-rnkh Mlrza, and I.^kdndar

in that Celestial City,

a year and a half.

flod's

that performed

Fdrs on a pilgrimage to the Sacred Karhald^

with

Receiver of

(the

Ndqih" l-Iydla, and Najnf Quiz

M'lrzd,'^

elders,

Mlrzd, younger than the

some months

the beginning of

in Paradise), in the year of the Flight

thousand blessings and praises on

with

(whom

Sliali, Q('ij(h-

took a

after the space of

spent the long space of

those Abodes of Peace,

Holy Shrines and hawking and hunting

their

environs.

When

the throne of the

Kingdom

of Irdn—v.'h\c]\

from the changes and vicissitudes illuminated

M-irzrl after a

Marhririt, " blessed "

'All ^ •5

•^

— was

Parmdn- Farmd

—a

Mirza before a name

Mtr::'l

(with short

i.e.,

signifies

before a

and also a Governor or Viceroy. Hu.sayn Mirza, much lauded by the Poet Qa,ani, was Governor of Fjirs. title,

" vide note

i.e.,

" deceased

i.e.,

on the Prophet.

;

'Atabdt-i'Alhjat, the "Exalted Thresholds,"

family and his followers ^

and

" late."

the city of Kerbala, the burial place of the martyrs

adorned

(usually only of Muslims by Muslims), signifies

dead and pardoned by God," H

Time

protect

the splendour of the auspicious accession of His

name signities Prince one whose mother is a Sayyidu. But 2iame signifies a " clerk, writer, etc." ^

God

i.e.,

;

a Slii'ah term for

Imam Husayn,

his

sometimes Najaf and Kazimayn are included.

those buried in those sacred spots.

Amakin-i Mvsharrafa.

XIX

PERSIAN AllllOR^y INTRODUCTION

Majesty

\J-DJii,

Nt'>sir"

<S//''A

God's Grace and His lilcssing

and the son of Kinofs echo

oi'

sonndod

Mh'zu,

Donus

1:27'.>,

Baghdad,

left

ihis

th'>

jicci-less

shade oi

llio

King

and the

.lustice

tlic

Monarch

and

sju'cad

nay reached even

rc-

the

high

your humble slave, with R!^<i

(l"^l

Abode

imam,

shrine of the Eighth

t'aiiu'

of Peace,' in the year of the Flight

pilgrimage to Holy ATeshed,

i-mk,

the Divinely-aided, a

iiu>ii,

world,

the

tlirouo-hout

oratories uf Heaven's

ami wlicn the

;

Clemcncv of

till'

JnnisJinl

— the

kiss the sacred

in ni-dcr to

God AIniighty on

blessings of

him, his honoured forefathers, and his descendants the Leaders of

men In

his

KirmfirixlifTJi

Mtrz(i,

journey

the fort

and

;

known

livino-

thing

manifested to

When

IJi'ip

he passed away, and the hidden mystery

knoweth

we despatched

and

^ -

' '

shall

was

die "

ancestral

to the

wings and soared

to the

Holy City

Najaf-

sanctified

llial lias

in,

alone, with

where was

his

ijurden of grief

most Sacred City.'

and Honour be

and His Majesty and

residence at

it)

home, so that he might there be

was blessed by the ]nlgriniage

— Peace

already set

summer

my way

its

his bier to the

buried with his fathers, while

When

land

of,

us.

dwelling-place

'l-'AzJm'*'

what

(thousands of blessings on him

continued on

Qnll

Karlrn, one of the stages on our

the bird of his spirit spread

eyrie of Rest

overtook llizn

accordance with the passage, " All that breathes

shall taste of death,"

death

pre-destined

him

his

— the

R<izrat-i

intense

'Ahd"

heat had

Court were moving to the

Certain

Sln'mrrinilt.

well-wishers

His

an epitlu-t or a name <>f Jiaghdad. Xnjaf-i Ashraf ; near Kerbala and the burial place of 'Ali. Arz-i Aqdas is Mnsh,had-i Mmindilas. Probably tin- pkce of this name near Teheran, the biu'ial place of

Dfir"'s- Solum is

the saint from whiuh the place takes

its

uame.

PERSIAN author's INTRODUCTION

Majesty and of

State

tlie

informed him of

He who

Since the Creator of Existence,

circumstances.

made the

has

heig-hts

and

the depths, has decreed for every low estate a high estate, and for

every grief a joy, and for every disgrace an honour, and for every

mind was inspired

pain a cure, the Eoyal

summon

the Minister of Pubh'c Works, to the Presence.

So, according to

to appoint

Dust 'All Kh<hi,

this attaclied slave to

Royal Mandate,

drove with

Minister in his cai-riage to Naijdvardn,'^ where the Royal

Camp

tlie

then

After a short wait in the shade of the tent we were honoured

was.

by admittance

King

the sun-like Presence of the

souls be his sacrifice

Such kindness he showed and

— May

our

wide did

he open the doors of his favour and kingly condescension, that

what

had heard was but a thousandth part

of the i-eality

were but a handful as a sample of an ass-load.

When

— and

presented

heai't

its sight.

but seeks to find with thee a home.

too,

his

slave,

The Shadow

an expert of experts

foot, or off a galloping horse. S]iahri.sf<7uaJi-, I

and

God (may

his eqiuil

ability,

Maltd'i QiilJ

a &io-ne—3Iitsfaf(7 QulJ

Khdn

last

our souls be his sacrifice)

shooting, either on

For example, one day Klidn the Gjjiihlm

and Aqd Euslu Klnni the gun-keeper,

in the Kfih-i

hachrha-hrixlil,

wei-e sitting with

the M'trshikdr-

him behind

with several other

Near Shimrunat. M'lr-sJnkar

head game-keeper, but any bird-catcher, assistant falconer, etc. ~

the string

my mean

according to

kingly

sports, but especially in shooting.

in all

have never seen ur heard of

— on

poor contribution to the conversation, which at

turned on sport.

with

kings' words are the kings of words

discourse,

his vision

spoke on various topics and strung the pearls

words

longer wishful through the world to roam,

His

exclaimed

the poor traveller's glance on thee alight,

Thy beauty charms

— as

;

in Persia a

in India a title of

PERSfAN author's INTRODUC'I'ION

having made a

rifles

range of the king's

made

off.

xxi

sheep within

circuit to drive the lierd of wild

rifle

— when the herd suddenly turned aside and

Five three-year

rams that had not scented the

danger came fearlessly on towards the stone behind which Majesty and the rest of n^ -were crour-hing.

him

gun

a double-barrelled

for slugs,

[is

and throe

Majesty hid

witli

When

rifles.

rams arrived within forty paces, His Majesty

iiis

fired the

the

gun and

brought down one with one barrel, and a second with the second barrel.

remaining rushed down the

Thi' three

seized the

rifles

Grod brought

with his auspicious hand, and by the

down

all

Uis Majesty

hill.

will of

three head one after the other

The Heavens exclaimed " Bravo The Angels cried " Well-done "

the

One

—

" !

Now

only an expert shot

and successful shots

No True all

it is

knows

what ranges

at a fleeing herd,

sport

is this

but miracle and wonder

that kings are the shadow of

by the help

God and

able to accomplish

of their blaster.

As long

May

to fire five successive

as in the heavens the Lord shall reign,

our King's rule upon the earth remain

;

For surely so long will a sliadow last As He by whom the shadow's self is cast."

Many

other feats, too, like this I've seen, up

till

ntnv, the year

1285-^ (of the Flight).

Sixty-four years of

and shooting,

my life have now

passed,

have had im hobby but

This slave of the King's Court,

s])ort,

'J'atjiunr,

all

spent

hunting

no recreation but

it.

desired that like the ant

he should present his offering to the Court of the Solomon of the

From the Shnh-Ndma. The Shah, and in fixct all A.D. 1868,

kings, are styled "

The Shadow

of Clod."'

PERSIAN AUTHOE^S INTRODUCTION

Majesty and of the State informed him of

He who

Since the Creator of Existence,

circumstances.

made the heights and

has

the depths, has decreed for every low estate a high estate, and for

every grief a joy, and for every disgrace an honour, and for every

mind was inspired

pain a cure, the Royal

summon

the Minister of Public Works, to the Presence.

So, according to

this attached slave to

Royal Mandate,

drove with the

Minister in his carriage to Nayrivavon^ where the Royal

was.

he open the doors of

what

Such kindness he showed and his

his vision

—as

— and

exclaimed

with

too,

his

to find with thee a

slave,

The Shadow

an expert of experts

home.

a galloping horse.

S]ia]irisf(7)ni]:^ I

and

J<j('' hii.sJiJ

God (may our

kingly

the string ability, last

souls be his sacrifice)

but especially in shooting.

his equal

shooting, either on

For example, one day

and Mahdl Qui? Klian the GJiuhhii

in the

Kuh-i

barlicJta-hi'ixlu,

Klidn the gun-keeper, wei'e sitting with him behind

atone— M'li.stj if(7

Q,ulJ

Khdn

the Mlrshikdr-

with several other

Near Shimnnidt.

Mrr-shikdr ; in Persia a head game-keeper, but anj bird-catcher, assistant falconer, etc. ~

— on

my mean

according to

in all sports,

have never seen or heard of off^

poor contribution to the conversation, which at

turned on sport.

foot, or

its sight.

kings' words are the kings of words

discourse,

presented

spoke on various topics and stiaing the pearls

words

wide did

longer wishful tlu'ough the world to I'oam,

His heart but seeks

our

the poor traveller's glance on thee alight,

Thy beauty charms

— May

of the reality-

were but a handful as a sample of an ass-load.

then

favour and kingly condescension, that

had heard was but a thousandth part

When

King

the sun-like Presence of the

souls be his sacrifice

Camp

After a short wait in the shade of the tent we Avere honoured

by admittance

Khan,

to appoint Jjlixt 'All

in India a title of

>^>^1

PERSIAN AI'THOR's INTRODUCTION

having made a

rifles

ofV.

dang-er

three-year ohl

Five

came

of wil.l slieop within

a double-barrelled

rams that had not scented the

whieh His on towards the stone behind His Majesty had with us were crouching.

tearlessly

Mafesty and the rest of

hnu

herd

and ritk'-wheu the herd suddenly turu-d aside

raug-e of the kiu-'s

made

circuit to drive the

gun

for slugs,

and three

When

rifles.

the

Majesty fired the gun aud rams arrived within forty paces, His a second with the second brought down one with one barrel, and

b,,Jl. seized

His Majesty hiU. Thr three remaining rushed down the hand, and by the will of the One the rifles with his auspicious

aod brought down

all

three head one after the other

—

The Heavens exclaimed " Bravo "^ The Angels cried " Well-done !

Now

only an expert shot

and successful shots

No True all

it is

knows

what ranges to

successive

at a fleeing herd.

sport

is this

but miraele and wonder

that kings are the shadow of

by the help

fire five

of their

God and

able to accomplish

Master.

sliull reign, as iu the heavens the Lord remain our King's rule upon the earth

As long

May

For surely so long will a shadow last cast.^ As He by whom the shadow's self is

Many

seen, up tUl now, the year other feats, too, like this I've

1285'^ (of the Flight).

Sixty-four years of n>y

and shooting.

life

have now passed,

have had no hobby but

sport,

all

spent

hunting

no recreation but

it.

T.n,mnr, desired that like the ant This slave of the King's Court, of the to the Court of the Solomon he should present his off-ering

•^

From the Shnh-Nama. The Shah, and in fact all A.D. 1868.

kings, are styled

•'

j bhadow The oi .„,

off

n i " God.

PERSIAN AUTHOR

XXll

Age/

that

compose a

is,

INTRODUCTION

on Falconry and

treatise

and on the various species and

hawks and

its

branches,

their treatment in health

disease.

Although subject,

the

old

means experts in their art.

this

therefore, thought of myself writing on the subject

and leaving a memento

for

lovers

all

the

whether

sport,

W^hen these are seated by a stream, refreshed

tyros or experts.

and rested

treatises

and should not be classed as masters

in their science

written

humble opinion those old writers were by no

in ray

still

Falconers have

after the

morning's sport,

hope they

Avill

recall the

writer in their prayers and pass over the shortcomings of his work.

have honoured

my book

with the

Majesty the King, and have named

have divided

The

the

auspicious

name

of His

Bdz-No ina-yl Nuslrl and

into several hdbsr'

allusion

some story

of the ant presenting

Solomon with

the leg of a locust.

The book,

pages

hoAvever, contains only two

to 26 (1st Edition)

The

numbered hubs

species of Hunting-birds

the

;

" ;

first,

and the

second, the remaining 157 pages of the book on other subjects. The 2nd huh, however, commences witli " On the black-eyed birds of prey :

have at various times of which ...."'

tliat

life

come

into

possession and

CONTENTS PAGE

TRANSLATOR'S INTRODUCTION PERSIAN AITIfollS INriJoDrr TFOX

PART TIIK YKLlJiW-EYED

CHAP. I.

II.

III.

IV. V. VI. VII.

BIRDS OF PREY

......

....

On the SHORi'-wrNGEi) Ha\vk.s dsed The Gosh.\\vks The Sp.\kro\v-iiawk The riuc Spakuow-h.wvk The SuiKUA The Serpent E.\gle The Eagle Owl

VIII

xvu

Falconhy

..... .... ......

17 17

Other Species ov Owl^;

The Harriers X. The Lam-mergeykr XI. The Osprey

IX.

...... oi;

Beauked Vulture

PART

•22 •ir,

THE DA L'K-E )'/:/) lUUDS OF PREY XII.

The

...... ..... ........ .....

E.\gles and Buzzards

XIII. Kites and Harriers

XIV. The Vultures XV. The Raven

XVL The XVII. The XVIII.

XIX. XX. XXI. XXII. XXIII.

SurxQ.'ii:

o\x

Jerfalcon

S//..,iii\

•

36 42

The Peregrine [B.iiini) The Saker Falcon Ghcrnuj) The Eyess Saeer Falcon

Arar Devices for Catching the Passage Sakei The Merlin The Hobby

(/•'.

Str.\N(;e

...

(il

()5

XXIV. The .S.i.vg.ia" XXV. The Kestrii XXVI. The Shrike

()S (is

XXVII. Miscellaneous Notes XXVIII. MeTJCOD oi- SNARIN(i A WlLD GoSHAWK WITH THE All) OF A Lamp .\XIX. Training the 7'.i/.7..i.v or Pass.\ge Goshawk XXX. "Reclaiming" the Pass.vge Saker XXXI. Anecdotes of a B.\ghd.vd Falconer XXXII. Tr.uning the Pass.\ge Saker to Gazelle XXXIII. Training the Eyess Saker to Eagles XXXIV. Eyess Saker and Gazelle XXX \. Another Method of Training the Eyess and Passage Sakers to Gazelle XXXVI. Training the " SH.miN " XXXVII. Training the Passage Saicer to Common Heron XXXVIII. Tr.vining the Pa.ssage Saker to Co.mmon Crane XXXIX. On Management During the Moult XL. Remedies fob Slow Moulting XLI. On Fei;din(j on Jerboas During the Moult XLII. On F'eeling the Pulse, and on the Signs of Health XLIII. On Diseases of the Head .ani> Eyes XLIV. On Diseases of the Mouth

73 75

.... ....

78 04 t»8 i»9

...... ...... .

110 115 124

125 1

140

US 151

152 153 154 155

XXIV

CONTENTS

LHAP.

Pai:E

....... ......... ....... ......

XLV. Diseases of the Nose XLVI. Ox Diseases of the Eab XLVII. Ox Epilepsy XLVIII. Ox Palpitation XLIX. The Sickxess called K.u;.ij, which L. Hectic

LI.

157

158 160

Costivexess

1G2

Fever ok Phthisis of the Feathers

Ox Caxker

1G3 16()

LII. Lice LIII.

108 169

\Vor:ms

.......... ....... .... .... ....... ....

LIV. Heat Stroke

170

LV. Palsy, etc. LVI. Diseases of the Feet the " Pixne " ix the Feet LVII. Ox Paralysis of a Toe LYIII. Feathers Plucked Out by the Root LIX. Operation of Openino the Stomach LX. On the Number of Fe.\thers in the Winc; and Tail LXI. CorxsELs AND Admoxitions

170

LXII. Accidental Immersiox during Winter if Me.\t Fail LXIV. IiESTORATIOX AFTER DROWNIX(i

18H

172

176 176 17'.l

181

182

...... .....

LXIII. ExpEDiEXT

LXV. Sage Advice LXVI. Cure foe the Vice of " So.\rixg " LXVII. On Branding the Nostrils before Setting Down LXVin. A Hawk not to be Fed when " Dlown " LXIX. Miscellaneous Notes

181

184 185 18C)

Moult

.... ........ to

18'.)

190 192

ILLUSTRATIONS I.

n. III.

IV.

Y. VI.

VII. VIII. IX.

X. XI. XII.

XIII.

Hunting and Hawking Scene (iioni a painting in an ancient Persian MS.) Fnniti Facsimile of a page of the Teheian Lithographed Edition Persian Carpet depicting Hawking Scene From an old Persian painting, Indian, probably of the Mughal Period From a painting in an ancient Persian MS. written in India Persian Carpet depicting the Court of a Sikh Maharaja Intermewed Peregrine Young Peregrine (Indian Hood) Young Passage Saker (dark variety) Young Passage Saker (dark variety)

...... .

........ ....... .

Hobby with Seeled Eyes Hobby with Seeled Eyes Hobby with Seeled Eyes

....... ....... .........

pten'

xvi 2 5 7 9

43 45

61 53

64 66 67

........ .

XIV. Persian Falconer with Intermewed Goshawk (from a photograph by a Persian)

XV. Intermewed Goshawk on Eastern Padded Perch (from a Persian painting XVI. Arab Falconer with Young Saker on Padded and Spiked Perch XVII. Young Gazelle XVIII. Young Passage Saker (light variety) on Hubara XIX. Young Passage Saker (dark variety) on Hubara XX. Hubara sunning itself .

XXL

Stone-Plover

XXII. Heron Struck

79 95 101

117

119 121 127

Down

....... .... .......

by Peregrine (photo taken just before the Heron touched the ground)

XXIII. Young XXIV. Intermewed Peregrines (from a photograph by Lieut. -Col. XXV. Hunting and Hawking Scene Peregrine (English Block and Indian Hood)

Biddulph)

129 131

133 195

Part

CIlAi'TKR

ON THE SHORT-WINGED HAWKS USED

The Birds

or prf.y

yi:lij}\v-eyed nfnns

7///;

FALCONRY

Prey are divided into two great divisions, the " Yellow-eyed ^' and the " Black-eyed/' these being- again subof

divided into numerous species.

will first treat of the

Tnghral note

the

Yellow-eyed Division.

[Crksted Goshawk?] Tnghral}

During

— The

first

my many

species worthy nf

wanderings

have

searched diligently for this species, but in vain, and am, therefore,

unable to describe

from personal knowledge.

tradition, that a single

greatly and guarded

King

a current

who when

Bahriiin-i GPr,^

One sad

jealously.

the king was out hawking, the fjKjhral suddeiily took to

and was quickly

specimen was once brought to Persia fi'om

China,- and presented as a curiosity to

treasured

There

lost to the sight of the disconsolate

day, ''

soaring

monarch.

His

retinue were soon scattered in eveiy direction in search of the

Tu^nd;

ioiii'il in old Persian MSS. on probably the '" Crested Goslmwk " (Astur trivirgahts) which is said to have been formerly trained in India. Jerdori, quoting Layard, says it is trained in Ceylon. The TufjJiraJ is confused by Indian falconers with the SIioh-b''iz, or "Royal Coshawk which, according to Jerdon, is the name given by native falconers of Southern India to the Crested Hawk-Eagle {Lim)i;itns crisfatcUns). The same author also quotes ^lajor Pearse as his informant tliat the Rufous-bellied HawkEagle (L. hienierii) is, " Very rarely procured from the N.W. Himalayas and trained for hunting and is known as the Sli''h-huz." ' I'hln; under this name are included Yarkand, Khutan, Mongolia, Manchuria, etc. Bahrdm was surnamed Gfir, from his passion for hunting the gtir or wild ass. He belonged to the Sassaniun dynasty of Persian kings and his name frequently occurs in Persian poetry. The Greek Varanes is said to be a corruption of Bahrain. •

falconry.

a sjiecies frequently iiient

It is

•

(

mtM^j'%:.

O Z

l-H

I—

g H Q S

p H W CM « O z M IS P4

—

THE GOSHAWKS missing hawk, and the king was

left

by a few only

of the royal favourites.

also took

u]^

the search;

happened

uii a

almost alone, being attended

BahnJm-i

and wandering

far

G/lr

and

and wide,

tlie

at length

The

garden advanced exclaiming:

'J'lie

simple peasant on whose

The

Sultan, Phoebus-like, his i^randeur shed,

his party

and shady garden, where they alighted.

large

owner of

IxnvildcrcMl

kuldhcd

head

Trembles within his soul and well nif^h dies, That on him shines the Sultan's kindly eyes."

On being questioned about the lost hawk he replied, " What a TiKjhral may be, I know not, but not two hours since a hawk w ith bells

and

jewelled

halsband,^

gameiT; but taking^right at

and settled clue,

in that

attempt to secure

grove yonder."

which enabled him

From

took stand in a tree of this very

flew off

it, it

Bahram was overjoyed

at this

to recover his lost favourite.^

this reference

halsband " and

bells,

and

to the

fughraVs, habit of sitting on trees, the authorconcludes that this

unknown

species belongs to the yellow-eyed division of the birds

of prey.

CHAi'TKK

THE GOSHAWKS species.

'I'hree

goshawk,

wliitli

and

Qizil

— [The

author

Kuldh

names

races

of T'lqfin;

Tarldn;

each of these three he sub-divides into varieties, only

marking, or ^

three

describes

he distinguishes by the

distinguishable from each other in

now

size.

the felt hat

"Halsband,

slight differences in colouring,

The iirst-named

worn by

species

the

white

^lusliras.

neck-band; a contrivance of soft twisted silk, placed like a collar round the hawk's neck and the end hrkl in tlie " band Ilarting. The object of the halsband is to steady the hawk and enable it to start collectedly Avhen the falconer casts it at the quarry. In the East it is considered an indispensable portion of the equipment of every Sparrow-Ilawk. It is also very frequently attached to the Goshawk, bat is not, however, used with the Shikra. JaJqil

;

Zang

;

lit.

"bell."

This anecdote is from the Shdh-Ndma. The Tarldn and the Qizil are the same local race that breeds in Persia. '

.species

;

the latter 1

the

BAZ-NAMA-YI NASIRI

the second is that vai-iety or race of the common goshawk goshawk that is caught after migration into Persia while the ;

;

third

the local race that breeds in the country.

After hazarding a conjecture that the white goshawks

are not

a true species like the Tarldn and Qizil, but are either albinos, or else accidental varieties

produced by the pairing, for one or more

generations, of two exceptionally light specimens of the

goshawk, the author proceeds the Tlqfm, which, he says,

name

the

to describe a pure white variety of

known

to the people of Turkistau

He remarks

of Kdf/lrJ."

common

that

he has caught albino

specimens of the Saker Falcon, and has further observed albinos of the Shdlihi, " pie-bald crow,^'

lark,

and common crane.

opinion that

peacock,

sparrow,

sparroAv-hawk,

hoopoe,

English

merlin,

chukor,

sand-grouse,

pin-tailed

As regards the KafPrl, he

White Goshawk or is

states his

the offspring of albino Tarldns that happen to

have paired for two generations.

of T'Jquu

hlknl

noted for

continues

—

Tlcpni-i kdf/ln.

— The female

large

the male

its

size,

of this variety

on the contrary

The head, neck, back, and breast are markings, the plumage being white as driven

for being extremely small. totally devoid snow.'^

In the immature bird the eyes have only a slightly reddish

tinge, but after the first moult

turns to

a ruby-red.^

white, are

more often a

their

hue generally deepens and

The claws and beak, though frequently light grey, while the cere

E'en such the noble thorough-bred Tlqun May God in mercy gi'ant us such a boon

greenish.

;

In Blandford's Zoology of l^astern Persia the author states his opinion that the white goshawk is merely a variety of the common 1

goshawk. adj. from kdfnr, " camphor," an emblem of whiteness. ; Kul(j(fh-i pisa " the pied crow " qil-i quiriiq T. " the pin-tailed " " " sand-grouse JmdJmd hoopoe hdhull, vide page 24, note 4, " a ~

Kaffir J

;

species of crested lark "

;

darnd " common crane." ^ Jerdon mentions a pure white goshawk as being found in New Holland, and states that Pallas notices a white goshawk from the extreme north-east part of Asia. Some Afghan falconers call albinos of any species taigJiun {tlqun). In the adult shikra (wild caught), the iris is sometimes a deep red and sometimes a bright yellow. In " eyess " shikras, even after the moult, the iris is frequently almost colourless, the result perhaps of confinement in dark native houses. ''

;

IV FROM AN OLD PERSIAN PAINTING, INDIAN, PROnAHLY OF THE MUOHAL PERIOD

BAZ-NAMA-YI NASIRI

6 I

remember having once seen

male and female a resident

—in

the

performers in the

The people

'All

which

wei*e

exceptionally fine

of Turkistan, call

who

are

Shall

this variety l(7ziq7f'

attentions of a male, she utters

many

bird-catchers, that is

desirous of the

loud and plaintive

species of birds.

From

of a species different from herself,^ and

a diversiform progeny.

the offspring of two white parents.

cries,

which

these she selects a male result of this union

tlie

However, the hlfPrl or

laziql variety

The following circumstance lends some colouring this quaint belief

highly skilled in the art

commonly believed by falconers and the early spring, when the female goshawk

attract to her

(now

Fath

It is

of this variety

field.

goshawks,

of training

" cast " of

possession

Paradise), both

of truth to

Some years ago

hawk

this species

was brought from

Russia and presented as a curiosity to the late Shah, who, in turn,

bestowed

on Husayn

—the

five moults,

that,

when

came

Governor of the Province

too, a

must have been a bird

one solitary

chiikor,^

worn out by another hawdv. and scurvy disposition. The plumage of

of the colour of mother-of-pearl,

in ;

that

its

the claws

and the eyes were

of hawks, i.e., two; not necessarily a pair." contemporary of Napoleon.

"Cast

After

bird harried and

feathers were alternately snow^-white and raven-black

of four or

into the possession of this slave.

hawk, an unusually large female, was peculiar,

and beak were

abode of the Blessed) forwarded

succeeded in taking with

had a very villainous

this

in the

contemptible.

infinite pains I

and

'All Mlrza,^

The Governor (now

Fars. it

Harting.

Laziql T., is said to be the name of a white flower this is said to be the same as the gul-i rdziql P., a kind of jasmine (the hel phul of the Hindus). ^ A similar belief is current in parts of England with regard to the cuckoo, which, by some country people, is supposed to mate with the W'Pyneck or '•cuckoo's mate." This Husayn 'AlJ Mlrzd was ajiparently the father of the author. The chukor (Caccabis chukor) of India and kabJc of Persia, with " its joyous laughter," enters largely into Oriental fable. On account of its cliecry cry, it is a favourite cage-bird with both Hindus and Muslims. The male is also trained to fight. It is not an uncommon sight to see a man strolling along the road with a chukor, or a grey partridge, trotting behind him like a little fox terrier. •^

—

THE GO.SnAWKR I feel confident licr

a roddisli vellow.

a raven, and union.

tliat

Thori'

The above

i'k

tliis

some

s]mriniis

ti'iitli

description

li;i

;ill)iiu>

It-caste

mother

1i:m1

mated with

was the resnlt of the

statcmctits of the Ijird-catchers.

ilic

given, as

seems

some measure

Sure and certain kimw-

support the stories of the bird-catchers. ledge, however, rests with (iod.

"MP

Wt t

FROM A PAINTING

Goshawk

IN AN ANCIKNT

(Tnrh'/n).

dark, the h'ght, and

— There

tlie

PERSUN

"'Reclaim,'

familiar."'

tawny.

The

be the best, and v.

Hart in g.

WRITTEN IN INKIA

are three varieties of Tarhln, the

though tractable and easily reclaimed,' The dark variety that has a quarry.

acknowledged

MS.

Fr. reclamer, to

last

two are common, but

tliey are

not good at large

reddi.sh tinge, is nniversally

have myself taken with

make

hawk tame,

gentle,

and

baz-nIma-yi nasiei

common

dark, with a tinge of red in

and

The colouring should be very

crane and great bustard.^

self-willed,

also

though

;

this variety

may be

sullen

hardy and keen, and, once thoroughly

reclaimed, will be as docile and obedient as any falconer could desire.

Local Race of Goshawk

{Qizil).

many

breeds in Mazenderan/" and in

number

a fair

— The

are captured in nets, each

third species, the Qizil,~

other parts of Persia, and

Autumn, together with the

Ta lid U.S.

Like the last-described species, this also contains three

varieties,

the dark, the light, and the tawny.

with the cheek-stripe^

— with

a ti)ige of red in

The dark

the best, and the darker this marking

— the better the bird.

With

a "passage-

bird^'^ of this last variety, the author has himself taken cranes, great bustards, and "ravine-deer"*^ fawns.

between the wild caught

The

small.

disposition,

latter has a

and

variety

Qizil

and the Tarldn

somewhat

The

also

difference

in reality very

more noble

finer pi'esence, a

rather faster in flight

common

from

its

habit of

mountino- hiyher and thus commandiny: a more extensive view, it

better able to mai'k

down

"put in"^

its

quarry.

these reasons only that the Tarldn has a higher value than

for

the Qizilfi

Mish-mura/i. Jit. " slieep-bird " {Otis tarda). In Albin's Natural History of Birds, it is stated that the goshawk used to be flown at geese and cranes as well as at partridges and phea&ants. In Hume's lioiufn Notes, there is an account by Mr. R. Thompson of hawking with the goshawk in the forests of Gurhwal and the Terai, the quarry killed being jungle fowl, Jullij pheasants, hares, peacocks, ducks and teal. The peacock knows well how to use its formidable feet and legs as weapons of defence, and is a more dangerous quarry than even the common crane. ~ Q'*'^^^ T., means " I'ed." ^

Mazenderan, a hilly province on the south coast of the Caspian. Maddmi'' PI. Ar. The author explains this to mean " having black under the eyes and u^nder the chin." Vide also note 2, page 50. " Passage-Hawk,' a wild hawk caught upon the passage or migra''

tion. "'—iZar^Mi^.

Aha; the Persian gazelle {Gazella subgutterosa). Uidike its congener, the Indian gazelle (the well-known c/iiAvIra or "ravine-deer" of the Panjab), the female of this species is hornless. full-grown Indian gazelle weighs about thirty-six pounds, and stands a little over two feet high at the shoulder. "It [the gosliawk] takes not only partridges and pheasants but also greater fowls as geese and cranes." Albin's Nat.

—

Hist, of Birds. "^

•^

Put

in,' to drive the quarry into covert." Harting. Persian falconer informed me that the Qizil is smaller, slower, and inferior in courage to the other races, and that it can readily be '

"-5

H U

•<

BAZ-NAMA-YI NASIRI

Etess of than

Qizil.

—The

eyess^ of

"passage hawk/'^

tlie

for

Untaught by Time, what knows

might

of the spoiling Eagle's

has the courage of inexperience. nestling days^ what recks

Reared with fostering care from of the frowns of Fortune

more courageous

Qizil is

tlie

its

Though

excel the passage-hawk in courage,

the eyess inferior to

may

at first

powers

With increased knowledge, comes decreased courage.

of flight.

In a word, the nestling bears the same relation to the passage-

hawk

man does

that the town-bred

to the desert tentman.

Passage and Eyess Qizil compared with Tarliin. with the eyess, the passage Qizil

which

variety

inferior in

large

and

quality,

this

moult

improves

contrary, with increasing age

wastes the day excusing itself

" Oh

an eagle put

partridge

back."

;

off"

When

suddenly rouse

the sun

better at taking

for

affection

The

its

Tarldn,

the

becomes a regular old soldier it and shirking its duty and saying :

'^ ;

"^^

Why

clumsily you cast

the

I didn't see

You hurt my

near sinking, the cunning truant will

and by a grand

itself,

well in

moult.

that time

How

" or else, "

Although

cheek-stripe.'^

Tarldn,

flight to the

the better, especially that

reddish-black

the

powers of

quarry,

master,

has

— Compared

effort

kill

the

finest

Well it knows that at that late hour, a full crop and no moi'e work must needs be the reward of its single exertion. With hopes excited, its gulled master will rise early next day, style.

distinguished while in the immature plumage, but not after the first m.oult. I was shown a moulted qizil and a moulted hdz side by side; except that the former was slightly smaller, there was no outward difference between the two. 1 " 'Eyess eyrie or a nestliug or young hawk taken from the ." nest; from the Fr. Niais Hartincj. - Vide page 8, note .5. Chajoter of Bert's treatise is headed: " Of the Eyas Hawke, [Goshawk] upon ivhom I can faffen no affection, for the m.ultittide of her follies and faults^ The following (juaint derivation is from the Bolce of St. AJhanft "An hawke is called an Eyes of hir Eyghen, for an hanke that is broglit up under a BulTard or a Puttocke: as mony be: hath Wateri Eghen. For Whan thay be difclofed and kepit in ferme tyll thay be full fumm yd. ye shall knawe theym by theyr Wateri Eyghen. And alfo hir looke Will not be lb quycke as a Brawncheris is. and lb be caule the belt knawlege is by the Eygh. they be calde Eyeles." " IS'ow to I'peke of hawkys. firft thay ben Egges. and afterwarde they ;

—

." bene difcloled hawkys ^ Siydh-yashmu ah ll T. yashmd gh ll T., is a black handkerchief worn by women round the head. Perhaps in the text it means "black-headed." .

;

—

THE Si'ARROW-HAWK

and

start off

last

nii;-]it

mako

bio-

Alas for the

bagf.

fair

iM-otnise of

Like yestere'cn, to-day rr

The

slic fails to kill,

her maRtei''s

triiant bird, blaming::

skill.

The Tarldn, however, brings lack to its owner. Besides Hence nature sweet, and docile, and loyal, and true.

Tarldn

has been said

Hawk

has

of the

One day a Knight His

splendour bright

at quarry flew.

The Royal

Bird, soon lost to sight.

Soared high into the blue,

When

mid-air she meets a mate,

Wlio says in tones imploring, Return no more to leash or cage But stay in freedom soai'ing."' "

The

Hawk

replied

:— "True

friends are rare

;

cannot break my oath To stop with thee 1 do not dare; To lose man's love, I'm loth.'" I

CHAPTER

IIT

THE SPAEROW-IIAWK

Much

that has been writti n of

tlio

Tnrldii

Goshawk

able to the

Common

light, the

dark, the khaki, and the tawny.

There are four

Sparrow-hawk.'

khaki has the best heart.

The eyes

varieties, the

Of these

four, the

in this variety are small

the smaller the markings on the breast, the more the

esteemed, for the more courageous

also applic-

will pi-ovo

hawk

;

will

and be

the opposite

of the Qizil.

Into the azure vault of Heaven,

my hawk

I flew,

Oh B'wd of Mine be true Whispering to it " But my foolish heart did not discern Come back to me That a hawk mid-air, well on the wing, could not return. Fate, whose face is veiled to me Return my hawk propitious be a prayer, "

;

—

With the Sparrow-hawk, '

Bdsha P.

;

li:ivc

myself taken

teal, c/mfcor, stone-

qire^l, qirql, etc. T. (Accipiter nisus).

BAZ-NAMA-YI NASIRI

12 plover,^ black -bellied

sidering

the Sparrow-hawk

its size,

powerful of

all

sand-grouse- and

the short-winged

sbort-eared

Con-

owl.^

the boldest as well as the most

hawks used

in falconry.*

have

frequently seen sparrow-hawks (especially eyesses) "bate"' at hares,

but

could never muster up courage to

Young Passage

Spaeeow-hawk.

sparrow-hawk he brought

let

one go, to see the result.

— Should

a very

good young-

you about the time of year that the which is about the time the Sparrow-

Sun first enters into Virgo,-' hawks first arrive in the country, nurse her carefully, for she is At this time she will be a mere nestling, well worth keeping. Her bones will not be scarcely in fact more than seven weeks old. properly set and her whole appearance will be spare and weakly.

Now,

don't be in a hurry to fly her, nuless indeed you wish to spoil

her.

you destine her for large

such as chuhir,

quari'y,

see-see,'

''man" her very carefully, dogs or water, etc. Next train her to

black-bellied sand-grouse, and the like,

and

let

come

her take no fright at

to the lure, or

fist.

When

a small chicken under her

day increasing the

she will

daily,''

Chdhhruq. also called hachclia {CEdicnem us crepitans)

readily to the

she will

till

huhOra, the

fist,

kill

— day

fly readily to

it,

and gorge her on

size of the chicken,

fly

common

it,

stone-plover

- Pterodes The common Persian name is siydli sina or arenariMs. " black breast." The author, however, invariably gives it its Turki name Idqir-qara or ljd(jh_ir qara, a word having the same signilication. The Pin-tailed Sand-grouse is called qil-i quiniq T. it is the qata of :

the Arabs. Ydph'tq, T.

;

vide under short-eared owl.

to hawk "ravine deer" translator in Scotland that he the told Hoti Mardan), gh in with char s and that he kill wood-pigeons, had frequently seen wild sparrow-hawks an old cock had that very moruing seen a sparrow-hawk l-vock over pheasant on the lawn, which it was of course unable to hold. Hume, in " My Scraq} Book (page 132), under tlie description of his " Dove HaAvk expresses a doubt whether the " true nisus " would kill a bird as large as a dove vide note 2, page 15. " Bate, bating fluttering or flying off the Tap'tdan, " to bate." Literally to beat the air with the wings, from the French fist. Harting. haitre." i.e., about the middle of SejDtember. " Tihn or tayh d ; the desert or sand-partridge, called in the Panjab It is not such a favourite cage-bird as the .sl-si or .su-su, from its cry. black partridge or the chnlxor. It is not used for fighting both sexes In Oudh the sparrow-hawk is flown at grey partridges are spurless. without the assistance of dogs. ^ The value of a fowl is about four pence.

The

late Sir

Henry Lumsden (who used

;

— .

—

^-^

THE SPARROW-TT \WK

present it held your hand, the moment that you Pnmd of the progress made by y-ur firmly by both its legs. your grasp of the chicken s pupil you may feel inelinrd to release unaided; but on no account it lecs/in order to allow her to kill to. must this fatal iiu'liuatiou be yielded or hawk has been called to, and gorged on, two

and

seize

Now

after the

three chickens given

the hand,

slu>

nu.st

be entered

two or

being the pi-eons, with shortened wmgs, manner that she may take tliem. released before hor, in sucli a her take it cautiously, and let Each time she takes the pigeon, kill

three flying pigeons;

her pleasure on it. When she has taken a few pigeons

in this

manner,

call

her as

it the legs, but this time call her to before to a live fowl held by whu-h As soon as she comes and seizes it, distance.

from some

kill it, and gorge her on it. she ouo-ht to without hesitation, this point, she should be As soon as her training reaches seven feet long by three and a half confined in a cupboard, some thoroughly swept and The cupboard, which should first be broad will be a pitch of darkness, that it cleaned, must be kept to such distinguish the day trotu the n.ght. impossible for its occupant to against the admitted, the hawk, by batmg If much more light be m.uiry. herself some irremedu.blo door or wall, will probably do three or four hnurs after dark, by She should be fed every evening, and take, on the fist for the purpose, the light of a lamp, being and Uor principal food should be sparrows allowed to eat her till. must have constant change of young pi-eons, bur in any case she a more, oiler her water AVhen so gorged that she can eat no diet to it. finger to attract her attention cup ilickino- the water with the d <he In.t HM better, let her drink hor If .he drink, so much the her tho water and replace her evince no inclination to drink, remove continued for at least forty days.

This treatment must be

pnson

-Vfter

the expiration

forty days,

tho

reduoe

.p.antity

light; an,! oarrv hor by lamp h.r food for four or live nights, hawk. respect like a wdd-caught HI fact treat her nv evory carriage must be increased, Evenin- by evening, the amount of " manned,^' when she will be ready to until she IS thoroughly ^

obey her master's every behest. 1

'•

her to

"^^ki^ a hawk tame Manning, manned '." Harting. man's presence

•

;

by accustoming

BAZ-NAMA-YI NASIRI

above method has

Tlie

the rest in confinement^ the hawk's bones will

hard and set

During

advantages.

special

cei-taiu

become thoroughly-

days, she will

and from the high feeding during that fortyattain the growth and strength of a twelvemonth

and her toes

will

such

;

be long and thick

and black-bellied

pigeons,

clnikor,

and even large quarry,

;

sand-grouse,

will

stand a poor chance of breaking away from her clutches.

understood that,

It is of course

must never have been flown

she

destined for large quarry,

sparrows nor even given

any small bagged bird whole, from the day you

She must be made

the present.

a thing as small

quarry

method it

the

training

no whit inferior

will be

—

now

will

you

instruct

which a pair of

Sparrow-hawk, by which, in the to the

goshawks

field,

nest,

and the

and

all

The nest

removed.

the will

nestlings,

except

contain from

the

three to

The whole attention of the parent birds it.

strict

must

female,

lai'gest

five

nestlings.

now be bestowed

will

on the solitary occupant, which, by thriving apace, will the care lavished on

tree,

time the parent

first

birds are observed carrying food to their young, the tree scaled,

most falconers.

some trusty fowler to mark down a Sparrow-hawks are "timbering."- A

watch must be kept on the be

fit

another

the early Spring, get in

such

any bird

that

till

and sand-grouse, or such large game.

Sparrow-hawk.

get her

forget that there

existence, or

for food except partridge,

EyESs

first

fully repay

The nestling must be inspected by the

fowler almost daily, until the whole of the quill feathers of the

and wings are

tail

ready to

fly,

and remove

out.-'

Then four

he must "seel''^ it,

substituting for

^ Maghz-i nstukhwdn-ash bones becomes black."

-"And we

.viyuh

its it,

days before

or five

eyes while

still

in the nest

one of the nestlings originally

mJ-shavad,

lit.

"the marrow

her

fay that hawkys doon draw Wheii they here their nestes."— J5oA,-e nf Si. Albans. ["To timber/' in old Eno'lish, is " to build a nest."] ^ Farha-yi haled, lit. " lawful feathers." There is a belief that until the quills of the tail and wings are produced a bird is not lawful for food.

tymbering

ihall

"To seel," is to sew up the eyes: a thread is passed through the centre of each lower eye-lid, near its edge the two threads are then knotted together on the top of the head, being drawn so tight that the lower eye-lids cover and close the eyes. Wild birds so treated sit quite still and do not injure themselves. ^

;

—

TRK

The

abducted. will

real'

tlu"

PfofT spai{ro\v-hawk:

nest will

then be forsaken

iii)t

the parent birds

substitute, itnd will year after

restored

year build

the same tree.

The nestling, its eyes "seeled," must be conveyed carefully home, and its education conducted in pi-ecisely the same manner as

already describeil.

A\'lifii

takni up at the end of

days of continement, your friends mistaking

you by

delight

will

1)6

her

size.

hat a sfoshawk will do. she will do.

The author has of the

Sh(7]t7)i,

adoj)ted the above plan with

also

and the

the Saker

(2i^il

He humbly begs

satisfactory results. is

|ii-'ibably

male goshawk,' so great

for a

lier

will

the forty

Goshawk, with

leave

nestlings emini'iitly

add that the idea

an original one.

CHAPTER lY THE PIQU- 8PA11R0W-HAWK Tufc;

{SJiikrd).

I'^if'

There are

FlqF'.

tvvo

the markings on

the

dark variety, has colour of

its

— The

hawk to be described is the The first, or tawny variety, lias varieties. The second, or breast large ami distinct. next

reddish

tinge running

plumage.

These hawks arrive

the country about

September, some twenty days before the linwks.

Inkkkiokiiy eyess of the

from

its

through the dai'ker

oi.'

P/^y/^ is

craven

Eykss

much

sjiii-it,

P^'j/'.

— Unlike

inferior to the

luing with

the

adv(,'nt of

tlu-

beginning of the

Sparrow-hawk,

passage-hawk

dilliculty

Sparrow-

entered

;

tiie

the eyess, to

quarry.

" tiercel " proshawk vide paiic 2.5, note 8. - The F'lqu is merely tlio coninion Shikni of India (Astur badius Blan.). In a wild state this hawk preys on lizards, smnll birds, rats, have once or twice seen it I mice, locusts, and occasionally doves. chase the common Indian giound squirrel round and round a tree, hovering in the air close to the tree and making sudden darts to the opposite side, the squirrel all the time keeping the trunk between it " and its pursuer and chattering shrilly. I once caught a " liaggard a cock Antwerp shikni in a do-gaza, with a very large homing pigeon The net had been set up for an eagle. Vide note 4, page 12. as a bait. '

Jurra-hi'iz.

—

BAZ-NAMA-YI NASIRI

The eyess

this reason it is little esteemed.

For

the Sparrow-

hawk, on the contrary, surpasses the passage-hawk. Of the two varieties, the tawny is the better, surpassing, as it

Sparrow-hawk

does, the

the

first

in appearance,

more especially

so after

or second moult.

The dark variety, however, is sulky and ruuaway. Though slower on the wing than the Sparrow-hawk, the tawny any quarry that the former can

variety can take with success

from a working point of view, there

fact,

The PlqP

between them.

is,

little

to choose

however, by far the hardier of the

two, enduring- with indifference the extremes of heat and

Flown

no signs of after each

hot weather from morning

the

successive

flight

its

master,

it is

success, requires to be

not at

shows

It is

Sparrow-hawk.

also surpasses the

Sparrow-hawk,

slow on the wing, and to be flown with

thrown

skilfully.^

the quarry will get a start, and the

but disappointment.

impervious to fatigue.

certainly quite ten times hardier than the

but as before stated,

night,

but rather seems to get brisker and brisker

distress,

In affection for

till

cold.

The

Plqfi

hawk

must take

If unskilfully thrown, will

meet with nothing

its

quari-y right off or

all.

In a])pearance the PlqP very nearly resembles

hawk, but

its feet

wings shorter

The larger

are stouter,

its

the Sparrow-

"arras "~ more powerful, and

its

has also a conspicTious dark line under the chin.

this chin-line, the better the bird.^

The

Sliikra, held in the right hand protected by a pad or glove, the lying in the palm of the band held upwards, and the tail, legs, breast and points of the wings coming out between the forefinger and thumb, is thrown at the quarry while the quarry is still on the ground, or else the moment it rises. The Sparrow-hawk being a bird of swift flight is carried on the fist in the usual manner, a " halsband " being used to steady it. It must be a ver}- poor and badly trained Sparrow-hawk that requires The Sparrow-hawk, being a bird of to be thrown from the hand. nervous disposition, is hooded only when carried by rail, or on other necessary occasions: not so the S/iikra. ~ " the legs of a hawk from the thigh to the foot." Ai'ms ^

;

H art

1 11

chin-stripe is not always present. The author describes its " Cliashm-ash qarlh hi-zdq ast.'" The meaning of hi-ztiq 1 am eyes as unable to discover. •^

The

...

CHAI'TKIJ

THE SHIKliA

The

Shikra'^

either the

Phj/''

said to be of stoutei'

it.

tiuer

appearance than

or the Sparrow-haw k and to be trainetl It is rarely

take the pied crow.-

come across

and

God ahmc knows

found

in Persia.

India to

have never

the facts of the case.^

CHAPTER YI THE SERPENT EAGLE

now come

to the

Serpent Eagle;^' so well

Should- one be desired as a pet,

known

to every fowler.

can either be captured by any of

the ordinary fowler's devices, or else taken with a charMi trained to

eagles.'

must be fed principally on snakes,

will

not

thrive on any other food.

from hearsay, has imao-ined the Shikra (Astur from the I'iqi'i. In India, sJnkras are partridges, quails, mainiis, and coniruou crows.

Tlie autlior, writing

liadius) to be a sepai'ute species

tlown, or rather cast, at Vide also note to scavenger vulture.

ablaq; the Hoyston crow, the common crow of Persia, is The Ro3"stou or a diiferent species from the common crow of India. Hooked Crow is, for a falcon, a far easier quarry than the rook. Muhammadans frequently qualify their statements by some such expression, the inference being that men are ])rone to err and that exact knowledge lies with (!od alune. It is related of the Prophet that once, on being asked how many legs his horse had, he dismounted, counted with care, and then said, " Four." Had he made a positive statement from memory, the Almighty might have altered the number to two, or to three, and so convicted him of error. Perhaps the Common Serpent Eagle {Circa'ttus gallicus). Sanj. The author in two lines of imjierfect description— omitted in the translation also states that in size and appearance it .so ueai'l}' resembles the buzzard (s'/r), vide p. .32, note 7, that even an experienced falconer might easily mistake the two. The author does not include this amongst the "Vqnb or Eagles, vide Chapter XII. -

Kuhlf/Ji_-i

•^

—

For

this

poaching

flight, vide

pages 113-11-1.

CHAPTER

VII

THE EAGLE OWL

now come

to the owls, of

the most magnifioent of

Great Eagle Owl.

which there are eight or nine species,

them

being the Grreat Eagle Owl.^

all

—Nestlings

of this species are frequently

taken by fowlers, reai-ed by hand, and then trained ~ for the sport of " owling." When first taken from the nest, they must be well

and frequently

fed,

and be kept in as high condition as possible

for if at all neglected at this age, the

" strangled" and

As soon i.e.,

fall out.

Autumn commences and

as soon as the birds of prey

and other summer-quarters, the

taken up, fitted with jesses,^ carried on the

sparely dieted, and "

When

the weather begins to cool,

and other birds have commenced

their in-migration from the hills

nestling owl

immature feathers become

manned,"

just like a

thoroughly " manned," a stick

inches long

blanket, or

felt,

young hawk

fist,

in training.

procured about twenty

one end of this a circular piece of black horseis

securely fastened.

black goat-hair rope

this again a twist of

attached, so that by

its

means the owl's

meat may be tied on to the black felt. The fowler, in the morning, places the stick, garnished with meat, about two paces from him on the ground. He then takes the owl on his fist and shows it the meat on the stick. The owl will leave the fowler's fist

and

fly to

the meat.

a little only of the meat, being taken

second, and a third time.

meal and 1 ~

It is

up and flown

allowed to eat at

this lure a

then permitted to make a light

removed.

Shdh-hfif.

Rasdnldan, " to train."

" Jesses, the short narrow straps of leather fastened Vridia-hand. round a hawk's legs to hold her by." Harting. The jesses are never removed from the hawk's legs. In the East the jesses are frequently "

small rings or " varvels " attached with the short-winged hawks, the use of leather jesses is to their ends the exception. The " leash " is a long narrow thong (or in the East a silk or cotton cord) that is attached to the end of the "jesses" by means of a swivel, or otherwise, and is used for tying up a hawk to a perch or block. Vide also page 78, note 2. ^ Qdtima, a word used by the E. Turks and Kurds for a rope of goat hair. In India gut, or the sinews of cranes, are used for binding

made

woven :

lures, etc.

silk or cotton, with

THE HAULK OWL In the late afternoon

Ussnii of the monnn<>-

tlie

distance from which the owl

The above training increased step by step,

garnished stick education

upwards, the

stick

tlie

planted UghtJtj

moment

tin'

If the stick

being

fly

good long way

to the

Whoii

the

this stage of the owl's

no longer laid down, but,

the ground, in such a

owl settles on the

planted too firmly,

increased.

distance

continued daily, the owl will

repeated, the

iK-ing- slightly

on the gromul.

laid

readied,

flnwn

till

manner

Hat to the ground,

will n^t fall

the result bring that the owl remains suspended half-way. as the owl will

readily to

tly

six-hundred paces,'

five- or

upright

tlu'

its

from

stick,

education

that

the stick collapses.

felt to toed,

felt-side

As soon

distance of

may be considered com-

plete.

Now,

accidents are to be avoided, the owl, tluring the whole

of its training,

must have been fed on nothing but

without the vestige of a feather.

any kind of

''feather,''

may

Tf led

leai-n

meat, meat

roil

pigeons or fowls, or

^n\

the fatal vice of bird-killing,

a vice that will be fully appreciated by the fowler the

time

tirst

a fine falcon becomes entangled in his net; for seeing the falcon struiyglino- in the net, that

and fastening on

the captive,

deadly feet deprive her of

murder

dog-begotten owl

abandon the

— of what

they

avail are

from

thread

silk

which

or seven fibres and should be dyed to match

the net

will

eventually be set up.

should be invisible.

In size

sixteen to eiyrhteen feet broad.-

same colour

as the net

net (erected innch

Qadam

Zira^.

zira' is

the

When

fine silk

net.

of six

the ground where position, the

net

should be about ten feet long by

verv long line silk cord of the

threaded tlirough

same

made should bo woven

its

arrive, the

cati

In addition to the owl, (he fowler must procure a

The

lure,

by a single squeeze of

will

Before the fowler

life.

done, and his regrets

will

its to])

meshes, and the

niannei- as an ordinary du-ijazcv^ for

a short pace of about twenty inches. The Persian zira^ long, by five or six riVa' broad." inches forty-two and forty, variously stated to be a measure of ;

Three

in leng^th. "

Jhi.gaza; a light, large-meshed net, six feet or moie long,

])y

four

and suspended between two light bamboos This net is planted upright, or sticks, which are shod with iron spikes. hawk, while a live bird is resting twenty yards or more away from a pegged down in the centre of the net, a few feet from it, and on the side opposite to the hawk, A certain amount of spare net is gathered

and

a half feet or

brt)a(l,

2 *

BAZ-NAMA.-YI NASIRI

catching sparrow-liawks),

two very light poles

supported in an uprigTit position by

and these

as long as the breadth of the net^

are placed under the cord, at fourteen to fifteen paces distance from

The ends

the ends of the net.

of the cord are

made

fast

pegs driven into the ground at a good distance from the ends of

The

the net.

poles

must be

so erected that, at

any slight shock to

the net, they will collapse suddenly. " luring-stick/'

The goat

securely tied

garnished with

the black

felt,

now

the centre of the net, and about five feet

arranged

shank

it.

shows

The net

his

fist,

" luring-stick,^' and then turns about and walks

the garnished

off in

the opposite

for a distance of five- or six-hundred paces

about again, and casting

halts, turns

position for use.

is in

The fowler now takes the owl on direction

erected exactly in

from

sheep

off"

he then

the owl into the air, quickly

conceals himself.

The owl, for the lure,

accordance with

and

near the

hills,

falcon will

soon closely mobbed by

neighbourhood.

not leave your

perhaps a goshawk,

come down and

having no other object but presence of first

its

previous training,

its

join

ambush

qizil

all ;

flies

straight

the birds of the

watch.

you are

or tflrlan, or else a saker

the crowd.

The

owl, however,

to reach its goal, ignores the clamouring-

pursuers and continues on

bird to buffet the owl, on

its

The

straight course.

alighting on the lure,

a fast

prisoner in the net.

Let us suppose a noble saker falcon has thus fallen a victim your fowler

toils.

I adjure thee

with

all

Leave your ambush, and, cautiously and gently,

by God, go and secure thy prisoner, treating her

honour and respect.

The eyes of a newly-caught hawk should be " seeled " on the spot, and if a fine needle and fine thread (not silk) be used for the purpose.

its centre and allowed to rest loose on the ground. The hawlv straight for the fluttering bait, through the invisible net the loose portion on the ground permits the net to "belly" like a sail, while the shock given causes tlie light upi-ights to collapse inwards, thus effectually enveloping the hawk. 1 Presumably the length of these poles should be somewhat less than the breadth of the net. ~ " One and a half ^iVa'." The old English name for hawk-catching nets was " urines " or " uraynes."

towards

makes

;

THE EAGLE OWL

whose hands the hawk eventually

falconer into

tlie

down

blessino;s,

wiM caught

preferred to the

— For

the above sport, the

Being ignorant and

bird.

inexperienced, and consequently more courageous,

and

dtlier

unknown dangers,

The

from early morning till

till

Jiours

much

Disadvantages

should be flown are

about eleven o'clock, and from three

within half an hour of sunset.

the day are not too

treats eagles

The nestling has

contempt.

with

also greater sta3'ing power.'

afternoon

will call

falls,

not curses, on the operator's head.

Nestling of Eagle-Owl Preferred. nestling

tor a really

wild-caught

good

hundred

in tlu>

flights in

bird."

Owl.— The

owl

wild-caught

soon gets done up, and after a few flights gets sulky and

flies

off

aimlessly and settles on the ground.

Arab Xame for Eagle Owl. Fahd'' n-Laijl, or " Panther is

to the day^ the

an easy prey

Eagle-Owl

is to

gallop and start in hot chase.

Treatment

call

Owl

the Eagle

What the Golden Eagle

the night.

Hares

autl foxes fall

it.'^

out in the open country, put up

more than

Arabs

of the Niglit."

Down Eagle-Owl. — Should

Riding

rise

—The

thrice

;

;in

you, by chance,

Eagle-Owl, set your horse into a

If closely pressed, the owl will not

after that

may be

easily captured.''

newly caugbt Eagle-Owl.

when riding

— It

not at

all

necessary to ''seel" the eyes of an owl

manner. like a

captured in the above " It should at once be placed on the fist and " carried

short-winged

hawk

;

declines to

sit

u]),

duck

under water three or four times in rapid succession.

Perhaps

can be kept

its

head

This will

in liighei" condition.

must not be supposed from by any means an easy business.

hawk-catching In India, in the course of two or three weeks, the fowler mmi not catch more than three hawks worth keeping, and that, too, at the seasoTi tlie birds are migrating into the ^

this description tliat

country. '

Apparently a

Fahd is pi'operly the on the author's part. and not tlie panther. In Persian the former sometimes yiiz-palang, while the latter is called slip

cheeta or hunting-leopard is

called

yii:

and

palany only. In SeeboJuns Britii'h liirds, it is stated that the eagle owl preys on and fawns, besides hares and otlier game. Partridges are caught in this manner by the Baluchis round Deia Ghazi Khan. Vide al.so Shaws i/tV//t Tartary, Yarkand aiid Kashgar. ^

capercailzie

BA/.-NAJFA-YI NASIRI

22 soon bring its

head

to its senses

and send away

its

perversity

cold water extinguishes the fire of pride in

and makes

plunging its

heart

steady as a rock.^

CHAPTER

VIII

OTHEE SPECIES OF OWLS [Short-eared Owl; Long-eared Owl.

—The

fectly describes five or six species of owl,

unable with any certainty to identify.

by him into

the YniiJihjh or YapJdq,

two sub-species or

races, viz., the

and the " Garden or Clrove said to

species

and

YdpJrlq.'^

The

author

now imper-

which the translator first

species mentioned

this species

he again divides

"Desert or Plain Yophlq,'^

The colour of the

be somewhat darker than that of the former. is

latter is

The

probably the Short-eared Owl [Otus hrachyotus)

the second

probably either the

vulgaris), or the

Common

Tawny Wood-Owl.

;

first

while

Long-eared Owl {Otus

The author

also states that

1 The following description of owHng is taken from Blaine's Encyclopedia of Rural Sports. It is stated there that any owl may be used, but that the great horned owl is the usual bait: " The owl, confined between two wooden stands or rests, is taught to fly from one rest to

—

the other without touching the ground. Between the rests, a cord is stretched, on which a ring plays, and to which another slacker cord is attached by one end, the other being fastened to the jesses on the legs of the owl, whose movements are thus confined to flying from one block or rest to the other. To this change of posture he is accustomed by presenting him with food on the opposite side to that on which he may happen to be resting, until he becomes completely habituated to this method of exercising himself. A saloon is now formed in the midst of a copse, of boughs, in the centre of which log or stand rests, and without the saloon a similar one is placed about a hundred paces distant, the intermediate space on which the owl is placed being cleared away. It is necessary that the top and sides of this saloon should be covered with boughs in such a manner that although the outside is distinctly seen there is no opening that will admit any bird to enter with unfolded wings. Nets are placed against the top and sides, leaving open that part only oppo.site to the resting place of the owl. The fowler, now concealing himself, keeps watch, and when he observes the owl lower his head and turn it on one side, he becomes certain that some bird of prey is in the air. The hawk, now marking the owl for his own, follows him into his retreat; when, becoming hampered in the meshes of the net, he is easily secured." Vide also History of FoivUvy, by the Rev. H. A. Macpherson Edinburgh David Douglas, 1896. ji

—

OTHKR SPECIES OF OWLS the former species, once

has snreessfnlly shifted I'rum the

stoop of the falcon and has difficult quarr}',

equal to the

Gkass-Owl.

than

quarry

or Peregrine

The

— The

Uwl

Short-eared

the Indian Grass-Owl

tluiii

not

usually

will

soon

latter

a poor performer and unable to "ring

high cuudition

{Strix Candida),

much

(in

by natives of

kept

killed.

however, an

is,

taken both with Sakers and Peregrines.

Saker

the

Sltalujt

first

an exceedingly

Saker not being swift enough.-

tlioht, the

easier quarry

India

to ''tower/''

any great distance without being ov^ertaken and

Indian

ill

l)eg'iin

and that only a passage

species of owl, he adds,

up"

India),

which

however,

If,

higher condition

hawk and

both

be lost to view, ringing up, on

calm day

completely out of sight and almost perpendicularly into the sky. In this species the neither

name

the

iris

dark

;

therefore presunu'd

that

nor any nearly allied species can be included under ydploq.

Indian falconers, however, in the Panjab, have only one name for both the Short-eared

Afghan falconers

and the Grass-Owl.

state that, in their country, the Short-eared

Owl is a common cpmrry for the Saker, as well as for the Peregrine. The author continues :J Bride of 'ike Well. The next species of owl is smaller than

—

the Ydpldq,

iiW(\

lidrnk'ss.

Its

prevailing colour

white, something like that of the TlqTin Goshawk.

common

yellowish

This species

Baghdad and other sacred places. It is known to the Arabs by the name of the "Bride of the Well." It preys ])iincipally on the pigeons of the "Sacred Precincts;"^ for that cuckoldy ]iinip, hukiug regard and consideration, has settled

especially

•'

that the pigeons of the precincts'' are

its

proper prey, so

hunts

Hartivg. "'Towei';' 'ring up;" to rise .sjiirally to a height.' The Indian grass-owl, Strix Candida, though a much more difficult quarry than tin- short-oared owl, can bo successfully flown by a ti'aiiied a saker is not fit for this saker, provided the latter is in high condition flight unless she weighs at least 2 lbs. 4 oz., better 2 lbs. 6 oz. ' Such as Kazimayn, Najaf, Karbala, etc. ^ ''Anls-i chi'ih Uiv'/s is the Arabic for "bride."' but rli'/Ji, "well," is ; ^

Persian.

Haram the .sacred precincts round both Mecca and ^ledina are known as haram, and certain acts snoli as slayiufr game are forbidden within the boundaries. Haram is also a name for the women's apart^

ments. The author by haram probably means the sacred precincts of Mecca, but from the context bis meaning is not clear.

BlZ-XAMA-YI NASlRi

them

the night-watches.

Spring the attendants pull

In the

out the vouno- owls from their holes in the walls, or from the

domes^ and slay them.

interiors of the

This species

smaller

than the Ydpldq. Little

Owl

(Spotted owlet?).

— [The

author next mentions a In the Pan jab,

small owl that he styles Bdya-qusli or Cliughd. the spotted owlet {Athene

The author says slu'ililn,

Brama)

of this species

known by

the latter name.'

— It frequents old ruins.

young

intended for the flight of the stone-plover, should

first

be given two or three pigeons from the hand, and then flown at a wild

chughd or two.

After that

may be

entered to stone-

The chughd is useful for no other purjoose but this. "Bird of Night-melody"- or "Bird op Testimony."-^ The next species we come to is the "Bird of Night-melody/'- better known under its pojoular name of "The Bird of Testimony."'^ The male

plover.

—

of this

beautifully

marked

little

owlet

scarcely

larger

than

a lark.^ All the above species of owl

are strictly nocturnal

their

habits.

Too whit, too whoo

The

helpless owl,

In evening shades alone can prowl To find its food, to chase its prey, 'Tis helpless quite in light of day.

In the Derajat this owlet, called there chhapdkl, is a quarrj' for the and also for the common and the red-headed merlin. Its blood supposed to be a cure for prickly heat, hence its local name. {Chhapi'ikl a corruption of s/;a|)(7A7, "prickly heat"). In some pai'ts of India it used as a decoy for small birds. '

shikra, is

is is

Mur g/i -i

sliab-dhang.

i/a^g means the " Truth " or " God." This little owlet OAvl, Avhicli is probably the Persian (Athene Persica), is reverenced by Muhammadans it clings to walls and cries " Haqq, Haqq,'' after the manner of the dervishes. KCiknll. Elsewhere the au thor states__tbat^jthe_ Arabs call this Xoxk^umliHrah, which is an Arab name jor^ the Crested Lark (Alaud a '^

Mur(fR-i Haqq. :

cristata).

—

CHAPTER IX THE HAimiEliS Harriers.

— [The

nntlior next proceeds to describe

be two species of harriers.

now

the

cDiiie

says

—

calh'd

r>itiil-h(l(jiJ7,

ami by the Arabs,

Da^Iit-vulla,^

what appear

tlic

Kurds,

There are two species,

AhP-/iiJ:J>.

one yellow-eyed, and one dark-eyed."

Yellow-eyed Species.

— In the yellow-eyed species, the plumage

young bird is henna-coloured [chestnut browu], but after its After the moult, some white feathers make their appearance.

of the

hrst

second or third moult, the ])lumage

Goshawk, the back

The female

white.

iii-iiiiiL;-

bluish grey and the breast becoming-

about the

size of

'i'he

" stalke " of this species

Dark-eyed Species.

— In

the

material difference between the

long and slender.

dark- eyed

plumage

species, tin?

there

young and the

In the latter, however, the markings on ihe breast are

adult bird.

The general colouring

larger.

a small Qizil " tiercel."

the ndult female froui a Tiqfoi

(^nly a falconer could distinguish tiercel,

very like that of the TJq/lu

of the dark-eyed species is darker

than that of the yellow-eyed. In habits, both species are similar

;

they haunt open plains,

preying on mice and sparrows, and occasionally on quails.

They

are mean-spirited, ignoble birds, with poor and weakly frames.

Wager with the Shah. (may our souls be

— When

sacrificed for

him

in )

attendance on

the

Shah

once made a bet with some

In the Panjab be translated " desert-quarterer." and probably Swainsonii) Harrier {Circus Pale this is the name of the also of Montague's Harrier (Circus cineraceus). The iris of - In the younjT of the Marsh Harrier, the iris is hazel. the female of ^[ontague's Harrier is also said to be hazel. 5 '"Tiercel, Tercel, Tassel' (Shakespeare) and Tarsell (Bert), the male of any species of hawk, the female being termed a falcon. The tiercel is said by some to be so called from being about one-third smaller in size than the falcon by others it is derived from the old belief that each nest contained three young birds, of which two were females and the third and smallest a male. Note the familiar line in Homeo and Juliet Oh for a falconer's voice to lure this tassel gentle back '

Dasht-mala

may

;

again.'

Hartimj.

BAZ-NAMA-YI XASIRI

fellow sportsmen that I

would catch a harrier^ and

made no

cJutJcor.

idle boast.

and proved myself a man

train

Praise be to God, I

word, for

I trained it

to take

won my

bet

and took

The puissant King of Kings, who has surpassed in renown even Jamshed and Cyrus, regarded me with extreme condescension, and in just appreciation of my skill bestowed on me lavish commendation and a rich robe of honour. On a second occasion, in Baghdad, I laid a wager of a ISrejd chuJcor

with

it.

mare with some sportsmen days I Avould " reclaim " at wild quarry.

with

one of these hawks and successfully

the presence of

one black partridge,^ one quail, and one

I flew

of that city, that within a space of fifty

pi'eviously stated,

as indeed

and took

rail.'*

quite possible to train these hawks,

possible to train

friends,

fly it

many

other useless birds of prey

even

The Bird whose Soul Delights the night With care and trouble you can train, To use its senses, use its sight,

In flying quarry on the plain.

The

harrier

an ill-tempered bird with no great powers of

To train it is a matter of extreme difiiculty, and the result by no means repays the labour. However, give the devil his due

flight.

it is

very long-winded.

not clear which of the two species the author trained, but apparently the " black eyed."' -"Reclaim;" Fr. recJamer, to make a hawk tame, gentle and 1

Hartwg.

familiar."

It is a favourite the Common Francolin (F. vulgaris). ; cage-bird in India, especially with the Muhammadans, who liken its call Thy Power " (i.e., who to the words Suhhdn Teri Qudrat " Oh Lord Hindus say its call is, C'hha ser A'i practical The can fathom it ? ). "

Durruj

Jicwhari, "

Twelve pounds of

kaclian.''

a name incorrectly applied to several species of bird with long beaks, as the woodcock and snipe, etc. I am told that in Teheran it is applied to a rail. *

Yaha

CHAITER X THK [The description

oi;

i,.\MMi:r.(ii:vi:i;

n\'

r.i:

the Jicardcd \ulnire

liorns or cars

continues

The

]

tliose

as given by

\\v, liowevcr,

sufficiently accnrate for ideiititication.

"two

vuLTiitE

\i;i)K1>

tlio

adorns

the horned owls.''

nnthor

wiih

then

—

Laniinerg-eyer

noted

wondrous powers

for its

of flight.

bearing with ease a bone as large as the bleached This it drops on a rock, and then thigh-bone of a donkey. The Poet has said descends to eat the shattered fragments.-

It soars aloft,

:— "

The Humil

o'er other birds has flown

Because

food

its

Popular Superstition. one

Avilfully

slaying a

—

only bone."

It is a

popular superstition that any

Laramergeyer

meet

will

his death

withm

the Lammergeyer, Bearded Vulture, or Ossifrage. Translators, imao-ining the Hiunii to be a fabulous creature, have identified It was a popular Persian superstition that the it with the Phosnix. shadow of a Hum''/ falling on a person's head predicted his rise to The adjective (and proper name) ham'hjfni, signifying sovereignty. In the " augu.st," " fortunate," and "royal," is dei'ived from this bird. 1

Htimd

;

Panjab, the Lammergeyer,

common

seems to have no special

is,

native name.

well-known that the Lammergeyer does not confine itself to dry bones. I once saw one shot in the Toclii valley over a dead fowl AVhen slmt it was carrying oil' the fowl in its beak laid out as a bait. and not in its feet. The most contradictory statements exist regarding As it sweeps round the hill side, the fowls in the comiiounds its habits. show no alarm and will let it pass within a very few yards of them. At Kingri, in Baluchistan, I saw one stoop at a flock of rhiiknr and sent a the man returned with a sowar to the spot to see what had happened Some years ago at Sheikh-budin, the chnkor, unbroken and still warm. at a hill station near Dera Ismail Khan, I saw one stoop repeatedly each At me. below marUf'r kid, on a narrow ledge on the clifT-face and charge," stoop the pluckv mother lowered her horns to the ~

'•

Whether the the attacks of the assailant. Lammergeyer was really trying to brush the kid off the cliff. Avith intent animated by to feed on its mangled remains, or whether it was merely I cannot beasts, as as well that sjjirit of ini.><chief that enters into birds from knew The Pathan shikaris with me stated that they say. shown A shot Laramergeyer experience that the former was the case. Can it be of terror. paroxysm a into it drive a tame monkey will

etfectually

repulsed

that the latter recognizes in an eagle ? Sa'Ji: Gulistan, Chap. •''

a natui-al enemy, or does

St. 3.

mistake

for

BAZ-NAMA-YI NASIRI

Once, wlien out liawking, I saw one of

forty days.

With me was

birds seated on a stone a short distance from me. a

servant,

failed

Gun in hand he Lammergeyer, bent on slaughter. Do all I could,

sturdy villain fearing nothing.

approached the I

dissuade him.

the popular superstition,

that's

an old woman's story."

advice he shot the Lammergeyer, and died himself

on the fortieth day.

Was

him

I told

but he laughed and said,

Heedless of

This

a fact

God knows. Taking a Lammergeyer with a

mere coincidence, or

his death a

belief

tliese fateful

myself was an eye-witness. is

there truth in the vulgar

Sulaymdniya

Shaliv-Jir^

stone some

seated on a

GliarMi.

and saw what

way

little

off.

—

was once hawking

I took to I

be an eagle,

had with me a very

To unhood and cast it off was the work of a moment, and it was not till I had actually secured the quarry, that I discovered it was uo eagle but a Lammergeyer. fine

trained to

cliarMl'^

recollected

the fate

eagles.'

[By a play on the words

servant, and

and

hastily

released

it.

the

author

here pays the Shah a flowery and far-fetched compliment,

difficult

tioned in the in

render in English.

his

him by

first

linmo

pretends that the popular belief men-

note on the previous page was certainly fulfilled

case, since the

King

his especial friendship

Kings had always distinguished and bounty, and thus raised him

to the dignity of ordinary kingship.

Through

Ivimdyun,

the lucky

shadow

He adds

—

of the Hunia's wing-

thus highly honoured by the King. of him, Lord of my fate I stand,

Honoured

And

rich as

Koiah, through bis bounteous hand.

In Kurdistan, and a little over a hundred miles south of Lake ITrumiah. ~ 'Uqdb. The author uses this word as a generic term. By falconers of certain parts of the Panjab the name is specially applied to the Tawny Eagle. ' The author applies the name charkh only to nestlings of the Saker Falcon passage falcons he calls brddhan. In the Panjab, and in Kabul, the species is termed respectively char a// and charMi. the word hrdnhun being unknown except to a travelled few. * Qara-qnsh. Any eagle, biit specially the golden eagle. For a descrijition of this " flight " see pages 113-114. ^

—

CHAPTER XI OSPREY

TiiE

[The author gives ouly a very brief description its

habits^

mentioning the pecubar structure of

habit of hovering over water.

Shikra Sparrow-liawk

{PJc/ha),

once took one alive with a

for sonic little time. all

food except

poet has said

fish.

adds

duirl-li

It could not Vic It is

also

tlie

Osprey and

feet,

its

and

its

mentions that bke the

and the Sangak, the

dark and sometimes yellow.I

—

and

ko])t

induced

iris is

to eat

sometimes

coiiliiu'inont

meat, refusing

with reference to the osprey

tliat

the

"Thro" the mei'cv

God and His tender

Tlie sea yields her fish to the fowl of

care

tlie air.""

Dam irdiz 171(1 q T. Another name is damir-ijaijm'Kjh T., from damir The author does T. ''iron" and qayn'KjJi T. "claws" {ndkhun P.). Acconlinr:^ to V. O. not inclnde this among.st the ''Uqdh or Eagles. ^Torris, tlie osprey in olden times was occasionally trained for falcoinw. In tlie only living specimen examined by me, the iris was light In several standard works brown, possibly a maik of nonage. consulted, the iris is stated to be yellow. ^

Part II

TEE DABK-EYED BUWS OF PREY CHAPTEPt Xri THE EAGLES AND BUZZAEDS

[The author commences is

this

chapter with the statement that

his intention to describe those species of the black-eyed birds

have at different times come into

of prey that

been trained by

have

that

him

his possession,

" according

several

their

capabilities."

His descriptions of the eagles are too vague for

identification.

All the

eagles, he says,

are migratory, with

exception of the 'JJqoh-i mi7]i-dum or " Moon-tailed eagle,'^

he describes as follows 'Uqdh-l the is

tail

nu'^li-d nm,

" Tb.e Moon-tailed Eagle."

The plumage

are extraordinary

of the breast, back,

the

Even

in the

snows.

— The

and head, Its

^TJqah

fasting-

have observed ^

high up

The all

one to

in the hills,

It is the

fierce its

preying

most daring and

the eagles.

Ar.,

or qara-qush

"black bird of prey," and Eagle. " Sdr, vide note ^ ''TJqCib-i

uniformly

have observed

seldom descends into the plains.

on partridges, hares, an d ^Mambs."_ all

which

JSligratiou, too, is not a necessity

depth of Winter

proud, enduring nature.

whole of

powers of

rays of the sun and the bitter blasts of the snows are

powerful of

which

can endure seven or eight days without food

and yet be not one whit the worse. it.

the

—

of this eagle is white, with the exception of the end,

black.

for

:]-

dark, without markings of any description.

T. The latter word properly a term specially applied to the

means Golden

page 32. mdh-dum, "moon-tailed eagle." Can this be Pallas's The author does not meaation that it is found in the 7,

sea eagle ? vicinity of water. "^

Barra ; properly a lamb. The author elseAvheie uses this word fawn of the '• ravine-deer."

for the

THB KAGLKS 'Uqnh-l

A-/7t7<i(/(m [

(which

exceedingly swift.

dark.

The beak, which

The is

[)liimage of the

and the

long,

back and breast

large and powerful as a vulture's,

couples^ preying chiefly on water-fowl far

tail

This eagle always hunts and feeds in

amber.

of the colour of

The wings are

white.

flight is is

— The next species

In this species the wliole of the

rather short)

WniTK-TAiLED Ska Eagle?],

the 'Uqnb-i hncliigdii.

BUZZARDS

A.ND

hence

;

seldom, found

from water. [Impekial Eagle?].

'TJqdh-i d,lna-U

— In

eagle, which

this

smaller than either of the preceding, the back, breast, claws and

beak are reddish of its

all

iiuiL'oniily ihirk

Fowlers have named

hrowii.

having a few white feathers

Karlah.

— This

^Lih-iJum, in

size.

In habits

Black Eagle.

resembles

—Another

the colour of the head It is not a

of the back

from the

fact

back.

in its

the first-named species,

Ijack

i.e.,

the

all

however, one uniform

are,

the eao-les.

species

black withont markings, but

slightly ditterent

from that of the body.

("Yellow Eagle.")

— Description.

very dark, with a tinge of yellow

of the breast

tawny

drops.

somewhat

J,hia-ll^

a dnrk

very noble species,

'Uqdb-i zarcl

black

The beak and claws are black and extra'I'he plumage is generally brown, and covered

The head and

with markings. colour.

equals

eagle

ordinarily powerful.

the colouring of the head

;

like a

The

and

goshawk's.

it,

while that

and marked with longitudinal

(yellow),

head

The plumage

neck

are

This eagle,

very

handsome, and

the immature plumage,

called the '[/(/db-i slna-hdzl.

Once, when

attendance

on the

Shah,

trained a single

specimen ^f__this species, and to ok a certain amount of (Hiarrv with

it.

JJuq-khura; species of eagle

The "Fkog-eater" [Spotted Eagle?]. is

— Another

the 'Uqdh-i (jiirhdqa-c]n'~ (" Frog-eater"), called

by the people of Kurdistan Sulemaniya, Buq-khura.' of the head, neck, back,

and breast

The plumage

blackish yellow.

This eagle

frequents marshes and reed Ijcds, ])reying on Avounded

dead

A, ma means "mirror." Qurb'Tqa and briqa are both 'Uqubi qnrbilqa-chl bTiq-kliura. Turki names for a frog. Bfiq T. is "ordui-e," and Hguratively anything filthy. The Spotted Eagle {Aquila nsecia) feeds largely on frogs. ^

^Uqdb-i d,tna-ll.

;

BAZ-NAMA-YI NASTRI

Failing these,

water-fowl.

or other stranded material.

that

has earned

Bnhardr [A

names

its

female goshawk.^.

Frog-eagle " and " Frog-eater."

— In habits the

Biihardr resembles

This species always hunts in couples and

feathers of the thigh

hang down

''Arahistdn,^

trained to eagles.

da ys and flew

mald,^ hare, and

a dark red

The " pendant "

to the tarsus.

in trai ning it in

successfully

common

once took one with a charkh

succeeded it

very

After the moult, the plumage of the

a deeper and brighter hue.

breast assumes

In the immature bird, the plumage of

without spot or marking.

forty

this habit of eating- frog's

a yellowish black, while that of the breast

When

from

fish^

the male being scarcely larger than a

size,

daring and bold by nature. the back

Hawk Eagle

the eagles^ but not in

contents itself with frogs, dead

heron."'

had

the space of about

black

friend of

partridge,

parah

mine then took

from me.

numbers

Large

HamaddnS'

these

eagles

breed

have trained nestlings,

they are poor performers on the wing. superior

every way.

Still

found

the

vicinity

but never with

success

The wild-caught bird this

species

swifter

and

tractable than any other kind of eagle.

The 8dr

(or Bdzzard).

— Another kind of eagle

which there are two common

The

species.

In the

the buzzard,'' of

first

the

general

leno'th of the female

gfoshawk is said to be 22 to 'li^ inches of the male IS to 21 inches. There is in Persia a species of small eagle or hawk-eagle that always hunts in pairs and that is known to Persians by the name of Dn-Barddaran or " The Two Brotliers." The Ddharrir of the author is perhaps a corruption of Bu-Barddaran. In tlie Hayat" 'l-Haj/wdn, the Arab name of the latter is said to be Zumaj, a word that occurs in old Arabic and Persian MSS. on falconry. 1

Farhd-yi rdn-ash id pdcha rlMta. Possibly by this expression the author means that the whole of the tarsus is feathered. " Pendant Feathers,' those behind the thighs of a hawk." Harting. 5 ^Arahistnn or Khuzistun its capital Shuster is about 130 miles north of the head of the Persian Gulf. ^ ParaJi mail possibly for Parhl T., Avhich is said to be the name (?) of a "black water-bird with a white beak." The coot ? 5 Haqar variously spelt in old Persian MSS. on falconry awgar, aqdr and ^uqdr ; latter correct. ' Humaddn: about lOQ miles North-East of Kirmanshah. 7 Sdr (for sd ?) Apparently two species of large buzzard are socalled by the author. This word must not be confused with sdr the common Persian word for starling. In Dr. Scully's list of the Turkish names of birds, sd is said to be the name applied to Buzzards, Harriers, and Kites. ~

;

AND HARRIERS

KITES colouriiio- of tlir

the feet and cere iwc

second

tawny.

by nature. or sic kly

a dii'p

'riioy

wiiliout spot

orange yellow.

is rats,

When

birds.

(l;irk

are

mice,

fi-ogs,

and villainous and wounded

lizards,

they dare, they rob their

mean-s pii'ited for

too

marking':

])liimage of the

Tlu"

species are ill-conditioned

l>oth

Their prey

neighbours.

ver\-

])liiiii;ii>-e is

3^^

weakly

iinu'c

purposes

the

falconry.

CHAPTER

XTII

KITES AND HAimiERS Kites [and Harriers]. kites.^

In the

first,

three

are

common

species of

the two centre tail-feathers, called

and by

Arabs 'amPd,~

— There

Persian

and Turkish'^

by the qdpoq,^

falconers

The

are shorter than the rest, the outer feathers being longer.

general

colouring of the ]ilumage

coloured drojis on

tile

breast.

The

dirty

brown with dark

feet are

sni;ill

— The

second

and

tlie

tarsi''

short.

2nu Species

marshes and the tarsus lookino-,

[Maksh Hariuer?].

i-eedy pools in fjuest of frogs

and

sjjecies

rats.

haunts

In this species

long" and unfeathered, and the feet are small,

and black.

There

also a certain

amount

ill-

of white on

the head.

3rd Species.

— In the third species the general coKiuring

of the

however, fairly It is, 'I'hc kite is rare in Persia. T. common near liushire. ~ 'Amild Ar., "a prop, a pillar.'' ^ Turk. This word pro|)cily inchides Turks, Tartars, and all who lai'ge proportion of claim their descent from Turk the son of Japhet. 1

Chtlaij

the population of Persia ^

Q<'ip''i<j,

Tni-kish. " the deek-feathcis " of old English falconers. is

Aceordiug

the ll(il,e of St. Albans the centre or apperinost tail feather was called the heme ieder of the tayle, the flight feathers being called the heme federes of (lie u'l/iifj. HlseS>'iq, properly tlic shin m- shank of a man, animal, or bird. " a pen, the word qalam, where the author, with one other exception, uses " tarsus." etc.," for ^ The in the adult Kites have short tarsi, the Harriers, long. Harriers the iris is yellow, but in the immature birds, of several species The iris of the common Pariah Kite at any rate, the ins is brown. (Milvn.t rjoviyirfa) is broAvn, while that of the " Common Kite " of Eugland (-V. regalis) is said to be yellow. ""

BAZ-NAMA-YI NASIRI

plumage

— with

In habits

very dark.

which

the exception of the head, it

reddish— is

resembles the two preceding.

are cowardly and mean-spirited.

All three species

good

Tarldn, trained to large quarry, will generally take them.^

Should the fork-tailed kite a bird in

its feet, it will

see a

fuss round

from the lucky possessor.

sparrow-hawk doing

it,

If unsuccessful,

or merlin with

utmost

its

to steal

returns to

its

quest

and garbage.

of mice

These above-described species are related this head, too, I

to the eagles.

have even included the Carrion Vulture'^

Under and the

Scavenofer Vulture.^

CHAPTER XIV THE VULTURES Vulture.

— [The

author

necked vulture that he

briefly describes a species of bare-

calls Dal,

known to him. He continues :]

true vulture interest.

now

—

The

apparently the only species of description contains nothing of

Scavenger or E(3yptian Vulture.

plumage of the Scavenger Vulture

— Before

the

first

moult the

dark, with a few small light-

The bead is nude and number of white feathers

coloured spots on the back and breast. yellow.

make

After the

first

moult, a certain

After the second, the bird becomes quite

their appearance.

white, with the exception of the ends of the flight-feathers, which

remain black.

The

gut' of this vulture, which

at the

end

of the sternum,^

applied as a poultice, fresh and warm, for three consecutive days, 1 Haggard Sakei\s will generally fly at harriers, refusing to give up the cliase and so getting lost. haggard peregrine I had killed a

harrier. ^

Ch'daq-i fjapdq-i

Bed; elsewhere

Tcutdli.

dCd-i murddr-khur.

^ Kaclial charkas ; the Egyptian Vulture: kachal means "scaldheaded;" charkas is corrupted form of karkas, a common term for a vulture. The Egyptian vulture feeds largely on human ordure, a habit that can be traced in the popular name given to it by soldiers in India. 5 Khazlna, khazdna^ " the gut." This word does not mean the

" crop." ^

''Azm-i zawraql,

lit.

boat-bone."

TUR HAVEN is

a certain cure for scabbed eyes that water, imd from

lashes have dropped

The

ointment. it

otV,

poultices should not bo

drawn by them from the wnuiul. please God, a euro w efficacy of this Usfc;

eagles,

and

AS A it

removed

be eifected.

hours:

for twelve

worms have been

At the third application,

The author can

testify to the

remedy. TRAIN."

should

tliL'ii

ill

the

or for fistulous sores that will yield to no

then be notici'd that numerous minute

will

wliicli

first

enterc'd

—

intended to train a cJiarkh, to take be given the necessary " trains " by h;ind, Tf

to wild

(|uarry by being- flown a few times at

young scavenger vultures in the d are slow on the wing and show no

them with ease. Though purely carrion

irk

As they

immature plumage.

fight,^

the young charMi can take

Raven described in the next chapter) are generally included amongst the Rapacious Birds these huge birds, wnth beaks powerful enough to tear open the skin of a dead camel or ass, are unable to catch and feeders, the Vultures (as also the

even a helpless partridge.

kill

CHAPTER XV THE RAVEN Raven.

— The Raven,' though a carrion feeder, has

considered a Bii-d of Prey.

I i-ecollect

just claims to be

once seeing a raven

tlie

Some

thirty odd years ago the shikra used to be trained in the Kapurthala State to take the Egyptian Vulture. The young sliikra was entered by being fed on a live vulture with seeled eyes, meat being tied on the back or head. The Egyptian Vulture is slow in taking flight, and when on the ground \s ill let a man approach to within a fcsv feet of it. The falconer, nhikrd in liand, has only to walk up to within a few feet of the unsuspecting \ ulture while it is resting on the ground, throw the shikra. and secure the quarry befoie it has even got so far as to spread its wings for flight. It is probably this " flight " that is referred The to by old travellers who state that the shikra is flown at eagles. The lynx. trained by a easily taken Egyptian Vulture is also a quarry lynx simply bounds quietly and (|uickly up to it, and springs as the ^

Partridges and such quarry are, vulture prepares to spread its wings. however, scientifically stalked by it. - KulCiglL-i siydh-i quzqOn. I once saw a pair of i-avcns harassing and skin out of it. Had I not interhair wild pulling tufts of hare by a Wild ravens in India will chase housefered they would have killed it. pigeons and occasionally enter the dovecot and kill them. •6

BAZ-NAMA-YI NASIRI

jungle seize a wild chiikor bird from

its

;

its

eventually succeeded in releasing the

clutches.

It is a peculiarity of the

having

Raven

that

if it is

eyeballs pierced with a needle,

in darkness for the space of twenty-four hours, to sight.

may, by confinement be completely restored

In ' Arabistdn the same

deprived of sight by

manner

caught

it is

that the Kestril

Fdrs, and the eagle-owl in

and trained for fowling

in traps ^

trained in the Dashtistdn

Kirmdnshdh

and elsewhere.

CHAPTER XVI THE SHUNQAE OK JERFALCON

—

Shunqar oe Jeefalcon. The Jerfalcou is a only by description. During the whole of ^

species

known

sporting career,

1 Vide chapter XXV, page 69 for method of training for fowling purposes. 1 heard of the raven being thiis trained and used as a •' lure " for charghs, in Baghdad, Basra, and Muhamraara. - iJashtistun of Fdrs a warm region fringing the west of the Persian Galf Bushire is nearly the centre of its coast line. ' Kirmdnshdli is a district about 250 miles north of Ba.<rah (Bussoi a) its capital is said to be locally called KtrmdnshdJvhi. ^ Shunqar. In old Persian MSS. on falconry, this disputed name is undoubtedly applied to a Jerfalcon, a species of which is said to exist in Northern Asia. The following is a footnote from Fulconrij in the British ;

Isles

—

have been informed by travellers that some few large white which must be Greenland falcons, are caught annually on their passing over the Caspian Sea and that they are highly prized by the falconers of Syria and Persia." The late Sirdar Sher 'AH Khan, the exiled Wall of Kandahar, told the translator that he kept shun.qdrs in Afghanistan, and that he once had one that was pure white. Jerdon, quoting Pallas, states that it is the

falcons,

Tartar name of the Jerfalcon. Also in Coutteille's Dictionnaire " Shilnqdr, faucon, jiroprevient le gerfaut.'" Tark-Urieiifale we find: I)r. Scully, however, in his Turki vocabulary of birds states that slmnqdr Biischkii'

the name of Falcu Hendersoni, and Italgd of its female. If the coloured illustration of P. Hendersoni (supposed by its describer to be identical with the shunqar) that was published in the account of the Government Mission to Yarkand be a correct representation of the original, then no falconer, however experienced, can discriminate between F. Hendersoni is

and many Panjab. etc.

old charijks (P. Cherrug or F. Sacer) caught annually in the Further, the Turks of Persia call the chargh Italgfi, Aitalgu,

—

;

THE SIIUNQAR OR .TERFALCON I it

have

come across

ueitlior

myself, nov

known

falconer to

whom

was more than a nnine. Spkcimkn buolght

ruMiM Ivussia.

— In the year of the

a strange falcon which! take to be a Shunq(7 r -wnshought

Fliglit

1284^

in T?ns?;iafor

a great price, and presented as a curiosity to His Lofty and iuiperiul

Shah of Shahs, the Shadow his bounty and the immensity

Out

God.

of the

Hio-hness, the

plenitude of

of his condescension,

His Most Noble and Exalted Majesty delivered

keeping of his servant

Common

stood before the

The Royal hand

King

Crane.

his

humble should

The Royal

due tokens of humility

this slave, with

the falcon's jesses and then placed I

into the

the author], decraeing that

\j.e.,

be trained to the flight of the

was accepted by

Gift

he kissed

obedient head

might a slave

the falcon gave.

on my head in fashion meet I'd imprinted kisses on its feet.

I placed it

When

Scanning the bird with a falconer's eye,

saw that three

feathers of each wing wci-e old and unshod.

had been taken up while

mew

the

the moult, so I had

was evident it

replaced in

fed on fresh birds, with frequent changes of diet.

and

Three months

still in

flight-

later

takcMi w\\ clean moulted, not a

was

single old

feather remaining.

may

interest falconers,

append a description

of this par-

ticular falcon.

Description.

— In

size

was about half as large again

The plumage

female Saker Falcon.''

of the

as a fine

back and head was a

and each feather of the back and tail was marked From the back of the neck to the runi]i, with two tiny white spots. the plumage was ash-coloured, and coveretl with small yellowish-

brown ash

colour,

white spots.

Th(^

A.D. i^G7.

Qi'ish-k/iuna.

breast

was white, each breast feather being

The average length of somo living specimens of the female immature saker measured by the tiauslator was '2'2 inches. The average weight of young passage sakers, caught in the Panjab in October, is *2 lbs. o 07.. Haggards very seldom exceed 2 lbs. 10 oz. An exceptionally fine charcfJi in the translator's possession in 1892 weighed, when •'

in flying condition, 2 lbs.

1897, w'eighed

lbs.

\'.i\

when

while a .second bird received in April, up for the moult. Both these last All weights were taken with the crop and o/.

;

fa'ttcned

were young passage hawks. stomach empty.

BAZ-NAMA-YI NASIRI

tipped with one small black spot and margined with black mai'ks

The

interlacing each other like the links of a chain.

robust and short

and powerful

;

the feet small in proportion to

and beak black

the claws

;

the

tarsi

were

but stout

its size,

iris

dark, and the

The wing in length was something betwixt that of the long-winged and short-winged hawks, longer than that of a qizll or farldn, and shorter than that of a shdhm or a saker. The tail was broad and full of spots and markings. thighs

as thick as those of a male eagle."

Like the Qara-qifsh-i

(l,hia-Jl,^ it

mark

the back, whether a

:.ge, I

three sakers.^'

when

of the species or merely a sign of old

In weight

aged sakers.)

From my

reached me,

white feathers in

stiff

(White feathers do occasionally make

unable to say.

their appearance in

had a few

experience of hawks

was

equalled neai-ly

should say that,

What

in its tenth or twelfth moult.

immature plumage may have been

like, I

Know

Teaching the Falcon to

its

cannot even guess.

Name.

—After

removing

commenced her training with the utmost care. 1 named Ler " SJiunqdr.'^ By feeding her through the hood, calling her by name the while, she quickly learnt to recognize her name and associate it with a good meal.'^ When she had somewhat abated her hio-h condition and had from the mew,*^

this falcon

begun

show a proper

" creance "

to her jesses

inclination for food, I attached a strong

and carried her out into the

her to a lure of crane's wings.

" '^

tSctq,

vide note 5 on page

field to lure

Unhood ed__b y my falconer

she

'-VS.

Ban.

Qara

qush.

Vide page 31.

All unconscious exaggeration on the author's part. mounted falconer, who will carry for six or seven hours at a stretch, without complaint, a hawk that weighs 2^ lbs., will tire at tlie end of an hour if this weight is exceeded by half a pound or even less. At such moments it is difhcult to avoid foiniingr an exao'o-erated estimate of the burden. " Mew the place where hawks are set down to moult Mew, V. to moult, from the Fr. mi'cr, to change the feathers." Hartincj. •^

;

Vide Chapter on training" the newly caught " passage " Saker Falcon. Neither English nor Indian falconers attempt to make hawks recognize their names. As, however, hawks are naturally very intelligent and can easily be trained to come to any distinct call, there would probably be no great difficulty in the matter. The idea seems novel. ^ " Creance,' s, Fr. creance, Lat. credentia, a long line attached to the swivel, and used when calling off flying a hawk as it were on ." credit. Harting. '^

;

RUUNQAR OR .TRRPALCON

rUV.

starLiMl wirli Ccagerness,

but hud luirdly llown

t'cw feet

before she

subsided to the ground and attempted to finish the distance on foot. I

examined her

appeared sound

wind

antl limb.

extraordinary behaviour

head

Hor feathers wore

carefully.

to the

Still,

mystery eluded me.

putting

trust in (Jod,

buried

iny

determined to unravel the tangled

ransack

my brains as

might, the clue

then screwed up

and she

could be the cause of her

Puzzled and perplexed,

in the collar of reflection,

skein of the difficulty.

What

perfect,

removed the "creance" from her

The result was much as astonishment, and by reason of the

and

coui'age, feet,

and

called her again.

before.

I bit the finger

falcon's

great

became plunged

in the abyss of

the collar of reflection in Europe,

Burying my head

despondency.

thoughts drifted to those animal-gardens

where people buy strange beasts and birds

for ridiculous

and after turning them into a public show for a few years,

prices, tire of

infirmity

them and put them up

on me that

falcon

to public auction.

must have come from one

then dawned those

very

gardens, and that, like a long-caged parrot, which, wild defied the swiftness of the

own

its

iicrcli,

Sparrow Hawk,^ can now it

too from long imprisonment

liiglin'

tli;in

had grown

stiif-

flutter

jointcd and wing-tied.

Daily Exercise.

— That the falcon might recover Iut

lust

powers

Morning and evening I used to bear her to the top of a high mound ~ and cast her ofl", giving On the sixteenth day, instead of, her live flights at each exercise. as usual, merely Hying ddwii to the level, she went off some of flight, I set about exercising her daily.

distance and settled on a sufficient

and coninienced

second mountl.

—

flight

cei'tain nuniljer of " trains,"

thoroughly entering her to

decided

this

was

calling her to the lure, luring licr at first

from high ground to a loAver level. " Trains.'' When her powers of

gave her a

common

were

fully recoveicil

and gradually succeeded

crane.

last

one joyous day,

on the auspicious occasion of the Royal return from a jiilgrimage to Q.nrn,^ I

unhooded her

at a

common crane

near the caravan stage of

short flight, Oriental falconers arc frenerally agreed that the Sparrow Hawk is one of " the swiftest l)irds that fly." ^ Mi'thilr prop, "up and down land" (whether sand hills or hard ^

For a

ground). Q,um "^^

straiirlit

about eighty miles south of Teheran.

BAZ-NAMA-YI NASIRI

Pul-i DalhJh,^ and iu the Imperial presence of the Shah souls be sacrificed for herself,

down

him

"towering" up

—

let

our

Right nobly the falcon acquitted

into the clouds^

and striking a huge crane

to the dust of the earth.

And

on the spot Kilshun'is spirit fled, You might have said he ne'er was else than dead.

Disposition

" SJninqar."

the

— Judging

from

small

experience, I should say that the Sliunqdr Falcon has naturally a

At the moment

and fearless disposition.

docile

I write

[i.e.,

in the

year of the Flight, 1285),~ the bird I have described has been in

quite three

months

earlier

Suppers prom Heat.

and

this period she has twice

This year, I rejoice to say, she

moulted.

During

possession just two years.

sand,

Shimrcim'/t,*

the

than

last.

— Though kept

on a damp bed of pebbles

Raz-kanda,

B<lgh-i

was "full-summed"''

the

region

cool

she yet feels the heat greatly, so that even in this

cool climate of Sltmirdu she has to be well supplied with ice

and

snow, both of which she swallows freely.

—

Haggard Tiercel. This year it being the Spring of A.H. 1286 owing to the high fortune of His Majesty (sacrificed be our souls for him ), and the kindly aid of Heaven, the royal trappers

—

have snared a " district of JQidr It is

of this species.

and VaramJn,^ and

now, in the beginning of

months since it

tiercel "

in the

mew.

first

came

into

was caught

in the

a fully moulted " haggard."

this Spring,

my hands

have taken with

;

something

and

less

than two

have now placed

both purple

and common

This "tiercel " is a stout

heron.

a female saker.

Its flight is

and heavy bird about as large as lofty and swift; its nature noble and

Pul-i Balldk or " Barber's Bridge " is N.E. of and close to Qum : it spans the Qara-su or Qara-cliay. A.D. 18G8. " A hawk is said to be summed or full summed when, after moulting, she has got all her new feathers and is fit to be taken oat of the mew." Hartivg. * Shimrdndt, a name given to the summer- quarters in the hills, near Teheran. ^ KJidr is a plain in ^Iruq-i ^Ajami, some thirty miles east of Teheran and separated fi'om Varamln by hills. ^ " Haggard,' a hawk that has been caught after assuming its adult plumage, that is, after having moulted in a wild state." Hartiny. .Tarda. T believe this is the purple heron. ^

—

THE 8HUNQAI; OK JERFALCON generous.

have now

set

duwu

aud

to niuull

as to

aiixi<jLi,s

tlic result.

Of the Shanq(h' cranes

thai

I'abliMl

llowii

does not act like ordinaiy falcons and

cease from slaughter only

Now

on the ground.

like other liawks,

w lun

kills

living

when every crane

this

passage

impc^tus^

its

kill it

fthuiKjfh-,

chanced

to nie

the

of cranes,

flock

and dealing a crane

falcon, stooping from a height

and

in the flock is a carcass

has, indeed,

saker at

tlock^

siny-le out

a sii])(M-lativc falsehood.

only one.

has then shot upwards by

and imperious nature permits

solitary individual; that its lofty

that,

when

and liuding

a deadly

Mow,

itself close to a

second bird, has seized the unexpected opportunity, and " bound " to the second crane's

Once indeed

head and so added a second victim to the

saw three cranes

Such occurrences

hawk.

that I ever It

are,

killed in this

knew

.sijstematicallij

also

commonly

the

acted in this manner.^

believed

mew, every hawk

token of humble submission. simple,

write

— or

else

sovereign, or

more,

them has ever

shown respect

any manner of

my mews,

honoured

wa}-.

and

At the moment

perch, or

its

perch

a falsehood, pure

not a shunqdr.

left

its

this

What

fine

equally of course I I,

may be mistaken.

All

know

that neither

nor has the oldest falconer in Persia, ever seen a falcon like

The manner

it.

and that should one be

down from

will step

the

gentleman the Shunqar stands very much in awe of Of course 1 am assuming that this hawk is a " s}i>niq(7r ;"

eagles.

have

tribe,

SJnni/jilr

have more than hfty hawks of various kinds

not one of

Ijut

the

that

This, too,

my young man

a sing-le

No hawk

however, lucky accidents.

acknowledged sovereign of the hawk placed

manner bv

bagf.

stoops and recovers*

unequalled, either by

Under " the corapaynys of beeftys and Fowlys " in tlie Boke of St. Albans we learn that it is correct to s])eak of " an Herile of Ci'auys " or women." of "swannys" but a " Gagle of Gees " or of '

•'

Rartiufj. Bind,' to fasten to the quarry in the air.'' of course, not the luil)it of wild hawks to kill more than one bird at at a time. Major C. H. Fisiier, eoinmenting on this fact, writes " Nevertheless I have seen it done more than once by a wdd (p. I4;0j '

is,

and many times by my own trained

—

in thi' case of the birds wild faleon from having at her Hrst stoop struck down her pi'oy too close to a mini; from over-keeuness, 1 think, by the tame hawk." * In this quality of shooting up and preparing for a second stoop the Saker excels the Peregrine. The stoop, however, of the Saker is not as quick and sudden as the Peregrine's.

falcon,

BAZ-NAMA-YI NASIRT

the Sbaliin or the Saker.

have several times flown

crane with a good slidhrn^ trained to this

reached the quarry and bound to

Every one says

a sMrnqdr.

the " 'tisn't " of the case,

God

and

flight,

common

has always

before the latter came up.-

I say so, too.

alone

Of the "

^tis

and

the Judge.

CHAPTER XVII THE SHAHIN This species varieties

very widely distributed.

-^ .

divided into three

— namely, the dark, the light and the yellow.

The best shdhlns

are procured

from three

districts

from

Umm^

must be recollected that the term shCihln includes the peregrine. Good evidence, but not proof, since there is nothing to show that the " shahin " was flying its fastest, or that the condition of both birds was the same. Vide also note 4, page 56. 1

—

Blanford {Eastern Persia, yo]. II., page 103), writes: "Persian falconers distinguished tliree varieties of Shahin, tlie Stambuli, Karabaghi and Farsi, the first from Western Asia Minor, tlie second from Circassia, Georgia and Armenia, and the third from Southei-n Persia. The first has the darkest plumage, the last the lightest. The Shahin is, however, not so much used in Persia as formerly indeed, I have never seen it out of the rojal mews, except when brought to Bushire, for sale to the Arabs of the opposite coast. The falcon described by Marco Polo as found in the mountains of Pariz near Karnian, can be no other than the hihuhiv. The old traveller says, 'In the mountains of Pariz near Karman are found the best falcons in the world. They are inferior in size to the peiegrine, red on the breast, under the neck and between the thighs; their flight is so swift that no bird can escape them '." Considerable confusion exists as to the term Shdh/n. Arab falconers in the Persian Gulf and the Persians of Bushire call the female peregrine shnliJva, and rarely hahrJya. The ShaijMls of Bahrayn Island procure peregrines from Bushire. The shdJiJyi (but not the peregrine) seems to be unknown in Basrah and Baghdad. An Arabic MS. composed in the tenth century says, "If you desire to possess a shahin, then procure one of the peregrine (haljrl) kind, especially if it be black-backed, ugly-faced, narrow-bodied, short-tailed, large-headed, sunken-eyed, piercing-eyed, large-beaked, deep-mouthed, short-backed, with long flight-feathers, and wings far apart from the body." The peregrine {hahr't) is unknown to the falconers of Kirman except by name. The shahin, however, is not uncommon in the district. The translator, who was for eighteen months in Kirman, found three nests of the shahin and one of the chargJi. The shahins of Pdr'iz are, however, no longer famous. ^

;

Is this

meant

for

Ezerum

INTEBJtEWED I'EREGUINE

BAZ-NATMA-YI

Ottoman

Shammar ^ The

Arabia on the road

shahin

Urifin

may be all,

in Persia,

common in Slvds,^ which place "mine" of this variety. My private

that this, the shabin of JJrJim,

when taken from

for forming this opinion

who conducted me

that I

to observe

it.

i.e.,

This

peregrines.

same

grine on his it

to a spot about

discovered

sat

fist.

young.

What have you

observed the

supposition

t he

nest,

and which

to his house,

It appeai-ed that

fist.

they had

all

was seized with

lai'ge price

The

wings,

;

wh ich

hawk

Shammar

especially

and bolder than

a shahin, which I took

he showed

take eagle s."

ten or fifteen

h e kept loose near the house.

and offered

a desire to possess her,

Shammar. is

— Although the shahin from

the

small, the female not exceeding in size still

One

swift, bold,

eyrie,

known by

famous; eyesses obtained from

and

easily

the

name

are better

all others.

Though the passage shahin has more pace and a Ardahll

" and what

been taken with the falcon then on

entered to quarry, small or great.

that

in Sivas, with a pere-

have trained

w here

the male of the other two species,

Jaraza,

but

but he declined to part with his treasure.

ShoJtln of Jabal

mountains of

there,'' I asked,

His reply was, "This

live ea gles Avith cli])pe d

him a

down

they were not shahius

that

strengthened

accompanied him

his

two farsaMl from the

in the hill -side.

occasion I met a shihh-r]i7

kill?"

myself from I

species.

On another does

reason

confusion existed between the nestling and the passage the

patience was soon rewarded by the appearance

and

closely,

At my request he gave me

of the parent birds, bringing food for their

birds

when snared

happened one Spring

where there was a shahin's eyrie

city,

;

not a shahin

the nest a "shahin."'^

Sivas and called on the Governor. a guide,

hills of

Mecca.

to the holy city of

but the young of the Peregrine

"peregrine,^'

and from the

particularly

described as the

opinion, however, at

from Ardah'/l

territory,

NASIM

better wind

East of Tabriz and almost on the Caspian.

It is

convict station. ~

Shammar

a hilly district in Central Arabia.

town in Asia Minor on the river Kizl Irmak Trebizoud ? ShikdrchJ is the Turkish equivalent of the Hindustani shikari. These words do not necessarily refer to professionals. "

S'lrns.

and south ^

this the

<^1

\ III

YOUNG PEREGRINE (INDIAN HOOD)

46 r

BAZ-NAMA-YT NASIK'I '

r ;

"than fhe eyess,

it is

the jungle, and

far less tractable, for

filled

has preyed for

with overweening pride of

Say you have, with

flight.

infinite pains,

itself in

powers

its

succeeded in training

one to large quarry, and have unhooded her at a

common

crane or

a heron, and that suddenly, beneath her, she spies a wild duck, or

some other small quarry.

a pigeon, or

" checks," forsaking the large quarry with bitter disappointment. this scurvy

She

fills

you

does she do

for the small,

and

an eyess sliahin will not act in

manner.

Supposing a passage i

Now

What

falcon, shahin or peregrine,

comes into

your possession and you have no choice but to enter her to large quarry, you should blind her in the left eye, for when her right eye is on the quarry she has no spare eye to cast elsewhere, and her whole attention s he

necessarily occupied with the quarry at which

has been unhooded.

the poet

This

accordance with the saying of

eye I will darken to the light,i view thee only with my right."

left

So that I have successfully

made the experiment and speak from experience.

Should you, however, wish account blind her. the eyess

she

keep her for small quarry, on no

For small quariy you ring

will

better,

will find

especially

her better than

Royston

after

Crows " and those blackguardly ydiAclq owls.'^ As remarked previously, the passage shahin and the peregrine are one and the same, with this difference, that the peregrine is stronger and larger.

The courage

of the peregrine, too,

greater

than that of the passage shahin. .

RumaU^

eyess shahins are bolder than

all

others

— especially the

dark variety.

In Persian, " to regard Avith the left eye " is an idiom for '' to gaze contempt to regard as an enemy." KalCujh-i ahlarj, lit. '' the piebald crow," is the Royston Crow or

at with -

;

a species exactly like it it is common round Baghdad and in Persia. (The English magpie is also common in Persia and may locally be so named). FiWe page 55, note 5. Ydpltlgh-i pidar-sag, " the dog-fathered ydpldq," is perhaps the Indian grass owl or a species like it. The Author also calls another species, piobably the Short-eared Owl, ydplcujli, but omits the epithet " son of a dog " when mentioning it. The former is a difBcult quarry, the latter an easy one.- Vide note 2, page 23. ;

—

•^

Apparently an adjective from tfrum.

;

CHAPTER XVIII THE PEREGEINE (BAHRI) fhi/irl.

—

have already stated

merely the Rhimtll

At any

Shnh'tii

rate the

opinion that the Peregrine

caught after variety of

best

has

left

peregrine

the nest. is

the yellowish,

almoutl '-coloured, variety. I

have trained

peregrines-

delicate'^ birds, as well as

gazelle.

bold and daiiiig

They

are,

however,

they dash themselves

impetuously against the gazelle's Imrns and thns frequently injure

themselves to train

This

fatally.

them

"•azclle.

of their disposition

the reason that falconers do not care

Further,

(Ui

account of the

flisrhtiness

they are not so very highly prized.

When

choosing a peregrine, select one with large feet, short legs, and lonof slender winsfs.

Count the scales on the middle

arily there are only

seventeen or eighteen.'

you

toe. liiul

Ordina bird

the colour of the skin of an almond. The yellow variety of is avoided by Paiijab falconers. - The only Englishmaa who attempted gazelle hawking in India was the late Sir Harry Lumsden who raised the Corps of Guides. He told the translator that the Amir used to send him from Kabul, at the beginning of the cold weather, trained hawks and greyhounds, as well as falconers. In an article in tlie l)a<hni)iton Mdjaziiie on Sir Harry Lumsden's gazelle hawks, there is an illustration of a peregrine striking This is an error. Sir Harrj- used oidy cluircjlin for gazelle. at a gazelle. ' Delicate compared to the sakcr, the faleon most prized by ()i-i"cn<-;i1s. In Baghdad (in lyuO-Ulj thi' price of a iJereu'rine had i-isen from three to ten rapees, whereas a saker was said to be worth as much as seventy The Saker rupees. In the Panjab, saki-rs ranpje from Rs. 3 to Rs. 7. Peregrine, it is hardier is, by most Easterns, preferred to the as and can, to a certain extent, he fed on butcher's meat, and still work well whereas it is impossible to keep a peregrine in first-i-lass condition without a constant supply of doves and pigeons, or birds whose tlesh is equally good. Further, iu the desert, the crops are scanty, and in consequence the houbara cannot always be marked down in their feeding grounds, but have to be laboriously beaten for by a long line even a yomuj saker will sit barefaced of mounted men in open order on the rider's Bst without bating, but keeping a sharp look out for the (pian-y, which, by runiiinLT round the line or dodging tlirongli the intervals, may escape the keen sight of the beaters, but not the keener sight of the falcon. Hence the epithet yawd applied to it and to the shahin, in the Kapurtliala State. That is there are, in the female peregrine, seventeen or eighteen large scuta; (piilalc) that extend across the whole breadth of the toe. These scutte vary greatly in size, and their numlier is no guide to the length of the toe a hawk with a lai'ge number may have a short toe. i.e.,

peregrine

;

BAZ-NAMA-YI NASIRI

with twenty-one^ you have a treasure.

have a lean

fine full breast^ a

and

;

its

good peregrine should

broad back, and toes that are long and

body should be round and compact.

has not without reason sung If I •I

could have

old master

fancy

free,

Goshawks like wagtails ^ all should And Sparrow-hawks like Goshawks

be, all

round and Chargh s tall." Should Bahris too from faults be free, In truth broad-shouldered they must be.

13at

Shi-'ihJ)is

properly a wagtail, but the term is by some Turks also applied to a species of sparrow. Miyan Mahmud Sahibzada. of Taunsa, a Muslim fi'iend of mine, and a keen and successful falconer of considerable experience, is of opinion that though a goshawk should be long, it should have a short tail and a short tarsus. As a matter of course the hawk should be heavy and Avell furnished, " Never," said this authority, " buy a the flesh being hard, not soft. camel, a horse, or a goshawk, with a short neck. A long- neck is a sign The present Nawab of Teri says that, in of staying power and vigour." his experience, goshawks with sharp clean claws are inferior to those with worn and blunted nails, and this experience is confirmed by other Panjab falconers. Blunt and worn nails probably indicate that a hawk that after it " puts in " the pai'tridge, it runs is keen and persevering round and round the cover on foot and does not give up the chase. ". Indians, or rather Panjabis, object to light eyes in a goshawk. the worl't you can fay by an hawke for their f liape is, that fhee is a long " In yo'' choice observe Bert. flender and beefome-tailed hawke." larg when yo buy, a beake, a larg foote, a short train, an upright stande, and all of a peece." Harting (qvioting a jM S. in the British Museum) vide page ix, Introduction, Booke for Keping of S_parchaivl-es. In the " Large latter work the " Tokens of a Good Hawke " are heads flender beake thick and greate like a parot feare fay re nares wyde ftalke fhort and bygg foote large, wyde, and full of ftrengeth mail thick wynges large w' narow fethers heye of fief he and cuer difpofed 1

Sa^wa.

believe this

;

to feede egerly." ~

Many Panjab

in better style.

falconers assert that long charghs are faster and stoop are certainly not inferior to the shorter birds.

They

c'irAP'ri:i{

THE

SAKini'

xix

FAJXON

(F. Chernui)

[Thk author now mentions fourteen races and varieties of each

(if wliit'li

distino-uishes

Ik*

by some

bdldb(7n,~

special epitliet.

Saqar (sometimes pronounced sagar or sa(j/i(tr) is one of the names falcon (F. Sacer of Jerdon and F. cliemig of ]ilanford) is known to the Arabs. Possibly the word ^wjar is by Arabs applied to '

wliicli tliis

other falcons also. - Considerable confusion exists with regard to the various names of this falcon. ]}y Indians this species is called chariili, by Afghans chark/i. By Persians the passage falcon is styled hi'ddhln and the cyess charkh, while by the Turks of Persia the passage falcon and the eyess are often both called aitahjl. The Author, however, himself a Turk, states that the nestling of a particular variety is by Turkish falconers distinguished by the name aitalgJ. In Lahore to Yarkand, a report on some of the scientific results of the expedition to Yarkand in 1870, there is a coloured figure of an old and not uncommon variety of the Saker, to whieh the and it is stated that seientifie name of Falcn TLendersoni is appended Mr. Hume considered this falcon to be the Shunqdr of Eastern falconers. Apparently following up this idea, Scully, in his vocabulary of the Turki names of birds, gives as the equivalent of the Turi<i a/tulgri, " the female of the shunqdr,' Falco Hendersoni.'' There is, however, a name given by times, Shunqdr was evidence to show that, in ancient Indian falconers to a species of Jcrfalcon, vide page 36, note 4. ^Modern Indian falconers, proverbial for inaccuracy, have a habit of calling any Saker {chargJi) that is unusual in size and markings a "shunqdr,'" and so, by exciting emulation, ol)tain a fictitious price from some credulous native gentleraan. Though seemingly only one species of cliar cjh visits the Panjab, individuals so vary in size, shape, markings, and colouration, that it is at first sight difficult to believe that they are Amongst young birds some are whole-coloured, of the same species. others have some small white specks on the back, while othei's again have white heads with spotted tails. In some varieties the tail sjiots arc barely visilile in others they are so white and numerous that the Peculiarities may disajjpear si)read tail appears to be nearly all white. to a great extent in the first moult. The colouring of the "intermewed"* falcon depends, to a great extent, on feeding and exposure. "Haggards" A rare vary, nearly, if not f|uite, as much as the immature hawks. the tarsus variety is said, by Panjabi falconers and others, to have feathered '"like certain breeds of pigeons." In the Derajat this variety is distinguished by the ierwx pd-moz or "booted,"' while in the Pindi Gheb district it is considered a distinct species and called Sang-savg. The evidence of the existence of this peculiar variety (which is also supposed to be above the average in size) is detailed and corroborative. Arab falconers of Basrah have described this variety to the translator, ;

;

" 'Intermewed.'

A hawk

that has been moulted in confinement.'"— I.«*TciZes. 4.

BAZ-XAMA-YI ylsTRI

— The kabldJ:^] —

Kabldl

named

(?).

race or variety described

first

It lias

dark

With

the feathers of both

without spots.

It is large in size

this exception the coloura-

the

body and the taiP are

and bold

for either crane^ or gazelle, but, alas, of

apparently-

a white head^ without any cheek-stripe

or dark mai'k under the eyes.tion

in nature,

scarce.

and good

In the whole

experience I have met with only one.

BdUhiin-i Farsi. Fars," which

cheek stripes.

the Baldhihi-i Fdrsl, or " Saker of

The back, from the

neck

the

covered with spots and markings, and the redder

oil-bottle,^ is

these are in

subdivided into the red and the white varieties.

Neither has

— Next

tint,

The

the better the bird.

in each wing, are also covered with spots.

flight-feathers," seven

The

feet are a very

The darker and smaller the beak, tongue, and the better. The feet are lean, the tarsi short, the thighs the chest and back broad, the wings tine and pointed,

light slate-colour. nails,

stout,

sunken, the eyebrows prominent; the neck is long, the forehead broad, the " waist " small. If the hawk has all the

eyes

these points,

incomparable.

Bdldhdn-i Ahmar-i Slid III or the

the red

"Red

and the

Shdin.

— Next

^Syrian Saker," of

black.

the Bdldbdn-i

which there are

ahinar-i

tAvo varieties,

In a good bird of this race, the two

centre tail-feathers, called by the Arabs 'amPd or "props," and

it is known to them by the name of ShungJinr. By the name Sang-sang some species of falcon (probably a charkh) is known to the Afghans. The Chargh breeds in Afghanistan, Persia, and else-

and stated that

where, but not in India. Apparently more than one race visits India. In the Panjab it is flown only at large quarry kite, hare, houbara, and occasionally at black ibis and common heron. In Baghdad it is said to be flown at geese. Corballis, in Forty-five Years of Sport, says, "This falcon is good at smaller game, such as grouse, partridges, etc." Apparently he is speaking of Syria. The Saker is too slow for sand-grouse in ordinary circumstances. This word is perhaps a copyist's error.

—

Madiiia" Ar. sing. "The place where the tears collect in the sides eye"; the pi. maddmi' comprises the inner and outer angles of the eyes, but is especially applied to the inner. Vide note 4, page 8. ^ In India a hawk with a tail without marks is called lagar-diim, or " tailed like the Lagar Falcon." ^ In Dresser's Birds of Europe it is stated that .lerdon once took ~

of the

a Sdrus crane (Qrus Antigone) with Miidhim A. and ri'iglian-dnn P. 6 Shdh-par, " flight-feather." •"'

Saker.

n 'i.

YOrXG PASSAGE SAKER (DARK VARIETY)

4 *

BAZ-NAMA-YI NASIRI

by the Turks on each

qdpdq^,^ as well as the

— The

next race

and no cheek

head

tail-feathers^

one

should be without spot or marking.

side,"

Bdldhdifi Badrl. white

two outer

called

The general

stripe.

hadrlJ'

has a

colouration

and the back and breast are without markings. The two centre tail-feathers are sometimes with spots and sometimes reddish,

without

with spots the smaller and redder they are the better.

These four races or varieties are by the Arabs styled hurr sdfl^

Badu-pasand

(?).

— [A

variety of the

This

cannot be deciphered with certainty.] Badri, but the whole of the of

any other colouring.

tail is

six

In any case

belongs

and not prized.

the Mountain*^

(T)

Saker.

has

has on the back, two, four,

by the Arabs Pleiades {Thiirayyd).

called

spots,

w^hite

The " prop " sdfi

next race

a variety of the

uncommon, and though

It is

black only, under the eye.

little

— The

white without the admixture

to the class of liurr,* it is poor-spirited

JibdU.

BadrJ has a name^ that

feathers have sometimes spots and sometimes none. it

not styled by the Arabs hurr sdfj, for the hurr

must not only be without cheek

stripes,

but must also have

certain other points.

The sdft.

first

four described are, however,

According

the idiom of

Arab

all

falconers, the hurr

must have the back " free from Pleiades," "clear of marks," side)

"void

of stain."'-

as jihdll

Bdldbdn-i La/if. ^

Qcipdq

;

sdfi

the " prop " feathers

and the two outside feathers (one on each

black under the eyes. they class

included in the hurr

Also

must have no cheek

stripe,

nor

Should the hawk not have these points,

and not

—Next

derivation

as hurr sdfl.

the hdldhdn-i

laflf,^^^

and

of this there

unknown.

These two feathers are apparently called by the Arabs ruddfa. This word is the plural of radlf, which literally signifies "to ride pillion." In ni. c. it is the name given by Persians and Turks to the " Army Reserve." Vide also page 73, note 2. ^ Possibly from hadr, " the full moon." ^ 7/M/-r Ar. " free-born " hence "noble." The Saker and Goshawk ^' -p-are, are ntjled hurr, and also the young of certain animals. Sdfl, unmixed, etc." ^ Apparently Badfi-pasand, "liked by the Bedouins." " Jibdll, adj. from jibdl "mountains," plural oi jabal. ^

;

" ^ * ^'^

Sdlim'^ Surayyd. Mutlaq" 'l-'amud.

Mdsih rnddfa. Laf'if: meaning

of Za/Z/ obscure.

^H!

X yorNO

PASSAOF.

SAKER (PAHK VAKIETY)

BAZ-NAMA-YJ NASIRI three vai'ieties, the yellowish^ the

eive

dark,

and the

three have cheek-stripes or dark feathers under the eyes. the case of the evess charMi, it

have

the nest and

left

taken from the nest

be caught in a net,

called (in Persian) holahan-i laf'if:

Now I

Should

Arabic wacliarl ,^ and in Persian

called in Tui'ki aitdlgl, in

cliarMb. it is

this race is

All

light.

my many

have in

described above

those four races

as for

race breed.

Autumn

No one even knows

nest.

All I

know

hiirr

safl,

and constant inquiries never met

travels

who

with any hawk-catcher or sportsman-

from the

for certain

has taken a hury

sofl^

what country, birds of

this

is,

that in the beginning of

they come to us from across the sea, from the direction of

God knows where they breed and whence

Muscat and Bahreyn.'' they travel.

Those that

Europe^ have

all

have seen

been Z«/'i/and have

all

Persia,

had cheek

Turkey,' and

stripes.

The laf If is to the hurr .yr/f/ what the farlan is to the qi':il or what the Ne^d*^ horse is to the Turkoman pony." Moult after moult ,

the kurr

siifl

becomes

whereas the laf If flies well for not after that it becomes cunnino-.^ I have

better,

more than three seasons at present two hoi oho n of the ho rr :

moults

seventeen

1 There pronounced

;

one

and one " Persian " and the other " Eed sofl race, one of sixteen

letter cli in Arabic. In 'Iraq, however. A: is sometimes Walcr (v:achr) in Arabic is a nest, so " icaclirl" might signify "nesth'ng." An Arab gentleman in Ba.^rah (a falconer) told me that the white Saker Avith drops on the back is called Hurr Safl; the same if of a reddish tinge Him- Shdvil ; and that these races are supposed to come from "Persia" and "Syria." The dark Saker with drops on the baL-k is, lie said, called Wacliarl Jarfidl, and without drops WacharJ. The best for gazelle, he stated, was the " Persian " and " Syrian." The Baghdad Sakers are preferred to those of Basrah. Sakers are caught in Bushire and taken for sale to Basrah, where they fetch as much as seventy rupees. In the Panjab their price varies from three to ten rupees, according to locality and season. ~ Shikarchl, a comprehensive term; "sportsman, fisherman, birdis

cT).

catcher, etc., etc." 3 The Sheikh of Bahrayn keeps many sakers and peregrines which are flown at houbara on the opposite Persian Coast. The translator once travelled with the Sheikh's two sons in a B. I. boat they had fifty or sixty falconers and as many peregrines and sakers, all, with one exception, :

young and uewly ^ •"•

^^ ''

trained. Turkej', the Author probably Probably Turkey in Europe.

means Asia Minor.

The best bred Arab horses are from Nejd. Ydhv, a pony of a coarse breed. Buzd, lit. " a thief."

THE EYKSS SAKER FALCON

Both are

Syrian."^

still

this race, wliilt^ life lasts,

excellent at

common

year by year impiMvc,

Birds of

crane.foi- tlicii-

nature

noble. Tin: Balaban-i LapIf of Bauhdad. 1

have met with nowhere except

'Plie

extending beyond the

crow,"'

Baghdad,

as swift as the

slulirin.

thn^t

]5agli<lail

colour and long,

and the female

ft'ct

tiercel of the eyess

La f If

dai-k with a tinge ul

dark

has small

tail.

called

it is

flight feathers are

about the same size as the swift, iioarly

variety of the

In general colouring,

falconers WacJidrl/^

red on the head.

—A

cliarl-JiJ

It is

very

takes the small piebald

black partridge," and stone plover, with ease.

Some few

have seen that would take houbara. It

has a great outward resemblance to the

Hobby which

found

round Teheran.

CHAPTER XX THE EYKSS The

eyess charMi''

in the

of four kinds.

Spring^ months breeds

Another

found

SAKEIJ

Nejd

FALCON

First there

in the hills of Persia in

the variety that

and Turkey.^

Turkish territory, where

lays its

and Alimar Slulml.

Fi'irsl

The common ciane

an easier (juarry than the licrou. ground is, however, severe and highly dangerous, as sharp claw with great effect. is,

in the air,

Tlie struggle on the

the crane uses

its

Vide page 54, note 1. Some Indian and Persian falconers I (|uestioncd in Baghdad liad never met witli a falcon th:it answered this description. The Lagar does not answer to the falcon (F. -hajger) of India a desert falcon dcseiiption. Also it does not appear to be found in Persia or Asia ^

—

Elinor. Kiihl(jji-i In'ichal- n ahlag. presnniably " the hooded crow," common around BaLrhdad and in Persia. The author probably styles it " small' as compared to the raven, which is sometimes called by the same name. Vide page 46, note -. •'"

'' the fi-aneolin." CharkJi is the eyess saker, and hCddhdn the passage saker. ^ There are four distinct seasons of the year, in Persia. The Spring, nnlike the Indian Spring, is long and cool. The Saker falcon migrates from the Panjab much earlier than the peregrine.

D?(r?v7/,.

' 1^*

Turkish territory. Xejd, in central Arabia, directly west of Bahrayn Island.

i.e..

BAZ-NAMA-TI NASIRI

eggs on the bare ground, the houbara bustard.

This variety

Another kind nests

From thence

like the black-breasted sand-grouse,^

in the hills

nestlings

ai-e

and

called charWi-i mcini'l."

and dry water-courses of Nejd.

obtained by the Arabs

who

style

them

Hijdzl.^

All these kinds,

snared after they have

The

charJdi-i

obtained from the nest, are cJiarM], and

left

mdni'J

the nest are

?«///".

exceptionally good, whether for gazelle,

common crane, or golden eagle you can train it to anything. am able to state that it is faster even than the shnlun, for I have

or I

company with a sJidhln, and the crane a long way ahead of it,

often flown one at crane in

reached and " bound

The colouration

of the

indiii'l vai'ies,

very red markings on the back, like a the cliarMis of the world the

Although

the best. the nest,

kurr

sdfJ

JlnayzaJ'

has

itv'ini'l

but that variety that has

kestril,

the best.

with red spots on the back

e3^ess {charMl)

and

all is

obtained from

equal to any noble passage falcon {hdldhini) of the

race.

It is to

be obtained

onlv from the Arabs of

In that waterless part of 'Amhisfdii

houbara and ^

its

chief prey

hare.'

Bdqir-qara T. and Siynh-sJnak P.

l)oth Avords signify literally breast." The Arab gentleman mentioned in note 1, page 54, informed me that in certain localities the saker nests on the bare ground. Vide also page 115, note o. An Englishman told me that he once, in Wales, found two peregrine's eggs laid on the bare open ground close to a cliff edge. - Has mdni'l here the signification of " difficult of access " ? ^ Hijdz, a province on the Red Sea. It is not in Nejd. ^ This is no sure test of swiftness, for a peregrine flown with a large and powerful saker often flies "cunning." Vide note 2, page 42. ' I have known a saker that in the immature plumage was white and covered with spots (such a saker is styled in the Kapurthala State chital cliargh and is there considered useless for anything excejit hare) :

" black

assume

this red kestril-like plumage on its first moult. Unai/za, name of a tribe and of a place in West Nejd. The tribe is famous for a breed of horses, larger and coarser than tlae Nejd breed. The name is said to be the diminutive of either anza, a "she-goat" or of anasa, a " javelin." •'

All sakers in a wild state occasionally prey on houbara. Ti-ained haggards, but not young passage hawks, will as a rule take hare without being entered by a " train." Perhaps during the nesting season, the parent birds are driven to killing hare. I have seen a young passage hawk of mine, flying close to the ground, carry a hare for two or three hundred yards. The hare, a fine hill specimen, weighed 4-| lbs., while " the saker w^eighed only 2 lbs. 4 oz. I have seen an " intermewed

CilAL'TKU XXi STRANGE

\i;\l;

FOR

Dl.VK KS

The Arabs have two

CAl(Ill\(i

THK PASSAGE SAKER

strange devices for catching the

bnldlxlii.

chauces sometimes that, whih' ont hawking, a wihl

will

Ix'ih'ihdv

The

suddenly drop from the sky, and seize a flushed houbara.

Arabs wait

begun

till

broken into the ({uarry and has

falcon has

the

Then they go slowly towards

to eat.

unable to carry

off

the falcon, which,

the heavy (juarry, perforce abandons

the

falcon will retire to a distance of five- or six-hundred yards iind

Two

regard her (luan-y with eyes of regret.

dead honbara and sticks.

One

([uickly

and

sjciki'ir-chls

go up

to the

deftly dig a pit in the sand with their

them steaUhily gets

into this pit

and

completely

One arm is extended, but concealed by a light sprinkling of sand. The dead houbara is then placed on his open palm and the other men all covered with sand, his nose only being above ground.

withdraw

to a distance.

After a short time, the hdlohan, seeing the

coast clear, returns without suspicion to

knows

what

underground

quarry and re-settles on

grave

Poor thing, what

prey.

Slowly

returns

That cuckoldy pimp

it.

feels the falcon settle;

its

his living

then slowly, very slowly, under cover

of the houbara's feathers his

hand searches

for his victim's feet.

The hapless falcon, in dread of a robber eagle, eagerly busies itself with pluming and eating: its whole attention is directed to its .Sooner or later some part of its foot or leg touches the food. hidden hand, and the freedom of the udble bird is gone. The dead man then comes

to life

and

rises

from

his

sandy grave.'

saker stoop at, and strike, a large hare on the head, with such force that In Dresser's Birds of Europe it is stated the hare never moved again. that in ^longolia, in Winter, the Przevalsky of Colonel on the authority chief food of the saker is the Alpine hare. ^ An Afghan acquaintance told the translator that he liad seen demoiselle cranes (khar-k/iare) caught in the following manner at Kabul. Small boys were buried in the sand at intervals, their noses above ground and their arms extended the arms carefully covered with sand and shingle. The unsuspecting cranes were then slowly Sometimes two or three birds are driven towards the hidden children.

—

BAZ-NAMA-YI NASIRI

Another Device.

—'There

another cuuniiig device^ which can

be practised only during the season of the terrible east wind ot

Baghdad

— " We

God from

take refuge in

it/'

This wind blows

Day and

with incessant severity for two to nine days at a time.

night

None dare venture

rageSj ceasing not for one minute.

out in it; everything

comes

away

birds, fearing to be SAvept

far

All

standstill.

sorts

wild

from their hunting and feeding

grounds, take refuge from the force of the wind by settling on the

ground.

Perhaps some luckless sportsmen, when out hawking,

get caught in this wind, and by chance spy the sandy gritty

soil.

and raising

all

feet, will scatter

it,

dnst, Avhicli

advances,

and

feet.

man

The

iDehind

is first

and its

the dust and sand

on the wind.

up the while

all

he can with his hands and

Under cover

wind on

to the

ieathers

ceases not

forced to close

its

of this

the sand he can with his hands

sand

in vain

the sand-storm continues, while the

The

advancing with rapidity.

eyes, but the sand stops

soon has no choice but to seek protection for

wing.

cloud of

he quickly

falcon,

falcon's eyes get filled with the its

seated on

ItaJdhnii

go directly up-Avind

of the party will

carried by the

stii'ring

rubs them on

One

falcon

its nostrils,

its

head under

In this unsuspecting and helpless attitude

secured

by hand.

Author captures a Vulture.

— Once

went on a pilgrimage

in this manner. The children are buried on the spot where the In Chitral, goshawks are said to be caught by the cranes rest at night. following device The top of a bare hillock is selected, scooped out and roofed over, the chamber thus made being sufficiently large to conceal a man. The trapper enters the chamber from the side, and closes the entrance. He then puts through a hole in the roof a live cJml'or fitted with jesses, and with a leash five or six feet long. The hole in the roof is closed, and the partridge flutters at the extent of its leash. When the goshawk appears, the cries of the clmkor warn the trapper. When the goshawk seizes the partridge, it is slowly drawn towards the hole by the trapper. The hawk, feeling resistance, only " binds" the tighter, till it is suddenly seized by the legs from within the hut. The chief places for catching goshawks near Chitral are said to be the Siiigf'r forest the BaJiCimak hill; the j\Ial:htm)u~thdd hill; and the Urgutch hill. These are the four Militarl places, i.e., hawks caught there are the property of the Milt tar. 1 common exclamation amongst Muslims used in time of danger, on hearing of an accident, and on seeing one afflicted with a

caught

;

horrible disease such as leprosy. ~ Shv)i. va rndsga.

;

STRANGE ARAB DKVICES FOR CATCHING to

[lazrat-i

Siilin<hi-i

and

F('irs7,^

TlIK

SAKER

I'ASSAGE to

iiittMidiiiL;'

two

kill

59 1)irds

with one stone took with

were

and nine or ten mounted falconers.

traiiiftl

uazelle,

four

(u-

rharkhs and

five

hdlnhtht.s

started early in the morning', and expected to secure

day

five or six gazelles at least.

when

the east wind be>jan to rise.

till

about

the

ver}''

''mine^^'' of gazelle.

was nothing but

"mail

far '

into

the

called Haivr Sa'cW'

when

right and

air

desert.

left

the

of us there

wind,

was

became darkened, and

coidd have borne aloft a thousand

^Vc were ncaidy lifted

off

our horses to be

There was nothing

for

but to

and carry them under onr arms, We were now in ground that is

our robes.

tvfo

low-lying ground, void of dust or sand,

the Tigris overflows

retains water,

about

To the

the chdrkhs and hdlilhdns

or in the skirts of

for

It o-raduallv increased in force

Soon the

was the wind that

thrones of Solomon.^ "

the

had gone about two/a/^aAVr

but, on account of

gazelle,

impossible to Hy the hawks.

hurled

hours before noon, by which time we bad reached

twi)

so strong

diii'iuL;"

that

its

banks

in the Spring, the hollow

and grass and reeds spiTng up.

This hollow was

farsakh broad by six or seven long, and was a favourite

feedin«"-ofround

g-azelle.

The

well-known

medicinal

herb

' Salmdn-i Fnrsl was a Persian of Abyssinian extraction. He was one of the " Companions of the Prophet." His tomb, on a bank of the Tigris, not far from Baghdad, is close to the old ruined palace of Kisra, Here, too, is called by the Arabs Tuq-Kisra " The arch of Cjriis." the site of MathVin or "The cities," the capital of Persia at tlie time of

Muslim conquest.

the

Seven

cities

are said to have existed on this

site,

T a ii-iafiln or

It was in the latter that the Ctsesiphon being one of them. T'lq-Kisra existed, built, according to some accounts, by Nu>^hUavan

the Just.

AfarsakJi is about 3;,' miles. " Mine," an Arab idiom for any place where the game is found in abundance. His Tlie winds were subject to Solomon. 'Arsh-i Sidaymdn. his forces, and silk, of green throne was placed on an immense carpet men on the right, jinn on the left, took their stand upon it, and the wind bore it aloft under Solomon's orders, while the army of birds '^

formed a canopy above. Qapdncha /cardan, " ''

mail" a hawk,

i.e.,

wrap

" in a " .sock

Even on foot it is or cloth, so that it is in a kind of strait-jacket. impossible to carry hawks in a strong desert wind. Haicr is low-lying ground or dried marsh land that is full of grass and reeds. Sa'da is an adjective from the grass sa'd-i ki'ifi mentioned ''

later.

BAZ-NAMA-YI NASIBI

galingale of

Hawr

produced here

abundance

hence the

;

name

Sa'da given to the spot.

Well, as soon as

we emerged from this hawr, we lost sight of the Arch of Ctsesiphon and the dome of Hazrat-i Sulaymdn. Though we knew the ground thoroughly^ having hawked gazelle there hundreds of times^ we completely lost our bearings and wandered about aimlessly and perplexedly_, we knew not whither. At last we emerged on to the sandy desert, and realized that we had left the shrine of Sulaymdn on our left. Our horses were unable to proceed, for

their

eyes and nostrils

were soon choked with

sand.

Suddenly a huge settled before us.

circumvented

up-wmd

and

dust.

it,

attendants

assisted the

wind

stop

made a

covering

earth

still

and

while

and got with sand and

circuit

reached the vulture and saw that the poor thing-

last I

myself on

told

dropped

vulture-

by the Arab method.

had tucked away I cast

carrion

head, and was to

its

and secured

it,

appearance asleep.

all

and saw that

its

eyes and nostrils

were so choked with sand that it could scarcely breathe. I made the Ahddr " carry it till we reached the shrine. Not having enough food for the hawks, killed

The

bought a

fat

young sucking-lamb/ and

and heart were given to the vulture, which, when the wind subsided, was duly released. I could have captured gazelle by the same method had it not it.

liver

l^een for their sense of smell.

Sa'd-i

scientific

kfifi is

name

I think, ')u/g(ir

tall

sweet-smellino- grass used in medicine. The Cyperus Scariosus. The Hindi name is,

said to be

moth.

"The

dale

Was

seen far inland and the yellow down Border'd with palm, and many a winding vale And meadow, set with slender galingale^"

—

Lotus Eaters. Bal-i murddr-Jchwar. Ab-ddr, a servant in charge of the drinks, tea-things, etc. would of course be mounted, probably on a mule. • Barra-yi shir- mast. "

CHAPTER XXII .MKllJ.lN

Till-:

This

little

falcon

(lark, the

till'

beyond

lii>"ht,

nil

There are three

praise.

and the yellow, the

varieties,

Persian falconer has yet found the nest of the merlin, nor

known

what country

breeds.

All

know

being the best.

first

that,

about two

Antnnm, it is spread over the face of the land, and is then caught in nets by the bird-catchers. Like the bdlahaa there are three kinds, the Hurr S>''fl, the A/imar Shuml,^ and the Laf/f. The dark variety, which is the Lafif and has cheek-stripes,- is better than the Jhnr S'[p. Unlike the Saker, tliis falcon is somewhat foi'getful by naiui-c. If von want to train a " cast " of mi'rlins to fh' larks,' train them months

after the beginning* of

—

({uickly,

made

— after the merlin has been made hot and the end of the lure — the lark to

making

at that, t:ike,

flying

and

after

long stick, and

fly

the

Then

let

the

stoop four or hve

eat lialf of the lark.

has digested

excited by being called

tie

hawk hawk

them three times or four times a day to a lure Now get a Vwc lai'k, and for three days, pigeons' wings.'' luring

its

tim(\>.^'

this three

times a day,

meal.^

After the merlius are well entered to the lark at the end of the

Show them, by

go out into the open country.

stick,"*

lark, nnrutlU'd

and strong on the wing

both merlins after

it.^

They

will

they do, feed them up together.

Now

;

then let

stoop at

and take

fly

them

choosing some spot free from wells or gardens:

T^iVZe

note

Madi'imi\

•^

Cast,'

page

casting

off

"When

it.

for,

at a wild lai"k, if

your

hawk

52.

madma\

vide p. 50, note 2. not necessarily a cast of hawks,' t.f two

pi. of .«.,

fly,

this for three or foui' days.

go into the open country and

hand, a good

;

j)air."

—

Harting.

Knhnll P., wliiclj elsewhere tlie author says is called quvihuraJi by the Arabs it is the Crested Lark. ^ A lare made of pigeons' wings is not very durable. The lark at the end of the stick will be in the air the whole time, and the merlin, tliough raw, will not therefore sit on the ground. ^ BaUl a~ bnrdan-i gnsht. A merlin will eat in a day, two sparrows ^

;

'''

or larks. ^ ^

K'~il{nll-rji mlK'h-hand. liar du rd Jiift bi-yanddz.

^ [

BAZ-NAMA-YI NASIRI

62 chases a lark into a well, it

into a garden,

You

will

probably get destroyed

if it

chases

not only lose the lark, but lose

itself.

will

;

require a clear open plain.

The quicker you train these little falcons the better, but with other hawks the contrary holds good in training the latter, use :

deliberation.

—

Method op Snaring Larks. I am certain the reader has been saying to himself, " Where am I to get all these live larks ? Surely the author is wrong somewhere.^' No, my friend, it is yoit Now listen to me while I tell you how to snare that are wrong. larks.

Get a

end

long', light pole,^

it,

about eleven feet long, and bind to the

a horse-hair noose

of a single hair,

your merlin

an assistant.

(of

white horse-hair for choice)

and use white thread

keen on the

When

Now

the hawk.

give the merlin to

lark,

alongside of the lark, lure the merlin to your will

hand over the hawk

fist.

to stand

flutter all the time.

As soon

as the

eyes glued on

Make him

your assistant.

and raising

about ten paces from

Do you go

Now,

its

hawk to extend and flutter its wings, so that the Tell your man lark may remain engrossed on it. and

paces.

fifteen

crouch on the ground,

hold his hand high, and by lowering

of the lark

go out into the open country with

lure,

you come across a

As soon

for the binding."

your assistant, and then move aside ten or lark spies the hawk,

made

cause the

attention of the to

to the left

making the hawk

it,

to its right, and,

advancing very

slowly, extend the pole, slip the horse-hair noose on to the poor lark's neck,

device

and draw

flight.

to you,

and

the invention of your

cessful in the

— there

humble

your " train."

servant.

It is

This

most suc-

Autumn and Winter months.

lark, before a cast of merlins, gives a very pretty ringing

In the Spring, however, and even on

Winter, they "^

will

not

warm days

in the

ring- up.

In the Dera Ismail Khan district, in the Panjab, the common desert lark called chandnr used to be snared in this fashion, the wand used being a stalk of the grass called kdnd. '

Halqa-yi md-yi dum-i asp. The surface of the desert ground would be whitish in colouration. N"ot clear whether the author means that it is the larks or the hawks that will not ring up, or both. ~

—

MERLIN

A very

good

feinalo

woodcock,- and

rliii

take " cluikoi-/' " s-^esee,"

will

quail,

otlier small i[u;nrv.

Defect of Merlins.

— Merlins arc inveterate " carriers/' and should therefore be flown

defect in their cliai'acter,

Another defect

and not singly.

that,

a great

as a " cast/'

allowed to get very

hungry, they begin to tear their own feet; and if the falconer be inattentive, they will tear away the flesli till they reiich the shank

Once they h'arii this vice, the only remedy is to give them The t'nlcouer must therefore be careful to keep freedom.

bone.^ their

them always

high condition, for otherwise they will not only not

" ring up " well, but

will also

young passage saker and an

intermevved" merlin

hawk.

moment

strong on the wing.

intermewed"

w(>ll

''haggard"

of a skilful falconer, ring

young

as a

and ignorant

one, an [lassage

but

iieavy, but euniiing also,

and

sees that the lark

just as

;

light in body,

becomes not only

give up the

hands

not ring np as

will

Tlie voiiiig li.iwk

after the moult will

may be kept and moulted, but

good, young, merlin

the case of a

contract the vice just mentioned.

hiiJi'ihdn,''

as well

chasing

however,

very

the

will, in

up better than a young passage

hdldbi'i II

There are two

varieties of merlin.

and mature plumage

are,

Lii

one variety the imnuiture

even after many moults, the same.

the other, the plumage of the back, after the

while

blue-grey,

amber.

have

that will remain

the

noveitiu'

plumage and yellow

lirst

moult, becomes

cere

and legs become bright yelh^w

been

al)l(>

disniuiiiuite which

same, and which kind

will

kind

like it

assume the blue

cere.

Kabk, the Red-legged Partridge of India:

tihi'i,

the See-sce

India.

a name of the woodcock, but it is probal)ly a name One Persian Turk tells me ih it it is given also to some species of rail. called oy the Persians ldinr'~i>:ak, and "is of a reddish hrowii coloui-, has a long bill, yellow legs, and frequents damp or marshy ground." "' Carry.' v., to fly away with the quarry." Harting. -

Yalva, T.,

•*

Qalatn.

"'Intermewed'.

— LasceUps. "

Klnlna-trilak.

"Hasrsrard," a

author here

— A hawk that

hawk

has lieen moulted in confinement."

that has moulted in a wild condition. "moulted outside.

calls this ddsh-tOlak T.

The

t c

^ <

XI HOBBY WITH SEELED EYES

CHAPTER XXIII THE

hubby resembles the merlin somewhat, but

'I'm:

in colouring-,

dark it

TT(1BBY'

colouring.

merlin,' but

appearance.

Its feet are small

larg-er,

darker

has long broad wings,

and yellow.

In a wild state well, like the

evil-natnred and cowai'dly.-

In the Shaiiurdndt

nests in the gardens.^

Nestlings, however,

in Mdzandard)!-^

The female

are useless.

and such-like small quarry, hunting

larks

kills

and

and prettier

about the size of a shahin

tiercel.

much trouble. Y'ou can, however, train ily in company with a merlin, and make it kill by More than this is not to be merlin's assistance.

can be trained, but with

one easily to

means

of the

expected of call

it."

If, as I say,

to the lure antl

yon get a

at " trains"

Ily it

fine.

female passage-falcon,

and wild

([uarry, in

company

with a merlin, but never bother yourself with an eyess.

Layl " The Hobby."' A hobby is too coAvardly

caught by a common quail as a bait. have frcqu'-Mitly tried and failed, but on substitutiiiLr a s[)arrow have succeeded iustaiitly. Lieut. -Colonel E. Delme KadcliiTe in his pamphlet on Falconry states that the European Hobby is sometimes trained in India and flown at the Hoopoe and the male at the Diongo-.SIirike or " Kiiur-crow." I have, however, never met witli anv I^anjalii falconer who had heard of one being trained with success. For Shamlrdnot, vide note 4, page -40. Mazenderan is a province on the .south coast of the Cas|)ian. In the desert, the ha y s or "gaidcus" are the only places where -

to be

•"

there are

tall trees.

In .Mbion's Natural the Panjab. stated that " The Fowlers, to catch these Hawks, take a Lark and having blinded her and fastened Limetwigs to her Legs, let her ^y where they see the Hobby is, which striking at the Lark is entangled with the fiime-twigs." •'

The hobby

not trained

Hiatorij of lU'rds (pub. 1738)

c C

(

, <

(

XII

HOBBY WITH SEELED EYES

XIII lIOIiliY

WITH SEKLEU EYKS

frJ

(

CHAPTER XXIV THE SANGAK This '^falcon"

resembles

closely

but the young bird

Sparrow-Hawk,~

Indian

the

smaller and darker in colouration.

has not the dark stripe under the

between the two

that the

Sangak

The only

chiu.'^

Also

difterence

black-eyed while the Plqu

yellow-eyed.^

In the jungle ally kills a small

preys chiefly on locusts and frogs, but occasion-

wounded

or diseased bird.

and^ like the hobby, nests in trees.

and unvalued^ except that of a

The

for

its tail,

However,

haunts " gardens,'^

a bird impotent which can be used for " imping " ^ it is

'pJ ([/''. '^'^

intermewed

bird aud

the

nestline*

are

identical

plumage, and cannot be distinguished from each other.

CHAPTER XXV THE KESTRIL'" There are two colouration and the other

small and

inhite.

The ^

^ ^ •*

first

species is

kestril.

One

species

yellowish

covered with very pretty spots and markings

yellowish bat without markings, wliilst

species, the

"black-clawed"

its

;

claws are

kestril/ kills in a wild

iinable to identify this hawk. P'kIu ov plglin, the xlukra of India. Usually present in the youno- as well as in the old shikra. Arzaq-chashm, properly " blue-eyed." Young shikras have I

some-

times bluish grey eyes, > " Imp to " is to repair broken flightor tail-feathers by sewing in, " grafting," etc. for methods vuk' Badminton Library^ Dallja or dallcha. 7 Dullja-yi ndkhmi-siydh, the ("Black-clawed") Common Kestril: dalija-yi ndJchuii safjd, the ("White-clawed ") Lesser Kestril. " Although the two species (the Common Kestril and the Lesser Kestril) are so closely allied, there can be no difticulty in discriminating the eggs, and we found that the Arab boys knew the diiference between the two species at once, calling one the bhick-nailed and the other the whitenailed bashik '. " Ber. H. B. Tristram's Ornitholoqy of Palestine ; Ibis, ^^ :

1869.

—

THE

KKSTRrr,

and such small quan-y, but

state^ sparrows, quails, starlings'

ill-tempered and slow of flight,

care

falconers

for

little

it is

it.

It,

however, serves several purposes. First

In Bushire and the desert tract of

trained as the

and

Raven

so trained to

half an hour. legs having at

Thus prepared

trained

by the

wait " on, that

Fi7rs

Arabs.-^

will circle

caught and

raven

caught

above the head for

cord about forty inches long

fine

it is

fastened to

its

the end a bunch of feathers the size of a sparrow. it is

cast off to " wait on."

From

a distance

has

the appearance of some bird of prey attempting to seize a small

arousing jealousy, attracts hdldhdns and other birds of prey from a distance. Then, on the arrival of, say, a hdldhdn with the other birds, the raven settles, when the fowler lets fly a pigeon bird,

and

this,

in front of the hdldhan.

The

latter fancies this

The moment

raven was chasing.^

you want

the quarry the

seizes the pigeon

Bdldbdns are also caugrht with kestrils trained

Second

in this

it is

snared.

manner.^

take passage sakers with an eyess

saker (charMi), catch one or two kestrils in a Jn-gaza or sparrowhawk net,^ " seel " their eyes and fly them as " trains." Next fly

your eyess ^

at a wild

bdldban

For an eyess saker that sakers, kestrils

and

bound back

Silr

Bushire

;

will certainly

not

fail to

take

it.^

being trained to take eagles and

buzzards'' arc necessary "trains."

AVhen giving a buzzard tii-mly

as a " train "

to the shank.

the hind claw must be

Also for the

flrst

believe this is the coninion starlintr. is nearly the centre of the coast Hue of the

three or four

warm

desert

tract of Fars. •'

VuJc Chapter

XV.

Wild riiveus in India not only chase house-pigeons but will enter a dove-cot and kill them. ^ For the use of a peregrine as a decoy vide Badminton Library volume page 2(M. The best bait for a kestril is a mole-erieket. ' AVild peregrines and sakers will occasionally kill and eat kestrils and s/ilkruf!. Trained hawks will also do so. Under a hujars eyrie, in Major a clitf, I have found the feathers of quite a number of kestrils. C. H. Fisher, in his nemitiifcenccs of a Falconer (page 59), mentions that he once took a sparrow-hawk with a trained falcon. ^ Presumably the birds would " crab," and the eyess being tame would not let go on the approach of the falconer. ^lore than once, had I had a butterfly net, I could have placed it over a wild peregi-ine that was engrossed in a fight on the gronnd with a trained hawk. *

;

ddr,

'•

buzzard."

BAZ-NAMA-YI NASIRI

times meat must be tied to

its

When

released for the eyess.

back before

hawk

the young

she should be fed on freshly-killed pigeon is

not^ however, necessary to tie

too

it is

weak

Third is

to inflict

the

aud

takes the " train/'

or chicken flesh.

back the hind claw of a

kestril, as

an injury.

especially that of the moulted

tail,

shown

and mature

bird,

excellent for imping the broken tail-feathers of a sparrow-hawk.

Lesser Kesteil.

—As

for

"White- clawed

the

Kestril " the only useful thing about

used for ''imping."

and

In a wild state

its

Lesser]

[the

which can be

tail,

preys on nothing but locusts

lizards.

In the country of Syria, on the way to Constantinople,

have

observed this species nesting inside the rooms of houses, in the

niches in the walls, and on the ledges^ in the rooms.

They

molests the birds.

fly

in flocks

see kestrils flying in a flock you

may

Whenever you

like pigeons.

feel

one

assured that they are the

"white-clawed " species, for the black-clawed species never

flies in

flocks.

Training Greyhound Pup by means of the Common Kestril.

The Arabs

'Unayza and Shammar,^ as I have myself witnessed,

rear the nestling of the

penned," lure '

come

Common

its leg,

Kestril,

with a lump of meat.

to this lure, they catch

cord to

—

and

fly

and when

As soon

will

"hard-

somewhat

an antelope-rat or jerboa-rat,

the kestril at

it.

of ten or twelve ells in length to a rat's

tie

They next tie a long cord leg, and then fly the kestril

^ Of the Eastern Red- Legged Falcon {Erijfhropvs vespertinus of Jerdon, and E. amurensis of Blanford), Jerdon Avrites "Although the adult male in its mode of colouration resembles the kestrils, especially the lesser kestril, jet the colours of the young bird and female approach more to that of the Hobbies. ..." " Fellowes says that it is very common in Asia Minor, building its nests under the roofs and sometimes even in the interior of houses." Jerdon also says that the claws are " fleshy." Dresser, in the Birds oj Europe, writes: " In many Turkish villages (as, for instance, Turbali) the place swarms with these hawks (F. Cenchris: Lesser Kestril). ... Its eggs are placed without any nest .'" under the eaves on the clay walls of houses and stables. In Kerman, Persia, in the l)eginning of April, 1902, a flock of Lesser Kestrils roosted for some days in the trees in the Consulate garden. Two hostile tribes that live in the Syrian desert. They are noted :

—

•''

for their breed of horses. ^

" Hard-penned,"

i.e.,

hard-feathered.

—

THE KESTRIL at

and

After that

fruiu u distance.

let it g"o in

front

ut: a^

cast off the kestril at

Next a jerboa

kestril

After

rat

The pups

a stoop,

killint>'

leo-

uT a

j(M-l)o:i.

greyhound pup, and

taken after

few

tlien

.stf)ops;.

kestril

nuike a dash^ at another the

the rat

at last

till

and the

in jiursuit,

start

At one time the pups

oft".

makes

niontlis' old

The

it.

break one

tlicy

loosed in front nf two greyliound pups three or

four uiouths old.'

theu cast

two

taken.

few rats with broken legs, a sound rat

released,

a fine stick, four tiugers' breadth in length, having previously been

passed cross-ways through the ears.

from taking refuge

in a hole, for of course two-nionths-old

cannot, unaided, overtake and

Well, the rat

country.

is let

about thirty or

i'orty

go,

kangaroo-rat in

kill

and the

hawking

It is exactly like

chase.

This stick hinders the rat

kestril

and

gazelle with

stoops and dashes, the rat

The whole object of this play growing up, to recognize the charMi

;'"

he pups give

the one at which

Init

hound has

the

hawk

tiic

learnt that without

the

}uij)s,

so that should a

stooping.

hawk; and gradually

hawk be will

chase

In p>uiipyhood ii

has learnt to watch

becomes so knowing, that instead

once starting in pnrsuit of the gazelle-herd when

of at

is slippeil,

gaze skywards, and wait on the movements of the

will fix its

wjiile

the assistance of the kestiil

cannot overtake an antelope-rat, and hence the

After

>-karkh.

flown at a herd of even a thousand gazelle, the hounds

none

open

taken.

teach

tlie

pups

cJiarMi.

When

the pups [greyhound] are three or foui' mouths old, The boys drive out of their holes the their education commonccs. •' boualal" and set the pups at them. The hitter jerboa or the rat called by degrees get excited, dash after them at full speed, hark furiously at At the age their holes, aud only give u\) the pursuit to begin another. ^

months they are assigned a prey more difficult to catch The Horsies of the Sahara ami the Mitnuers of the Desert, the hai'e. " McMaster says of its agility [the Indian Jerboa-rat or by E. Daumas. I have seen them when released Kangaroo-rat Gcrbillus indicus] from a trap baffle and elude dogs in tlie most e.>:traordinary manner by wonderful jumps made over the Itacks, and apparently into the very of five or six .

—

teeth of their pursuers -

'."

Charkh-shinds, adj.

Mammalia

of Imlia

;

Slerudale.

CHAPTER XXVI THE 8HEIKE Amongst

tlie

" black-eyed " birds of prey must be classed a small

sparrow-like bird^

language is

g't'ey

and black

called hnzPrl,

and

in Persian,

somewhat larger than a sparrow

have a dark

line of

sharp, and powerful.

and the small also

tisks"^

comes well

antimony

When

in colouring.

ah'i

In the Kurdisli In

gilzkina}

the wings are dark

size it

the eyes

the claws and beak are black,

trained,

kills

with ease sparrows

found in the wheat and barley, in Spring.

to the lure

from a distance.

One grey and black with the antimony and one yellowish. The former is decidedly

There are two species. under the eyes,

line

the better.^

This

Tui'kish, not Persian.

Persian Turks call the shrike did Vocabulary (Appendix by Scully),

In Shaw's gilzina also. Lanius Homeyeri, the Grey Shrike, is said to be called did gh_urdJdl. and Lanius arenarius, the Desert Shrike, hnz ghurdldi. The word did in In Lahore to Yarkand Turki means "variegated"' or ''spotted." (paofe 182) the Brown Shrike, Lanius Cristatus, is said to be called unilia Tiirki

in Turki.

hash'ida; antimony is applied by means of a needle to an Eastern's eye, underneath the lashes of the under lids, and to the outer corners of the eyes. ^ Tish may be the Sliort-toed or Social Lark. In Sliiraz, however, tisk is the name of a warbler like a white-throat, called in Kerman Sisk turtmsk, and also harddar-i Indlnd, " the nightingale's brother." "

and

Surma

tirnisk

are

names that are probably both applied

the

same

warbler. *

The Indian Grey Shrike (Lanius and mamdld, used to be trained

latord

lahtora), called in the Derajat in Dera Ismail Khan to catch

—

smaller species called mavidll probably the Rufoussmall birds. backed Shrike, the harwdjl of Kashmir (Lanius erythrouotus) does Of the former Jerdon writes: not appear to have been trained. " Mr. Philipps states that he has seen it capture small birds and that He also relates in the North-West, it is occasionally trained to do so. closely attached to a picketed the ground, sometimes to it is that being well smeared with twigs, etc., starling, the neighbouring bushes, All sorts of birds come to witness the supposed fight and bird-lime. to separate the combatants, and many are captured by the limed branches."

—

CHAPTER XKYII notes

mis(ji:ll.vneol"s

have described to you the duvf peculiarities of the '' YellowEyed " and tlu> " iilack-Eyod " l)irds of prey. l will now teach you a few matters that will in;ike the masters of the Art of Falcom-y

approve of sacrifice

poor slave of the

thi>

Shah

— May

our souls be his

Term of Natural the birds of

prey

Life.

—'Know that the term

In captivity

considerable.

twenty-five or thirty years at least

of natural life of

—provided

tiiey attain

they roniain

the

possession of one man, a skilful falconer, and are not constantly changing hands. I myself kept a passage saker for twenty moults,

and although

was not as good as

had been,

continued

still it

to take quarry.

To DISTINGUISH THE Age OF A Hawk. its

fourth or

fifth

year, none can

— After a hawk has passed age — except God and

its

tell its

However, there are certain signs that mark a hawk of ten Second; its feet and First; it is short-winded.^ or fifteen years. Third the two outside feathers soles become full of wrinkles. owner.

;

of the

tail,

one on each

side,

called

shorter than the remainder, and the

hy the Arabs riuUfa,~ are

oMer

the

hawk

the shorter

these rndJff/.Impossibility

Lamp.

— Never

try to

Snaring Loni;-winged Hawks by Aid of a snare "black-eyed" hawks by aid of a lamp,

The "yellowowls and birds that hunt by

for as soon as they see the light they will fly

eyed," however, with the exception of night, can be snared by

means of

lamp, as

off.

will

be described

later.

Qualifications of a Falconeu.— The is

The secoml

patience.

that he be a

genuine love for his hawks, and

(irst

fly

theni

These remarks arc presumably meant

riMpiisite in

sportsni.m himself.

apply only

a falconer

:in<l

have a

Lot him not

hawks

captivity.

In the test, here and elsewhere, the the plural of radlf. word is given as radatii, bat as this is no correct Arabic " form, it is Vide also note 2, page o'2. probably a copyist's error for rwlafa. -

Budafa

BAZ-NAMA-YI NASIRI

say

—" I

take a

will

or,

" Sucli and

fly

hawk them

it.

sucli

What and

cliukor

roasted,

quarry

master

them

[lirtrdm)

and

;

he^ll will

" ;

won't

;

eagles

master

in front of the fire

reward

will

unlawful for food

and take them

will eat

;

the use of taking ravens and

seesee,

and

This ass

rae."

lot of clmJior

V\\

have

reward

an ignoramus, and cares naught for hawks.

Does he not know that

a short-winged

hawk

flown on level

ground, and wedded to large quarry such as ravens and duck and

ruddy shieldrake and such

like, that it will in

the hills with the

advantage of gravity

the poor chuJcor

the better?^

fly at

all

His

money and rewards. He must be fond of hawks and hawking; he must know his business he must be at heart a sjDorisman. The third that he be good-tempered, pleasantspoken_, and of a cheerful and cheery countenance, so that the Good (xod may grant him his daily bread in abundance, and the quarry may come to him of its own accord. Let him be clean of hand, object should not be

;

and observant

clean in person, (xod,

who knows

all,

may

not send him and his

When

evening empty-handed.

"Four Qui" and

repeat the

" Verse of the Throne,"

of the ordained prayers, so that

mounting,

the

hawk home

the

falconer

"Holy Verse," which

in the

should is

the

and then exhale the breath on the person, so that the Munificent God may shelter from evil, him and his companions, guard his hawk from the persecutions of eagles, and send him home at night with a full bag and a happy heart. These ~

are the requisites for a sportsman. If

The

who made

the

best of sport

game be not

w^ill

forgot,

ever be thy lot

How

can He be, in granting sport, unkind If thou hold fast this fact within thy mind

Fourth

;

you lose your hawk and despair of

its

recovery, then

The author frequently uf-es the phrase maija dashtan to indicate the advantage a hawk has when flying downwards from a height, as from tlie fist of a mounted man, etc. Ghuhir in the hills, and, I think, pheasants too, go down hill when a hawk is after them. At any rate they are beaten for and flown at down-hill, the falconer taking his stand ^

up-hill.

For these four chapters and the " Verse of the Throne," vide page 108, note 2. The texts are first repeated and the breath is then exhaled on the breast, shoulders, and hands.

—

iMKTlfnD OF SNARING A

WILD (iosHAWK WITH

Tlfi;

with earnest sincerity repeat three times the exhaling- the breath towards be,

O me my

and saying,

to restore to

(Jod lost

hawk."

have now

Thee

no doubt but that you

belief

and

practice,

and

possession two or three passage sakers seventeen

or eighteen years of age. to them,

There

This

will recover lur instantly.

hawk

iinan-iiie tlie

virtue of these words i adjure

Ity

each time

N(''d-i 'AlJ,^

direction you

tlio

uK A LAMP

\l|i

and bear them

My in

son, these are

counsels

your mind, and you

will

give ear

experience

ill.

CHAPTER XXVIII AH) OF A LAMP

METHOD OF SNAIUNG A WILD GOSHAWK WITH THE Method

Goshawk with the Aid of a a goshawk {tarUhi) settle on

of Snaring a

you happen to see

sunset, keep a careful watch on

hours after dusk, and see that

from a distance

Lani'.

a tree towards

till

three or four

Then take a

not disturbed.

— Should

long light pole of sufheieiit length to reach the hawk, and firmly bind to one end

liorse-litiir

noose

;

a span's distance

below the

Ndd-i'All (for the Arabic Nad' 'Ally'"' ('•call on MZi"), a prayer to 'All much used by Shiahs an amulet on which the followiug prayer ^

inscribed,

also so-called

"Cry aloiiil tn "Ali tlic [losscssor of w unders From him thou wilt timl lu'l|i iVdin timible! !

and anxiety By the ^lission of ^lulnimmad and his own sanctity quickly I'cmovfs

all urit't'

" !

Colonel .1. 1\ ilamilton, in Ins lleininisceiices of an Old Sportsman, writes: **T1h' following superstitious ceremonies are mentioned in a book on falconry, supposed to be in the tinu- of Edward tlic Confessor: After a hawk has been ill and is sutlicicntly recovered to pui-suc (he game, the owner has this atbuonition given to him On the morrow tjde when thou goest out hawking, say, In the name of the Lord, the Also if he be hurt by the birds of heaven shall be beneath thy feet.' heron, say, The lion of the tribe of Judah, the root of David, has Ami if he be bitte of any man, say, He that conquered. Hallelujah." the wicked man doth bind, the Lord at his coming shall set free '." In the middle ages, at the festival of St. Hubert, " dogs and falcons were brought into the church to receive the priest's benediction, to the sound of horn and trumpet :....": vide Science and Literature in the Middle Ages, by Paul Lacroix. :

BAZ-NAMA-YI NASIRI

noose fasten a lighted wax-candle. alone towards the

ti-ee

this pole

on which the goshawk

within thirty yards of

it.

slowly for ten yards

and then

;

Take

Now, with

and proceed sleeping,

till

noiseless steps, advance very

halt for seven or

eight minutes

next extinguish the candle and remain in the dark for two or three minutes.

Re-light the candle and advance ten yards more,

very very slowly;

and then

some minutes: then guish the candle and wait another two or three minutes dark.

halt for

Re-light the candle, and, holding

aloft,

extinin the

advance stealthily

to the foot of the tree.

Keep

the lighted candle in front of the goshawk's face.

son, pull yourself together

and

foot be steady

goshawk. fowl." I

Say

Don't

;

don't get flurried

to yourself

let

Well, hold the light

asleep,

'' :

it,

;

This

nor do

hand

barn-door

the advice I give you

believe that any falconer

goshawk's breast.

close to the

head under wiug, gently, ever

let

think not you are after a

It is a leaf of a tree, or a

your hand shake.

cannot myself act up to

can.

and keep your eyes open

Now,

If she is

so gently, stroke her breast

with the horse-hair noose to awaken her, but have a care your

nervous hand does not tremble but keeps the pole well away fi-om her breast, or else she is off. Stroke her breast with the noose, ever so gently,

Then pass

till

she withdraws her head from under her wing.

the spot, " seel " her eyes with blue

and " mail "

her tig htly.

Gliirdgli in m.c. is often incorrectly

instead of

down

the noose on to her neck, and pull her

you.-

thread, using a fine needle/

-. .

used in the sense of 'light'

lamp.'

praty craft to take an liawke that is brokyn owt of mew. and all maner of fowlys that fyt in trees if a man wyll.

Locke Where an hawke perchith for all nyght in any maner and fofte and Jayferlj clymbe to her With a fconce or a lanterne that hath hot oon light, iu yowre liande and let the light be towarde the hawke io that fhe fe not jowr face and ye may take hir by the leggys or Oder Wife as ye lylt. and in lyke Wile all other maner fowle." Boke of "

place,

St. Albans.

That

with thread dyed with indigo indigo is good for wounds. are careless about the manner they "seel " a hawk's they generally use a coarse, large, needle and not infrequently a is

Hawk -catchers 3s

)rn. ^

Qapdncha kardan,

To mail

hawk

vide page 59, note 5.

XIV PERSIAN FALCnNKR WITH IMKIOIKWF.D rinSHAWK (KKOM A l-FIOTnORArit RY A PERSIAN)

CHAPTER XXIX TRAINING THE TAliLAN OR PASSAGE GOSHAWK

After treating

hawk

tlie

^^^

chapter^ keep her " mailed

described

the end of the last

for

an hour or two^ and furnish her

with jesses, leash, and halsband.-

After two hours or so " un-mail "

and carry her on the

her,

her breast and wings the

for about an hour, gently stroking

fist

Then place her on her perch

wliile.

rest.

Next morning-

daybreak take her on the

as possible stroking her breast

;

back,'' carry

Use any device or

hours after sunrise. feed

and

fist,

trick

her

four or five

till

you can

to get her to

scratch her feet between the digits to induce her to eat.

she will

give her a small quantity of meat

eat,

her remain hungry

remember

it,

;

but

and learn

;

to look to

you

for food.

Again

eyes being

still

seeled,

iu the

no consequence

The next morning probably feed. refusing

all

set

her

to eat.

down

of no consequence

Don't be alarmed

f she

will eat

may

If she won't eat, this

will

become fist,

her

If still she

won't

to rest for the night.

try her again in the

However, some goshawks

food.

then

five or six hours," stroking

her and scratching her feet to induce her eat, it is of

evening take her on the

and carry her for

she won't, let

give her a full meal that she

on no account force meat down her throat, or a habit with her.

the afternoon'^ and then try again

till

she will eat, well and good

and, as gently

same way

she will

will sulk for three days,

jour hawk does

so, for it is

on the fourth day.

soon as she has learnt to eat freely with seeled eyes, wdiether

on your

fist

or off

it,

slightly unseel them,

Qajjilncha lardav, " to mail " a

Pdcho-lahd,

hawk

i.e.,

loosen the seeling

tide jiage 59, note 5. Deiajat, Panjab, the term is restricted to cotton or silk jesses, lotted Avif h " varvels " (rings) vide page 18, note 3. S/iildr-hand "leash;" bnt in the Derajat the thin leather thong that attaches the swivel to the jesses is so called vide page 18, note 3. For "halsband '' vide page 3, note 2. 2 Much stroking on the back is to be avoided, as it removes the oil that makes the back feathers impervious to rain. ^ 'Asr, that is two and a half hours before sunset the time mid"jef-ses."

the

;

way between noon and

sunset.

In countries under Muslim rule the watch is set daily at sunset, which is 12 o'clock. " If a newly caught goshawk tear off bits of meat and cast them aside, she should be tried with a small bird with tJte feathers on. ^

70 o

'^.,':''.

; •

;.;

vC^i.

XV IXTKRiLEWED GOSUAWK ON EASXERX TADDEU PERCH (FROM A PERSIAN PALNTIXO)

./ wjf.

BAZ-NAMA-YF NASIRI

may

thread sc taat she

see a little out of the tops of her eyes,^

and

The next evening open her eyes a little more. The third evening unseel her eyes completely, and sit near a lamp with your back to the wall that none may pass too and fro behind you. feed her well, so.

This evening she must be on your that, carry

for four or five hours.

fist

After

her into a dark spot and place her on her perch to

Early next morning take her up, and

some quiet

rest.

back to the wall,

sit,

where people can be seen at a distance. Near noon, feed her up for the day, and then set her on a perch in a place where people cannot pass to and fro, except at a distance.

Two

spot,

or three hours before sunset, take her on the

carry her

two hours after

till

nightfall,

i.e.,

much

fist

less

again and

than on the

previous night.

In the morning take her up as before.

To-day you must feed

her twice, giving her less in the morning and more in the evening.

During these few days you must on no account give her feathers or casting, for she will, from fear, retain

them

in her stomach,

and

her temperament will be upset.

must carry her

the sixth night ycm

her at frequent intervals.

this

Then carry her

perfectly quiet.

midnight, stroking

till

time

she

to her perch,

will

have become

and

set her

down

to rest.

Eai'ly

next morning take her on the

place where no one can pass behind you. quiet, private spot,

and place a

and get her

to seize

her a

live

and carry her

fist,

Then take her

chicken or pigeon in her

in a

some feet,

Then cut the chicken^s throat and give

it.

Try and induce her to step on to your fist, either from the ground or from her perch, During these few days that you are giving her live birds, feed

little

eat.

her wdiile close to a hound," so that she

' :

'-:-

get accustomed to the

presence of such dogs.

Tie a long cord to the leash, and placing

her on an assistant's

induce her to

fist

fly

a few j^aces to your

fist.

not give her live pigeons and chickens every day or she will

learn to

~ •^

may

come

your

fist

only for the

pelt,''

and that

an error.

Bcila-hln, adj. Tula, vide p. 89, note 3.

Tu'ma-yi zinJa Jiama

fu hi-yOijad: I think the Kushta, the " pelt " or the

rfiz

hi-dast-ash nu-dilil td pay-ilitishtabi-dasf-i

meaning

of the author has been rendeied. dead quarry, especially when used as a hire.

—

TRAINING THE TARLAN OB PASSAGK GOSHAWK Call her rather to plain

happen

your

raise

you

have a

When

yon

tlie

say every eight or ten days.

live bird,

when she

i.e.,

without a "creauee"^ come with eagerness to your without hesitation from any spot

her on

round

aiul

round you, so that when,

into a bush- she

may run round

" put

may

the

starting

place her, cast

teach her to

ti(>l(l,

she puts

I'un

(piarry

this

means the chukor she has

not trick her by making off fVom the far edge of the

The object

bush.

may

you

list,

will

the bush just as you have taught

her to run round you, so that by "

v^-here

ground and play with her so as

tlie

field nut

the

will,

thoroughly trained to the lure,

moment you There is no harm if

about you, she

live bird

her feet a she

so that, shouKl

eonie readily to a meat-lure.

list,

kill in

moat

of this instruction on the

gi-uund

to teach

her to run round the busli and block the ({uarry after she has

"put

in,"

on a tree

•'

and take up a commanding position watch the bush from thence, so that the partridge

and then

to rise

escape her not.

The more familiar you make your hawk, and the keener you make her on the lure,*^ the better. Now, if you have trained'* your hawk in less than forty days, you have hurried her training, and " Hurry is of the Devil, but Deliberation is from God.'" ^ Be not overhasty or you will spoil her. Such and such a falconer is sure to vaunt his skill, boasting that he has trained and flown his hawk in fifteen days.

hawk but

has erred and blundered

a lover of the pot

Buna, "bush,"

Creance," vide

is o]ie

not a lover of a

who would not

sacrifice

one

note 8. used by the author for tlie ipiarry put into tlu" the soshawk has put in the quarry," l)nsh. In Urdu llaz ne Luna liiyi'i and Buna uthd^o ^= " beat out the quarry that has been put in." A bird has " put in " when it is forced to take refuge in a bush, covert, p. 38,

etc., etc.

" Xote, ule to call her

from the grounde furst, and that will make otherwyle she will to a tree." ^l Perfect Booke for Kepinge of SparhmvJces Edited li\ /{(irtuu/. Fur " Fall at niarke," vide p. 02, note 4. For remarks on taking stand," r/(/e " Notes on the Falconida^ used in India in Falconry," by i^ieut.Natives of the Panjab do not Colonel E. Delme Radeliffe (pp. 20-1). °

her

fall at

marke

in the ])laine felde

consider " taking stand '

Garm-i

a vice.

talah.

liasdn'idan, Tr.

Bdz-dust nlst

tradition of the Prophet. ;

kabk-khwur

ast.

BAZ-NAMA-YI NASTRI

partridge for a liuudred goshawks.

not be trained

When lure

your hawk must

for you^

in less than forty days.^

your hawk

and accustomed

when she is perfect at hounds, horses, and mounted men, go,

trained, that

day before you intend flying her

the the

wild quarry, into the open

country and lure her from a distance with a chicken two or three

months on

As soon

old.

as she comes, let her take

Although

early the following

the custom of

goshawk, the day before she is

meat cut

water

—

still

small, cast into

morning.

many Ostringers^ to

and feed her up

and bones, that she may

for the day, giving her feathers

throw up her casting

it,

to give to a

be flown, washed meat

— that

luke-warm water and given with a

opinion the practice

Avrong

lot of

for if a liaAvk

;

washed meat one day and flown the next, and habituated to this custom, the custom becomes second nature to her. Now sujDpose your friends and acquaintances, together with their falconers, some fifty persons in all, have settled to go for a ten days' hawking trip to a certain spot where there is an abundance of alternately given

cJiuhor

and other quarry, and have invited you

ought, during these short ten days, to

your hawk her to

will only give

fly

now

this custom.

after she

every day.

day.

them, yon

However,

you have habituated

has been "'set;""' she not therefore teach her

Give her the day before you go hawking, not washed

meat but a chicken as nourishment and

washed meat.

will

washed meat ^

fly

hawk every

five days' sport, for

on alternate days,

certainly will not

you

to join

;

have

said, for a chicken's flesh has little

"set" her as though she had been given

giving her a chicken you will not accustom her

and when on that ten days' outing you

will not

liasldau, Intr.

Forty days

this is an axiom amongst Indian falconers also, who usually try and make out that the " watching " occupies forty days, and that they must therefoi-e have extra assistants, blankets, oil, etc., etc. Tu'mah, Ar. " meat, meal, food, etc. ;" this word is frequently used by the author for " casting," andakJrtan, P. " to cast." "casting " is fur, feathers, etc., given to the hawk with its food. "

•^

Mma

" Ostringer." " An zard-chashm, ostringer or austringer, etc., one who keeps short- winged hawks, especially the Goshawk."— Harting. In the Boke of St. Albans the term is confined to those that keep " Gofhawkys or Tercellis," while " Those that kepe *

Sliikdr-chl-iji

Sperhawkys and musketys ben called Speruiteris." ° IshtiJtd dCidan, " to give an appetite " is by the author always used for giving washed, or rather wetted, meat.

I'i;\[XrNi!

have to stay at

TFIK

lioinc aiicl

TARLAN OR PASSAGE GOSHAWK twiddle your

iliuiiil).s.^

Another

uljjection

washed meat is that your hawk gradually loses condition. To resnino. After luring your hawk from a distance and killing the chicken under her and feeding hci- upon it, set her on the edge to

some water she will perhaps drink and bathe/- and oil/' and preen her feathers, and so bi' in fettle for to-morrow's flight. One hour of

before sunset take her on the

(My

new hawk without meat in your Always approach a new, sitting hawk very, very slowly, and

son, never, never,

hand.'' sit

fist.

down

go up

to a

one side of her.

not look at the hawk's eyes, for a

man^s eyes and face have a terrifying

effect

on hawks, especially

when the gazer's head is crowned with a Turcoman cap. Take meat in your hand and get her to jump from the perch to your fist, and let her eat ouv or two beakfuls then cany her away. Falconer, :

listen: should

you ever

take her on the

fist,

low tone the while;

re([uire to

haviiin'

go to your liawk

in tlie

dark to

no light with you, talk to yourself in a

for she will recognize

your voice and not be

scared).

In short take her on your

her

till

an hour after dark.

horse, so

much

the better.

list

an hour before sunset, and carry

you ride about with her on a quiet

After that set her

down

to rest for

the night.

(There should be a light

may for

feel secure.

yuur hawk's room

a mistake to keep a

all

niii'lit

goshawk

that she

in the dark,

goshawks are ever fearful.) Very early next morning take up your own hawk, and be

alield

You must

before the eagles have begun their daily questing.^

not

have with you more than one dog, well-mannered and well-trained. Let your

hawk have a beakful

or two* of

meat to whet her appetite

Salavat Jiristdclan,

i.e., pass the time telling the beads while saying bless ^luhammad and the family of ^Muliammad." Ah-liQzl harhtu, "' to bathe." liuijJitiu-liislil Icardau, " lo oil the feathers." ^

Oh God,

This was the practice of a certain Panjab falconer who had a great reputation foi' frainiiiLi' goshawks. Ho never went empty-handed to a goshawk to take her on the tist, even after she was trained lie nlvity.s took with him a bit of meat, about the size of a pea, concealed in his palm. Kagles are late risers and do not leave their roosting places till the sun has warmed the air, that is in the winter not till after eight o'clock. Peregrines leave their roosts while it is still dark. " Chivg, " beak," but chang, '' claw, talons, lingers, etc." ching xadan, " to strike with the beak, peck, etc." •'

6 *

BAZ-NAMA-YI NASIRI

and make

keeu.

Iier

Now

good

into a

spot,

mark down a chuhor

that will give a fairly easy flight,^ and, saying " is

in Thee,^' cast off

sportsmen do not approve of instruct thee

and thou

Give ear

yet I approve

this,

teaching

;

hawks

Grod

hope

though falconers and

son,

wilt experience

In the training- of

your hawk.

act as

ill.

precepts obey

have spent

all

day.

truly-trained bird can see from afar,

And

choose for

its

your hawk to

To God say

quany

fly

Aquilla " the star.

rightly you wish

and

desire,

is thy Sire. open to all ~ Before God, on thy knees, with reverence fall. Take care of thy bird, for God made it too, The earth and the sea, the Heavens and you.

When

At any

a prayer, for

the Portal of

fist,

rate this havvk of yours has been perfected in every

part of her training.

your

Hope

Perhaps, too, she

she at once take the ''chukor

feed her up

" chukor."

taken, but be " put into

hawk ''

fast,

you, let

If it rise close to

before you cast off your

If,

this act of hers

go and put up another get

away a

little

so that the partridge

a bush.

Now

she leaves

on no account

in the air,

When by

give her only the brain.

you have discovered that she

is fast.

distance

may

go with a very

not be

little

meat

Go very gently and take your hawk on your fist. Set on your dog'^ and make it put up the partridge out of the bush. As soon as the partridge rises, cast off your hawk. However she take it, whether at once in the air,

your hand, and dismount near the bush.

or at a distance before cut the

can

chukor's " throat.

put in," go slowly up to her and

you want

to fly

your hawk again

next day, give her one thigh, the heart, and the liver together with feathers as " casting." If you don't intend to fly her next day, give her in addition one side of the breast.^ her, call the

dog

While feeding

your side that she may become accustomed

it.

^ Kahh-imuni~isih-l ; this is I presume the author's meaning. Mujulsih, " fitting, suitable," often has the meaning, both in India and in Persia, of " medium-sized, of average size."

At dawn the doors of Heaven are open and the Angels descend to each man's daily portion. Morning prayers are accepted by God; ^ Tula rd hay zadaii. ^ Yak slna the haahal of Punjab falconers. -

fix

TRAlNINt; If

your Imwk be a

head and

Now

k't

PASSAGE GOSHAWK

Oi:

ut the "

one thigh

tiercel,'

85 " with tho

chukcf

their ])onos will be a sufficient feed.

and

iieek

TARLAN

I'llK

us suppose that you

ten days' hawking* expedition and five or six partridges

nut with yniir friends on that

at-c

tliat

your hawk has daily

killed

misbehaving herself, and that you

witlmui

have duly fed her up after the

last flight, at

do not suppose that now, after she

the place she put in

;

thoroughly entered to quarry,-

you must necessarily during these ten days act so every day. Should you, for instance, now prefer her from a distance

;

to stay at

home one

but should you take the

field,

day, lure

then at the

when she has taken her partridge, give her the head and brain to eat. On the spot where she has killed or ''put in," place her on a stone and go yourself a long way off, and then lure her to yon and feed her up. She has learnt how to kill partridges, and your last flight,

pi'esent action

prevent her forgetting the lure.

Let us suppose that the

day your new goshawk takes the

tirst

partridge in tho air yon feed her up on

you go out hawking, she best;

she take

either return to

partridge like this

till

air,

you or give

u\)

she puts

it in.^

and good, but

well ;

not, she will

she will not continue to chase the

Many a good hawk have

seen spoilt

through the gross ignorance of the fnleoner.

cannot always take a partridge in the to follow

Well, the next time

on the partridge rising, try her

will,

the

it in

it.

and "put in."

air

hawk

should therefore learn

Though I have warned you once, 1 warn you again; do not go hawking chickens and house-pigeons,' i'ur this a mistake. The goshawk falcon'" is in every respect better than the tiercel. Many falconers say that the I have proved this by experience. tiercel is faster and more adroit, but these do not know that a hundred tiercels cannot do what one "falcon"" does. It appears to them that the tiercel is faster, because he is smaller and moves But the falcon

wings with greater rapidity.

his

longer,

^ ^ '^

and can, from the summits

Jurra qush

;

vide

page

Qarm sliudan. Yak znr hi-parldan

'2b,

note

of high hills

larger and

make a

partridge

mi-ovarail.

Bi-buna hnrdan or —-rasdnl dan Vide note

3, pajre 80.

The female

Qftsh-i tavdr the title " falcon "

vidp also

of the

goshawk used

page 25, note

to be dignified by

BAZ-NAMA-YI NASIRI

"put There

The

in."

cannot do this;

tiercel

no question but that the falcon

gives up half

way.

a hundred degrees

better than the tiercel/ either for quarry as small as the Quail,

Common

quarry as large as the

or for

Crane and the Great

Bustard.

My hawks

son,

you want

be counted by keepers of short-winged

a past master in the art, and to reap a full enjoyment

from the sport, then train your goshawks,'^ sparrow-hawks, and shikraSj etc.j as I have described.

You

should try to finish your day^s hawking before noon, so

that you, your horse, your hawk, and your hound,

next day.

Hawking prolonged

may

into the afternoon

all rest till

^ is

the

bad, because

eagles and other birds of prey are then in search of their evening

meal, and they will come

vou

lose

for her

your hawk

and

down on you even from

in the afternoon,

also reach

vou have

afar

little

off.

Should

time to search

your house before nightfall.

Should you

not lose her, but manage to add a few more partridges to your bag,

difficult

know

the Winter nights are long and

a small feed she will lose

you

cold

not sleep;

give

The females

full

she

amount

the proper

cold, and.

condition

feed, sleep,

she,

tired

she will

of food to give

you give her but

through fear of the

though not

she

"put

be,

over"^

will

nor

of all species of hawks and falcons are, I think, faster tlian the males, though the latter are probably more

and better-winded adroit.

Taitughl'i T. is explained bv the author iu more than one marginal note as being the mlsh-murgh or "sheep-bird:" tmtugll, ta,itugll, duldilcfh and tni are other forms of the word. (Persians tJiat are not sportsmen often call the Egyptian or White Scavenger Vulture iiilsh-

mnrg/i.) ^

Tarldn u

qizil.

the time ])etween noon and sunset. hawk in just proper condition, if underfed, will, if the night be very cold, become thin in one night. In the Indian Spring, when the nights are temperate, I have known a saker falcon go up two ounces in weight in one ni(jhf, from a slight overfeed of liubara flesli. good Indian falconer would carry his hawk after dark till she had "put over" completely, first allowing her an houi''s rest or more. " Carrying," with its constant shifting of position, not only causes a hawk to " put over " quicker, but induces it to digest and empty the bowel on the fist she will " mute " thince for every twice on the perch. After a hard day's work, water should be offered her at night, especially if she has been fed on the rich flesh of the hubara after a feed on hubara flesh, I have known some sakers drink two or three times ^

•''

''Asr,

—

TRAINING THE TARLAN OR PASSAGE GOSHAWK digest^ properl}-^ and next day your friends will start

hawk

before your

87 oft"

hawking

These are the

has cast- or got her appetite.

reasons I do not approve of hawking in the aftenidoii. friends force you to go out

hawk

feed up your

lly

sufficient,

with

and

delight

falconer to

good

falconer,

make

no more than

fly

or three

Know

the

that

all

way

to increase a

are

to treat all

these

sporting-

and delight

mar them.

Except

the

are

the

rL'sult

two particulars, their training.

however good, cannot make slow hawks

Now, although

flights

[kardm) to give her more

This

(piarry.'*

Second, he cannot

versa.

tlio at'U'rnooiij

Wise God has created them of man; but it rests with the

points

bail

flown only two or three times, she

naturally good, and

for the pleasure

all

Two

nnlawi'iil

goshawks and sparrow-hawks. birds are

tliciii

She should

herself.

If slie be

five flights.''

remain keen on her

will

consider

wiili

your

after her first flight.

not overHy your hawk.

she ran

than

liawking

ll'

increase

have seen

stated

the in

First, fast,

courage of

works on

the

nor vice

his

hawk.

falconry"" that

hawk's courage you should feed her for three days

Jf a hawk has been fed late and is flown early next day, it should be be taken on the fist before sunrise to carried," the hawk being made to (a lamp being- lit in the room) and change its position frequently this induces it to "cast " earlier than it would otherwise do. When hubara-liawking all day long in the desert for ten or fifteen days at a stretch, my falconers would carry the hawks from 8 or 4 a.m. till daybreak, and the hawks (peregrines or sakers) would be ready to fly by 8 a.m. (A hawk "puts over" when it takes down any portion of the meat froin its crop into its stomach). " Cutting ovei- " quickly is the sign of a good digestion. Sarf liardan is proj)erly "to cat," but by it the author evidently means either to "" put over," or "to digest," I do not know which. Qf7*7( (j>'ishf-ash ml-slnlianad P. and ''atin dpdrir T. are the ordinary e.xpi'essions for " the hawk is putting over'." Tn^ma anddkhtan, "to cast," i.e., to throw uj) the casting in the morning. Vide page 82, note 3. It must be recollected that the quairv is the chulcor partridge

between nightfall and midnight.

usually found in tlie hills, and iive flights might repri'sent work. With the grey partridge of India five flights would l)c nothing tor a good goshawk. For Falcons peregrines or sakers five tlights at hubara arc sufficient, two in the morning and three in the afternoon at heron or kite one flight. " Bdz-Ndiiia many of these Persian MSS. exist both in Persia and

which

lot of

—

India.

BAZ-NAMA-YI NIsIRI

on pigeon^s

taken only partridges she is

wine/ when

flesh steeped in

for

have tested

minor importance is

—but

now take even

will

not tbe case; the statement

cranes, yet

this

falsehood, pure and unalloyed,

my hawk

took no cranes

what she did do was

— that fall

was sick.

of It

God, not the falconer, that bestows swiftness and courage.

In these two matters the falconer

God gave

powerless.

hawk her courage and her speed, thyself increase what He Himself decreed

the

Can'st tliou

For instance,

ten horses

be trained for a race,^ one will

and whenever you race them the same one

win, of

she have previously

will

win

— unless,

some accident happen, or the horse is out of sorts. In short, courage with greyhounds and other animals.

course,

So, too,

and powers

of flight

for these the

Now,

have nothing whatever to do with the falconer

Grace of God

first

you must

necessary.

train

your hawk to come eagerly to the

from any spot where your voice reaches

fist

her.

Further, you

must not encourasfe her to become so bold and familiar with dogfs that she lay hands on them;'^ for it may happen that one day

when you have her path

will fasten

cast her at a partridge, a fox or a jackal crosses

she has acquired

habit of

on to the fox or jackal, and so

binding to dogs she

suS'er instant destruction.

The BoJ:e of St. Alhans gives the following "Medecyne for an hawke '" Take Oyle of fpayne and tempere it With that has lost here corage ": clere Wine, and With the yolke of an egge and put therein befe. and thereof geue to youre hawke. v. morcellis. and then let hir in the fonne. and at euen fede hir With an old hote coluer. and if ye fede hir th9 iii tymys that hawke Was neuer fo lulty nor lb Joly before, as the Will be after and come to hir owne corege " (page 26). In Bert's Treatise of Hawl's and Haivl-ing, 1619 (page 101 of Harting's Edition reprinted by Quaritch) there is a somewhat similar receipt for a "Hawke that hath lolt her courage and ioyeth not, or is lowe in flefh." For "turning tayle " and "to bring stomake," A Perfect Booke for Kepinge of Sparhaivkes or Goshaivke.-^ (written about 1575 and first printed from the original MS. by J. E. Harting in 1886), says, " Itepe her meate in claret wyne and the yoke of an egg and nyp it di^ye and fo give it, and it will ^

—

;

bring her ftomake." ~ Sawafi a n kardan,

" to train for

a race." likewife that would fooner catche a dogge in the field then a Partridge, and although the had flown a Partridge very well to niarke, and fat well, yet lb Ibone as a dog had but come in to the retroue, the would have had him by the face." •^

Bert,

" I

haue knowne lome

Chap. V.

them

TKAINING

TAKLAX OK TASSAGK GOSHAWK

I'lIK

Neither must you allow Iut to bo too bold with small

one day,

lest

hrr

wliiK"

and so

his cries,

yon ure absent, your small boy come she

;ind

p.-i-ch

him,

seize

a jackal a goshawk.

i.e.,

hear

these accidents

seldom exists

passage

qizil'-

and

that acts

and hence falconers are not very fond of the eyess.\(iiir hawk slidiild stand somewhat in fear of all dogs

like this,

sheft,

except your own hound

;

better for her to remain in foar of

strange hounds that might injure

wandering

and of the dogs of the

lier,

tribes.'^

Secondly, your it

there

to her

killed a child,

generally the eyess

1)0

Txitli

goshawk has

This evil habit

hawks,! qkil, or farJdii;

takc>

none

and

be blinded or killed.

lu>

have happened frequently,

cliildren,

just as

hawk should make the is

going

"put

in"),'

partridge

put

(or

and then after circling

run ml the covert two or three times take stand on the top of the

covert to

yon

till

your

tist.

partridge

arrive,

when

She should not

"put

in," else

she should leave her perch and come tly

off atul

leave the place where the

by the time you have followed her and

recovered her, the partridge will have escaped.

Such

hawking with short-winged hawks

in hilly

coimtry, that

As for hawking in Hat hawking '-chukor" and " seesee '' ^ country, a goshawk will there take duck, geese, common cranes,''' great bustards, ravens, hubara, stone plovers,' saker falcons," and

is,

1 The translator's experience is that passage goshawks are partiIndian falconers account for this by cularly afraid of small children. saying that the hawk mistakes children for its jungle-enemies the

monkeys. -

(}izil-i

I'lshiydnt,

"eyess goshawk:"

qizil

the local race that

breeds in Persia. lyda is a hound, or any sporting dog except a tdz'i or greyhound saq-i Ihltl, sag (gen. term), any ordinary pariah or other breed of dog fierce. and large "a dog of the breed kept l)y wandering tribes;" it is Trda also means " a pup." ^ The authoi- ]ii-oli;ibly means that the hawk should chase till the partridge puts in; that il she is fast and taught to take quarry (piickly in the air, she will acquire the habit of only doing so, and will consequently give up whenever she sees that the quarry is fast enough to take her to a distance. ''

Kabk u

t'ihn.

cranes are, by means of a stalking bollock, sometimes stalked while feeding, and thus taken by a goshawk. ChdkJirnq, '•stone-plover." " Buldbdn, " passage .saker.' "

In India geese and

common

BAZ-NAMA-YI NASIRI

90 even imperial

ruddy

sand-grouse,^

All

sliieldi-akes.-

partridges^ are excepted)

dash

— (pheasants^

and

first

black

second

only, otherwise she will fail in doing so.

desire to fly at

breast on your

then,

it,

hand

it,"

this

becoming

in the air before

your hawk

off

fist

like a bullet

;

hawk does not open

that your

quarry has

still

off

back fist

a foot on the

she will then take the quarry

On no

with her back to the wind, for this

and leaving your

;

shows that she has a

has got away ten yards.

by casting her

strained

fist

for she must, while the

ground, quit your

rigid,**

its

The horse must indeed move, but

you must so hold and keep your ;

open country and

breast towards the wind," gallop

your horse tow^ards the quarry. her waugs

be sure you take notice of the direction of

With your hawk's

the wind.

quarry

your hawk, by crouching and resting

aiid

natural inclination for

First,

and

sand-grouse,^

can take at the

slie

you come across any of

quarry

this

—

pin-tailed

quail,-

account cast

dangerous.

the wind, her loins will be

uncollectedly, she will fail to reach

the quarry, and your falconer friends will jeer at you and at your

Should you even manage

action.

as though

quarry,

you are giving the quarry

when she

wind be

to cast her off so close that

binds

at all strong),

her, not again

''^

it,

into her hand, she

will fall to the

and the quarry

be overtaken.

ground

will, bi-eaking

and the

(i.e., if

the

away from

Should your hawk even bind so

Vide page 12, note 2. Buldurchln T. " The Common Quail." Auqud, " The Ruddy Sheldrake;' ^ Qarqdvul (Phaseanus colchicus). ^ JJiirrdj, the Francolin or Black Partridge of India. Bi-yah sar du sar agar yirift fa-biJia- : sar, "attack, stoop, etc." Mat shudan, is " to be astonished, perplexed to become rigid from astonishment " the author applies this idiom more than once to the goshawk, apparently in the last sense. Lieut.-Colonel B. Delme Radclift'e states that a goshawk he owned and sent to a friend afterwards killed grouse on the Scottish moors. He also says that an exceptional goshawk tiercel he once had took " storks, white-necked storks (M. episcopus), bar-headed geese (A. indicus), sheldrakes (C. rutila), kestrels, rollers (C. indica), white-eyed buzzards (Poliornis teesa), on one occasion a merlin (L. chiquera), pigeons and other exceptional quarry without nu]nl)er, and jet was in the constant habit of catching parti-idges and small quarry; " (page 19). 1

^''

;

tilna.-yi qTcvh ra bar s7na-yt held hi-dih. " I'o bind," is to seize and hold on to the quarry, especially in the air, while " to ruff " is to stoop at and hit the quarry, making the Vide Bihliotlieca Aacipitraria, bj Harting. feathers tlj ^

'•^

TRAINING THE TARLAN OR PASSAGE GOSHAWK lirmly

iluit,

the quarry does not break away,

tailing,

and

will suffer for that folly,

habit of

all

she

It is the

will get injured or fall sick.

when within

birds of prey,

still

the distance of live or six

spans of their quarry, to cease beating their wings, in order to get

ready to seize

Now

it.

you cast

your hawk, breast to the

off

wind, even thouu-h she cease to beat her wings for the last three or four feet of her flight,

still

by the

lielp of

by the her own

the impetus gained

by your horse's galloping, and by the l)eating of wings, she will reach and "bind" to tlic (laarry and sportsmen

cast,

compliment you and commend your hawk.

will

cast her off up-wind of the quarry, the

It',

however, you

moment when, according

her nature, she ceases beating her wings on nearing the quarry, the wind therefore

Kence

"bind."

fail

her loins and overturn her

strike

will

with her back to the wind

hawking partridges

in tlie liills

it is

do so

with a

and she

;

a law never to

lly

will

hawk

When, however, goshawk, or when hawking

botchery.

gazelles in the plains with a saker, the rule allows of exceptions.

from a height, and with the aid of gravity^ follows the pai'tridge till it '' puts in " in the in the latter case you hills, too, the tbrce of the wind is broken, In the former case your hawk

cast off

;

have no choice but up-wind, for as

to fly

soon as

arrives, the gazelle has

and

make

— she

rising high, lose

falcon

wind

If the

and the greyhoimd

stoops

put

to is

will,

to overtake

strong, the falcon, flying it

fall

later, in the

These observations do not apply these

"put

in."

up-wind, whether tage

* •^

she uuiy

about a thousand paces ^

Still, it is

ihi

witli

belli nd.

hawking

better to

from up-wind;^

lly

cJiuJior

and

seesee,

even these, from then the advan-

with the hawk.

Tarldn rd indtja-ddr az bulandl

chapter on the Charkh.

in the hills or in the plains, for

vii-aiiddzi.

— hi dimdgJi-ash rd bi-bdd dihad va ru bi-hdd fardr Nafas-i tdzi mi-suzad. Bdld-yi bdd.

she docs

to seize the gazelle.

For these reasons the gazelle must be flown

for

while stooping and recovering and again

ground and

be explained

])ut

;

— which

the meantime the greyhounds are too blown

this will also

nose into the wind

its

probably not overtake

headway

sufficient

great difficulty

w^ill

the

or bJldhdn at gazelle from

cJuirlih

no choice but

to flee windwards.-

against the wind,

your

kuna-d.

BAZ-NAMA-YI NASIRI

When

your

and never

fails

thoroughly entered to chulwr and

liavvk is

you^ yon should

quarry mentioned above has been thoroughly

Many

falconers.

in the plains^ after she

has several

seesee,

known your hawk

not commonly

these are

falconers fancy that

you

fly

quarry in the plains, thoroughly accustoming her to

lai'ge

will

hawk

entered to rhul-or and

advantages, though

special

her in the plains at some of the

fly

for flying- a

;

seesee,^

not thereafter take chuhor and

This

see.spe.

it,

she

Now

error.

goshawk can only take duck and liubara and such-like quarry

of the plains, at the first or second dash

must, on level open ground,

not taken at once

such quarry will speedily outstrip the hawk.

Therefore the

hawk

her fastest and strive her utmost at

fly

the beginning, and this habit soon becomes second nature. a

man

with a famed

wrestle

wrestler,

ordinary people are to him as nothing.^

Even

flown at large quarry.

a mere nothing to her

it is

with a

hawk

commencement, partridges

are

in the plains, she

again flown in the

with the additional advantage of gravity, her swiftness will

hills

astonish you course, not

her

So, too,

and

novices

but when, after acquiring the habit of

;

by being flown

swift flight

at the

thereafter

stale.

plains^

;

will

weary her by overflying,

vultures,

kites,

must, of

by overflying you make second advantage derived from flying her in the for

that she necessarily sees a large

You

truly be something to see.

and such-like

eagles,

number and

birds,

of buzzards, so,

becoming

speedily familiarized to them, ceases to be in terror of them,

third advantage

that

is,

when she

fails

to take the

quarry

and " falls at marke,'' she and take stand on your fist,

for

to resting on a flat surface

they love to perch on trees, hillocks,

;

on your riding up, readily

will,

goshawks have a natural

rise

dislike

or rocks.

A is

fourth

flown

;

your hawk learns to take every quarry at which she

should you

fail

find partridges

with an empty bag, tired and cross ravens, stone-plovers,

My 1

;

for

you need not return

you can

fly

her at hubara,

etc., instead.

son, teach your

hawk

the habits that I have

described.

Garm hi-girifian-i Icahh u tlhn shud. Misl-i dh-khurdan, "as easy as drinking water."

8ar-i dimagA bildan, "to be in the

fall at

marke," "

to alight

humour for,

to be

keen on."

and there await the owner."

TRAINING THE TARLAN OR PASSAGE GOSHAWK

Also accustom

lun- to tlriuk freely

her water

a cup

accustom her after

' ;

close iu front of lier

h(;l(l

her- to take a few beakfuls, as by so doing she

Accustom

know

son,

to train lonsr-winofed,

former

one beakful,

Drinking keeps Iut

an advantage, especially at night.

(piarry of the

try to induce

;

will digest easily.^

If she drink only

from a cup or from a stream.

Now my

meal

drinking at least two or three times a day, either

li(>r

eacli

Always, about two hours after dark,

to tlriuk a beakful or two. offer

it is

not

short-winged hawks:

rats,

in lioaltli.

the pride and glory of a falconer

that

for the

natural

black-breasted sand-grouse, pigeons,

duck, and small birds; but when falcons

fall

hands

into the

a competent falconer, they are rei[uired to take coinnum cranes, geese, and gazelles.

by the falcon

quai'ry be taken

(piarry in

hills is

incumbent on the falconer nu'U, so that after

make

familiarize

putting in " they

One day a the August Presence

Miizandavdn.

front of

a female iarlan of

horses, dogs

may take stand and not

gave her thr hraiu only; "^

(i|i7^/((

of the

attendance on

his sacrifice) in the hills of

flight of snow-cock'' rose

suddenly in

Ijirds,''

I hastily

aii-.'

did not

Universe

rose, I cast off

feed

her

my hawk, and dismounted and

up.

Meanwhile

dismounted and became busy with

his breakfast.

took the snow-cock into the Presence

examined and

was complimented.

a short distance,

when

Ab-khur kardaii. With a new hawk

flicking the water in the ^

—

til

?)'^

(

of the

she promptly took one cock in the

merely

King of Kings. I had on my two moults. The moment the covey, con-

twenty or thirty

sisting of

the

them with

was once

the slave of the Roval Court,

His Majesty (may our souls be

fist

))artridges

kill

(if

off.

Now in

for goshawks, their natural

partridges and pigeons, and in the hamls

the falconer they do no more than

and

how can such

be not skilled,

If the falconer

three

it is

I'cmnunttMl

more snow-cock rose

was

and rode on tiont of me.

a ifood thing to attract her attention by

cup with the

hi-istiri'iJiat .^arf

finger.

bi-kunad.

Place illegible. dart, Tetraogallus Caspius. " galla-yi kabk-i dan ki bi-'iadar-i bist si diina budand. ^ Bast-raw dar havi'i girift. Applied to Qihla is the point to whicli ]^[usliins turn in prayer. the Shah it signifies that lie is one to whom all bear their rec^uests. '

•"'

Kabk-i

—

•

BAZ-NAMA-YI NASIRI

I flew tlie

same hawk and took one/ and the Shah had not

breakfast when I bore

and bestowed on

Presence.

into the

a shawl^ for

it is

most unusual

applauded for a

A goshawk may

to succeed in taking a snow-cock.

finished

goshawk

indeed take

one straight away, in the air, just as it has risen,- but she cannot make one " put in," for a snow-cock will fly for miles.''

CHAPTER RECLAIMING

THE PASSACxE SAKER

Should a passage falcon with " seeled possession the

first

thing

is to

examine

^' ^

eyes come into your

carefully

and

classify

it.

Having decided on the race to which the falcon belongs, fit her With some suitable name such as Sult(7)i, Zarghdm, Fnrls, Shahlb, Hahih, Mahhfih, Shalulh, Badrdn,

hood tha t

make

soft

and easy one that ,

her houd-shy.'

which she

her with an old

by hurting her eyes,

Let her eyes remain seeled under the hood

the third or fourth day,

freely,

will not,

fit

Every day when you feed

for three days.

N ext

etc.^

will

i.e.,

her, call her

name.

as soon as she has learnt to feed

show by searching eagerly

for food

when

you mention her name, unseel her ejes about two hours to sunset, and then rehood her. Call her name, and when she bends her hooded head in search of food, give her a mouthful or tw^o. Then stroke her on the breast, the thighs, and the wings, and again

remove the hood that she may see daylight, and quickly replace Continue this treatment

1 ^ •'

The * ''

Yah ddna. Agar hi-dast

till

half an

hour before sunset.

Then

it.

set

ratv qfish girift fa-bi-lid.

ov farsang ; "a |)arasaiig," about of English miles. author uses the word merely to signif}- a long distance. " Reclaim," to make a hawk tame, etc. Chaslwi-dilJcJita, " with seeled eyes " vide page 14, note 4. farsaJch

"of

Zarghdm brilliant

one of the

many Arabic words

youth": Hablh and

for a "lion": Shahjh,

"loved" and "beloved": Badrdn, an old Persian wo:d, seems to mean Malibilb,

Shahdb, " meteor " " wicked." All these names, howevei*, are masculine. ^ Bad-kuWi, " hood-shy." :

" RECLAIMING " THK PASSAGE SAKEB lier

duwu and

wall, so that

till

ai'tor i]\r cvuiiiug' pniyuv.'

fist

and

sit

near

none may come

her name, and

call

Jut

Iciivc

take her on the

niuutlil'ul.

when

tin-

lidiiiid

slu'

lamp, with

'riien

hack

yoiii-

yon and your hawk.

again to the

Again

lowers her head reward her with

Carry her thus

^Stroke her as before.

for tliree or

XVI ARM! K.VLCONKIt WITH YorXG SAKKK ON

four hours.

After that,

set

her

fastening the hood tight that she

may

I'AKIiKH

AND

her perch not cast

Early next morning, before sunrise, take the 1

The time

sunset.

SI'IKJCl)

I'EUtH

for

the

night,

during the night.

hawk on your

limit for the evening prayer expires half

fist;

an hour after

BAZ-NAMA-YI NASIRI witli a

sit

few friends near a lamp or a

and perform your prayers.

coffee,

the hood for about five seconds,

fire sippino*

your tea or

Every now and then remove

and then rehood.

For about three

Now

days feed her under the hood, calling her name.

at early

sunrise,^

on the morning of the third or fourth day, take just

sufficient

meat

wash her perch

and

for one meal

nostrils, letting

;

well wet your little

in a quiet place in the

sun where none can disturb you,

Now

slowly carry your

close to her perch

fist

perch of her own accord.^

to the

remove the hood and

stroking her breast, head, and

little,

wings,-

water enter them, and set her

seat yourself near on the ground.

handle her a

hawk under her

neck

and induce her

Hold the leash

then

;

to step

your hand,

and occasionally draw it tight gently to induce her to "rouse.""' She is sure, after one of these rousings, to commence oiling her feathers.*^

When you

bottle^ near her sit

absolutely

way you

the

preparatory to oiling her feathers, you must

tail,

still;

see that she has carried her beak to the oil

do not pull the leash; keep a guard even over

breathe, and

let

her

oil

her feathers to her heart's

content. If she oils her feathers very quickly

sign she

well-manned.*

If after oiling

time applies her beak to her oil-bottle,

and then rouses,

and rousing, she a second

it is

a sign that she

both

well-manued and well-plucked. Let her remain on the perch a

little

longer while she preens

1 The author is probably writing of October in the vicinity of either Bushire or Baghdad. - Presumably as in India, water would be blown in a spray out of the mouth and with force, the falconer's hand being raised and lowered to make the falcon expand her wings and expose the soft feathers underneath. The outer feathers are so arranged as to be a protection against rain, and it is not easy to soak them. The perch would probably be of the Arab pattern and consist of a pad on an iron spike ride page 9.5. Hawks, even those that have never yet been unhooded since they were caught, knoAv their own perches and have preferences. ^ "To rouse"; said of a haAvk when she makes her feathers stand on end and then shakos herself violently. litlghan-kashJ or rfic^an-glrl Jcardav, "to oil the feathers." Par-Mi I'm ov par-l-ashl kardau, " to preen and straighten the feathers." ^ Mudhun, " oil-bottle," called in the Soke of St. Albans the " note" ''

;

(nut?). ^

To man

presence of

" a

human

hawk beings.

make

tame and accustomed

to the

—

and

straig-htens

mediately

slie

and calling

•

RECr,ATMIN(!"

rouses, take in your linnd the

Ium-

name, induce her

hct'orc.

induce her to

jinii])

lu'i-

111'!'

and place

her featliers and again rouses -with vigour.

reward Iut as

'I'hcu call

THE PASSAOE SAKER

this

your

fi>l

tliird time, Imt tlu-

nauic and reward her hei'

meat you have ready,

step on

on the ground.

U'lijj'tli

liy

i>l'

Call her uanic

groiuul with ^vour hand, in front of CD '

lu'r.'

two finger breatlths towards the sound,

yuui-

this

good

Im-

Ikt

and

fist,

time try and or less.

h';i-h

teed.

2Su\v

hood

and strike on the

it'

she advancers even

sufficient.

Reward

her by letting her pull and eat two or three moutlifuls of meat,

and while she

eating

meal and enjoy herself. wishes to

harm

her,

j)ull

She

and that

off the

hood

will b}- this

bein"'

tame

atul

means

let

iie'r

finish

her

learn that no one

not at

all

bad

thinof.

After feeding her take a small piece of wool, or cotton-wool, and clean her set her

nostrils.''

on her ])erch

Then

fasten the braces of the hood tight, and

in the

shade.*

1 Khadaug Jcai-daii, lit. " to make straiglit like an arrow." According to the IjoJie of St. Albans a liawk " reft)rmith " lier feathers when she straightens them without oiling them. - In the Kapurthala State, sakers that were to be entered to kite were trained in this manner. The hawk, excited hy being fed, was hooded and ])laced on the ground. Then, tlie Inre being banged on the ground, it was taught to snatch at it (in the dark), and rewarded when The fii-st live kite given as a "train" was it " bound " to the lure. presented to it in tliis inannci'. i.e., the hoodetl hawk was induced to " bind " to it as to the line and was duly rewarded. The hood was then removed and ])crhaps a little moi'c meat presented through tlie The kite was then forcibly removed and threwn to tiie kite's feathers. distance of oui' or two feet, and as soon as the liawk bound to ii, it was The eyes of the kite were seeled, its fed up on a fresh warm l)ii(l. claws tied up, and a string was of course fastened to its leg. A tame hawk's nostrils get choked up with blood and dust. Eastern falconers are generally particular aliout keeping the nostrihs One of the advantages of " tiring " is that it induces a flow of clean. water that keejis the nostrils clean. "'Tiring,' s., any tougli piece (as the leer of a fowl witli little ou it) fjiven to a hawk when in training to pull at, in order to prolong the meal and exercise the muscles of the back aud neck." Jlurthnj. * The mid-day sun would be too poweriul at that lime oi the )ear. •'

CHAPTER XXXI ANECDOTES OF A BAGHDAD FALCONER Anecdotes op a Baghdad FALCONEPw^There

well-known story of

named Say y id Adham.

a famous falcouer of Baghdad,

For a long

was blessed witli no offspring, but at leugtli the Lord of the World bestowed on him one son. At the time of our story, the time

lie

boy had arrived at the age of two years, and had conceived a great affection

and fascination

for a certain hdJnhdn, the property of

hif.

father.

hawk-catcher^ had captured a

young passage

falcon,

fine holohnn-i

and had carried

ahmar-i slidml, a

as a " present

to DojPd,

the Pasha of Baghdad.

Sayyid Adham, the Grand Falconer," was summoned and the

him with directions to train it to gazelle. He home, named it '' Meteor," and unseeled its eyes on

hawk made over took

to his

the third day.

In the moruing, he was seated at the edge of the sunshine,^ his iiew

hawk preening

described.

her feathers,

etc., in

the

was, of course, watchful that

should not be suddenly scared

new hawk be suddenly

;

scared,

for 3'ou it

manner I have just his unmanned hawk

must know

difficult

that, should a

to efface

memory'' the remembrance of the fright, and she

from her

perhaps spoilt

While the hawk was engaged in her preening, Sayyid Adhafn was suddenly horrified to see his small two-year-old

for ever

after.

son toddling towards him. the boy and the

As soon his

note ~

give ^

hawk he beckoned

as the child

arm and kept

Quietly intervening himself between

came up there

till

to the

former

come

to him, he deftly took his

to him.

head under

the hawk, having finished her

^ayydd, Ar., as comprehensive a word as shikar - ch'i

;

toilet,

vide page

S-i,

PlshkasJt, "present," a polite

him a "present"

in return.

word fur "sale." The Pasha would Such is the etiquette.

Qfish-chi BdshJ.

Bar-i oftab, i.e., in the shade (or half in the shade), but close to the sunshine. " " And thereby catch some sudden fear, which at the first you ought to be cai'eful to prevent, for it is hard to work that out again which she is sutiered to take at the first, and most commonly she will be subject to it ever after, whether it be good or evil." Latham. .

TRAINIXG THi: PASSAGE SAKEK TO GAZKLLE

was fed and

reliooded.

To save

:—

hawk from

his

starting in a hum

He seized the And pi'essing

tight

lie kilh'd the

boy by crushing up

Tliough

chihl and thrust

and tighter

never saw the

niyselF

and found that the

released his son

poor child had been sutlbcated

with his immediate descendants.

liiiii

'neath his arm,

his drciKh

head.

his

Sai/ijid,^

In training

was well

iierjuiiinted

Jii'iJ<Th(hi

to gazelle

they had no equal, and were justly proud of their to pride themselves

They used

skill.

on the incident narrated above as being a proof

of their father's devotion to sport.

—

Bet with the Pasha. It is also well known that Smjijld Adham once laid a wager with the Pasha of Baghdad that he would, within twelve days,

hdldhdn.

tly

at gazelle, with success, a

did so

wager.

newly caught

on the twelfth day, in the presence of the

;

Pasha, the hdldhd)! took Saiji/id his

certain

its

first

gazelle in noble style,

Oidy a falconer knows the

a wild gazelle with a passage falcon

loitliln

and the

difficulty of

taking

twelve days of its

capture.'-

Concerning these two matters God

men

old

—

the Knower''^

Baghdad bore constant testimony

^but all

the

to their truth.

CHAPTER XXXII Ti;AL\"lN(i

PASSAGE SAKKl! TO GAZELLE

Training THE Passage Saker to Gazelle. freshly-killed gazelle.

Had

— Procure

the head of a

Excite your hawk's a])petite by calling her

Sayyid

is a descendant of the Prophet. the faleon been netted (and its eyes seeled) some days before its twelve days' education commenced, the matter would have been much simpler. Even tliough a hawk be not carried nor handled, the mere fact of having its eyes seeled has a quieting efl'ect. It learns to cat from the fist, becomes accustomed to human voices, and loses a little of its hiffh iungle condition. Vide note .S, page 17. K>nn))ial7n, '"old men, elders,' double Arabic plural of kdmil inadmissible in Arabic and incorrect in Pei-sian perhaps a misprint for akmalui. ' H.H. the late J/w 'AlJ Mur'id of Sindh used, at one time, to train lagar falcons to ravine deer, but with what success I cannot say. He afterwards, for this flight, abandoned lagars in favour of passage char (//i s. '

7 *

BAZ-NAMA-YI NASIRI

100

name, aud then remove her hood that she may instantly jump from your

fist

Let her tear

to the head.

and

off

two or three

eat

then seize the gazelle-head and agitate it, so After that the excited and hungry hawk may " bind '' the tighter.

monthfnls of flesh

;

You must

this let her feed a little.

practise her daily in this

Each by day, and twice by night. morning set aside the exact amount of meat that she should receive in the twenty-four hours, and feed her from that, otherwise in the manner, twice or thrice

irregular feedings you will lose count of the quantity she has eaten,

and

After making her play with

consequence overfeed her.

will in

the head, and after giving her to eat the quantity fixed for her,

remove

her,

and hood her, and carry her

In the bazar

sit

so that nothing caa

off to

the bazar.

some spot with your hawk^s back

come behind

Now

her.

to the wall,

remove her hood

that,

by viewing the varied throng of men and horses, she may rid her of her natural fear. Nay, more than this you must give your man a ;

bit of meat the size of a pea and let him, as he passes, hand

her, so that she

may

look with the eye of expectation at each

passer-by and say to herself, " Here comes some one with meat for

Now

me.''

her be

let

hood her and the

off

falconer may,

when

carry " her.

Never

for one

The Old Masters have ruled that the

fist.~

other perch than his

observance of this rule

ever on thy

fist.

four or five hours'

fist. '' :

Do thou

wild."

hawk on the must know no

seated on the ground, place his

point of his knee,^ but that with this exception she

hawk go

moment

Great stress have they

Break

it,"

laid

they have said, " and

act likewise,

son,

on the let

your

and keep thy hawk

During the twenty-four hours, she

will

indeed get

sleep.'''

hour after nightfall, make her as before " play " with the

deer's head.

your friends.

this

by lamp light and while

Let her eat on the head a

iu the

little

company

meat, a ([uantity

la Urdu this is called hu.zdr Id mdr. In the East, hawks, even when fully trained, are daily "carried" Keeping- hawks unhooded on a block is a western practice in the bazar. that does away with the necessity for a certain amount of carriage. Most hawks, however, even " intermewed " hawks, are the better for ^

much is

" carriage."

In this Eastern attitude the close to, the face of the falconer. * Birds need but little sleep. ^

hawk

nearly on a level with, and

XVII YOUNG GAZKLLE

i(^2

BAZ-NAMA-YI NASIRI

i'ct<c<''>'.

about

tlie size

Then take

of a filbert.

up and carry

lier

lier.

At one

time unliood her and place her on her perch iu front of you

another shake her jesses to arouse her and induce her to

;

rouse,"

and look about, and take notice. Now after her preening, hood her and take her on the fist. Anon call her name while she is hooded, and reward her response by a morsel of meat, so that she

may

thus learn to connect her

name with

In short, you must

food.

four hours after nightfall, keep her on your

till

fist

or on your

knee, in a crowded room where people come and go continually.^

Just before you retire for the night take her up, carry her near a lamp and If the

make her play with

head has no meat on

ready, and place

it,

them on the

the gazelle-head, agitating

have a few small

well.

bits of other

meat

gazelle's eyes in such a

manner that

hawk may of her own accord pull out the meat and eat it. Hood her while she is still " binding" to the head, and draw tight

the

the braces

coming

of the hood, so that there

during the night

off

;

no possibility of the hood

then remove her and replace her on

her perch, and leave her for the night. gazelle-head and of her food

Avill

The remembrance of the remain in her mind, and keep her

keen and excited for another hour. she does,

will not

She

will not sleep at all, or if

be for more than two hours.

Rise at daybreak

and take her on your

allowed to even try to " cast "

hindered from casting she

for she

fist,

while her hood

will fall sick.

on,

Hence

must not be

and

she be

trouble yourself

and relieve her. To comfort

friends, discomfort do not dread

Strives that the

good

call blessings

on thy head.

In a Persian majlis, servants would constantly be coming and going pipes and sherbet and coffee in the large bare room. In addition to friends and relations, there would be all the servants of these friends ^

Avitli

and

relations.

The

Persian, unlike the Indian, hood, is opened and loosened by the back. As the hawk was irregularly fed the previous day she would probably " cast " late. As a rule sakers do not " cast " as early as peregriues. Safru,' Ar. " bile the casting of a hawk " ta'mah, lit. " food," " " also means casting." The Turkish for a casting " is tnk-samih, i.e., " tulx, feather," and samil; " bone." In a good Indian hood, the beak aperture is so cut away that a hooded hawk can, with a little difficulty, both eat and cast, but iu the Persian hood a hawk cannot open its beak suflBciently wide to give exit to the casting. ~

sti'aps at •'

;

s TRAINING THE PASSAGE SAKER TO

[The author here

ll>3

GAJ:KLI.E

some copy-book maxims ou

cites

these are not translated.]

in the field before the eagles are

by early

Lastly,

early rising-

you

rising

will be

on their prowls.^

After she has ''cast," proceed to feed hei- on the head, and to " carry " her in the bazaar, etc., etc., as on the previous day ; and coutiuue this treatment

till

she

thoroughly trained to the gazelle-

head.

Now

gazelle's head, procure a live

an iron ring

hind.- legs

yards

fawn and bind firmly

Next, with

agitating

the live fawn and

make

it lie

instruct your assistant,

to hold his

one of

its

tie it to

the opposite

weight.

the dead head as before,

Now

produce

hawk by name and

Call your

hand high,

meat on the fawn's

to the

who has hold of the fawn's

so that the

fawn cannot

toss

head.'^

tether,

or shake

its

Let your hawk tear a mouthful or two of moat and then

remove

Let her

her.

tl\-

head a second time, and

and remove she will be

and

first to

down.

"bind"

she will at once

You must

In accordance with her daily and nightly

then remove her hood. teacliino-

and

and hood her on the head.

well, etc.,

your hawk

call

keen on the

between the fawn's ears

cord, bind,

fine

a lump of tough meat, one to two pounds In the morning

then take a fine strong cord about twelve

;

long, pass one end through this ring

foreleg.-

head.

and

as soon as she tlioroughly understands

tlu'

her, fit

and ''bind" To the meat on the fawn's her eat a

let

and handle

by the evening

Now

live fawn.)

her, etc. to

and rouse

till

it.

Then hood her

(You must so feed her that

be again tlown at the dead head

carry her to the house and

nostrils with a liltle luke-warni water. hei- pre(Mi

little

wash her

Remove her hood and

let

evening.

lu the evening repeat the morning's lesson and do this for

In the cold weather, eagles are late risers they do not leave their restinf;- spots till the sun is warm. A peregrine will leave its roosting place before it is light. - Pii or pill/ means any leg, but especially the hind leg. As the fore author means, the it is concluded is called qahim (shank), leg here " by p<l, hind leg." ' Dah zar'. The Persian zar^ is about 40 inches. X7m sir, )jak sir ride page 106, note ^ In a Persian manuscript written in India, it is stated that a goat may be substituted for the fawn, and that the head should be protected by a piece of leather with two holes for the horns. Vide also chapter (page 122). 1

.').

XXXIV

lie

this position

her at

c c ?

c c

^ 'c

BAZ-NAMA-YI NASIEI

the second and third day, however, after

doAvn, you

must get your

Then while

on the ground.

the fourth day you must

call her, in

her at the fawn standing.

fly

Now

Fly your hawk at

but instruct your assistant that the

and

fly

it,

First

etc., etc.,

place the duly prepared fawn in

a standing position in front of you.

pull the cord

slowly in

moving you must

making

•

the morning, to the dead head and play with

as on previous occasions.

must

assistant to drag

at the " crouching" fawn.

it,

three days.

the fawn

moment

the

Repeat

cast the fawn.

as before,

hawk " binds

" he

this lesson in the

evening.

You must be careful during these lessons that you do feed your hawk and make her too fat. To avoid such an

not overaccident,

you must, each morning, weigh and put aside the exact quantity of meat she is to be given during the day. As for the meat on the

must be

and delay, tear

off

faAvn's head,

tough that your hawk can only, with

and swallow a small mouthful on no account must it be the tender meat from the backbone.^ In short you must first fly your hawk three days in the manner difficulty

described, at the

i.e.,

at the "crouching^' gazelle,

standing gazelle.

gazelle in motion,

its

Next you must

head being

fly

and then three days her three days at the

garnished with meat.

still

moment the hawk " binds," the cord must be pulled and the made to fall. Fly her twice in the morning and twice evening.

The

gazelle

the

Next, after this nine days' training, you must instruct your assistant to di^ive the deer in front of

himself running behind.

you must

When

him

at a ([uickened pace,

the gazelle

about twenty paces

As soon as the hawk reaches " and binds," your assistant must pull the cord and cast the gazelle distant,

as before.

then

fly

let

go your hawk.

Give the hawk a

little

meat, hood her, remove her, and

her a second time from a rather longer distance

;

feed her

on the head, hood and remove her; but you must not give her so

much meat

that she will not be

three days you must

fly

fit

to fly

again in the evening.

For

her at the driven faw^n, in the manner just

described; but every day increase, by twenty paces, the distance

from which she 1

Gffsht-i pusht-i

talconiy.

cast off at the fawn.

mdza, P.

;

this

term occurs also

Arabic

MSS. on

105

TKArNIXG THE PASSAGE SAKER TO GAZELLE

Now,

durini^ this twelve

decrease the size of the

dnys' of

liiiiip

meat that

fawn's head, so that at last no meat

on the fawn's head only a small tilbert,

or a portion of

You must using

tlie

hmiiid

visible.

to the live

<>n

you must

I.e.,

dry lianl meat the

bit of

l)iiul

size nf a

dried neck of a chicken.

same poor fawn

next, taking the

along as a " train,"

all

must gradually

3'ou

trainiiify,

go out into

tlie

you have been The country.

that o])en

tether must be removed from the f;iwn's leg, and the fawn must

in \]\v kocy'iwix of

vonr tah-mier, wlm slmnld be m(tnnted,and

a distance from you of say

your liawk it

to the

well as before.

same

First

paces.

liuiiiii'cd

yon nnist

call

old dead and dried ga/elle-head, agitating

While your

li;i\\

binding"

in a state of

hungry excitement, rehood her. With you there must be a quiet and obedient greyhound. Now order your mounted falconer to fawn

release the

witJi

t'/.v

head

thr

n-iiul,

and

o-allop after

it.

You, having meanwhile mounted, must now unhnod the hawk.

Now

at this point there

an accident

an accident that often happens

plucky

excitement

mounted falcon,

tlu'

]ie;id

suddenly of

stage of

unhoodod,

horse-

the

the training, uiay

her

you are

on which

therefore you must keep your eyes fixed ou those of the

and intends

flying at

it.''

soon as the falcon has ten yards' start of you,

greyhoinul

biiul

this

be guarded against,

and release her only when you perceive that she has spied

the fawn

;

hawk,

itupetuous

after her.

The ordinary word

The

falcon will arrive, stoo]i at

slip

the

and bind

for a " train " (bird or beast) for a

greyhound

is bacl^ or b'~'vU, iu India b'~i,nl7. The present author also u.scs (last-par for a bird; and for a gazelle given as a 'Mrain'" maraj and dakl the last two words are probably Arab terms; 1 am. however,

or falcon

unable

to trace theiu.

young saker the translator had, the first time she was tlown at hubara, left his fist and bound to the head of a white pony about twenty yards off. Tiie pony spun round and rnniKb till the rider, an assistant falconer, fell off from triddiness. A hawk, suddenly and hurriedly unhooded, will leave the fist before she spies anythinr,' at all. The hood should he removed quietly without tiurry and if the hawk be raw it is often as well not to release her at her first " bate."' From the expression of the hawk's eye it is Even quite easy to see if she has spied the quarry and means business. if she started for the gallo]iiiig assistant falconer, the sakcr would spy the fawn on the way and divert her attention. ^ i.e., of course a trained greyhound one that would follow the ~

•'

;

hawk.

106

BAZ-NAMA-YI NASIRI

the fawn's liead^ and the

greyhound

You must make

the fawn.

in^

come up and

will

little (for

the fawn's throat and. feed her up.^

meat the

size of a walnut.

The dead

still

Hood your

in her crop

a quantity of

and return home.

falcon

gazelle should be tied under the belly of a horse, and

home have

while riding

the horse led in front of you.

Twice, on

remove the hawk's hood that she may view the gazelle

the way,

and recognize that that was her quarry, and that from the that quarry she was

When nostrils

fed.'"

from blood, and wash let

ofl"

any blood stains from her feathers.

her "rouse and preen."

take her up, hood her, and carry her

no longer

call

her down

and

before

her rest

let

sir-'

skin

completion.)

its

Then

the mornino-.

becomes bloodless and white.

may

wash

cast while on

well in

warm

To-day the hawk need

she should be fed on her perch. If your give her at sunset, as a " casting," a little lamb's avooI

is fat,

well wetted

till

near

or less of good lamb and

not be lured or called

hawk

(You must now

sunset.

till

take her up so that she

jic^wii,

jyour^^. Take a water until

After her preeniji^,

her in the evening to the dead gazelle's head as on

former evenings, for her training*

Now,

flesh of

you reach home, with warm water cleanse your falcon's

Unhood her and

set

cut

her only such a quantity

(xive

have

its

that

and then

small bit of dried flesh on the head contains no reward),

of flesh that at sunset she will

down

secure the fawn's legs, and cut

Let your falcon tear the eyes and. toBgae a

throat.

pull

lean, give her chicken feathers, or a little of the

and fur of a

gazelle.

To-night,

too, let

her rest on her

perch.

At dawn take her

may

About an hour after dawn, go out into the oj^en country, taking with you a couple of quiet trusty greyhounds, as well as a brisk and lively up, so that she

cast on your

An unnecessary piece of cruelty. There gazelle should not be instantly put out of pain. " i.e., meat not yet " piit over." ^

•"

Sir sliudan,

lit.

"satiated."

fist.

no reason

why

the

Eastern falconers, however, do not sir shudan merely

"gorge" their hawks. The author by the term means to give a hawk the regulation quantity. ^ Hooded as before.

one Tabriz man equals forty sir ; one -^Ir equals twenty and two and a half misqdl are about equal to an Indian told. A Tab]-iz man is about 7| lbs. The Indian ser is about 2 lbs., and there are forty ser in the man. The term sir is used only locally in Persia. "

Sir

misqill

;

TIIAIN'IXC

gazelle.

agitatiug

befoi'e,

107

PASSAOK SAKKK TO C.A/KLLE

IlfK

the

call

]ia\vl<

dead

tho

as on previous occasions, etc., etc.

shoukl be released at a distance of assistant falconer galloping after

next be unhooded and cast

and

off,

yards, the greyhounds should

gazelle-head,

'I'lic

Tlic liawk should

as hi'forc.

avIkmi slie lias

ilown about ten

The Lawk

bi" slippetl.

your

paces,

liundretl

five

live gazelle

will

roach the

make one or two stoops before the greyhounds arrive down the gazelle. Yon must make in quickly and secure

gazelle and

and

pull

the liiud legs of

bound

tlu^

which

gazollo, so that th(> faJcon,

to the gazelle-head,

may

bluud herself well on

will

its

have

head and

Then, cut tho gazelle's throat and feed the hawk, giving

eyes.'

her just so still in

hor

much food cro]i

as will leave a quantity the size of a walnut llor nostrils, etc.,

at snns(^t.

must be cleansed as

before.

no longer necessary

It is

keep the hawk hooded

at night.

Let her sleep unhooded.

You must now then set her down

Take note binding,

sign that she

two hours

hawk's action when flown

makes three

after nightfall

and

she be too

fat,

these last two

much

head before

in condition

immediately on reaching,

stoop, l)ut binds

soniuwhat low

or four stoops at tho

condition

two stoops, and then binds, she

only, or

Now

till

a sign that she has risen too

makes no

she

hawk

to rest.-'

of your

If she

gazelles.

carry the

is in

it is

she makes one stoop

her proper condition.

you must, by feeding her for two days on

washed meat, lower her condition.

she be too low, you must

fly

her for two more days at a live gazelle, cast on the gi-ound as on the

first

day,

and as soon

she

binds,

yoii

must

substitute a freshly-slaughtered white lamb or whiit' kid

these a white chicken, placing the flesh of

over the gazelle's head.

stealthily :

or failing

the chicken's

Feed up your hawk on the wai-m

breast flesh.

In two days she will regain her condition.

Vide note 1, page 106. Bi-qadr-i girdO ,1 gii^hf drir .s7)in-ash Inlshad. By that time she would have "put over" the whole of her food: nothing would remain in the crop. A hawk, if carried, puts over more It is an Indian saying that quickly than if i"esting on tho jierch. "When carried instead of two mutings it makes three.'" "Carrying" of course includes frequent unhooding and rehooding and occasional turnings of the hand to iudnce the hawk to shift her position. 1

108

BAZ-NAMA-YI NASIRI Oil tlie following day, again give

described above.

tbe day after,

stont and brisk as a wild one. as before,

and

agitating

gazelle

first call

your bawk

must gallop

Your bawk

gallop.

bounds arrive

bead of tbe dead gazelle,

tbousand yards, and your

off

At sunset give ber

before dawn, and let your to

tbe greybounds, and

slip

must be keenly "

the following morning- start from

way

your bawk, and wbeii sbe

treat ber in other respects as before.

the day after tbis she

are on your

Tbis time tbe

make one or two stoops before tbe greydown tbe gazelle. Make in, cut tbe gazelle's

hawk, and

well-washed meat.

etc.

etc.,

will

to pull

tbroat, feed the

tliat is as

to tbe

got a start of ten or fifteen yards,

lias

manner

go into tbe open country

Cast

it.

tlic

tliis

at a distance of a

after

nieat^ in

ber at a gazelle

fly

on previous occasions,

must be freed

assistant

For

washed

set "

by being given

a casting of feathers.

your bouse about two hours

hawk throw up ber casting while you

your destination.

Repeating tbe four Qui and

the verse of the Throne," breathe the sacred W'ords over yourself

and over your hawk.

You must

morning mark down a single half-tame gazelle.'" After marking it down, call your falcon to the dead gazelle-bead and agitate, etc., etc., as before. Then rehood ber and go after the wild gazelle. The nearer you get to it tbe better.

Unbood tbe

early that

falcon,

and as soon

as she spies the gazelle

and shows

an inclination to give chase, cast her off and shortly after

the

slip

greybounds.

Most probably you are wondering why you should not the greyhounds and then cast this

thought you

off

the falcon behind them.

your falcon

err, for

probably

full

first

slip

Xow

of courage

da dan. chapters 109, 112, 113 and 114 of the Qoran. They are very brief, not containing more tlian four or five lines, and all commence with the word Qui " Say." These chapters are repeated at weddings by tlie bridegroom, after the Qazi. Their efficacy is nearly e(|iial to that of the whole Quran. The " Verse of the Throne "' is the 25Gth verse of the 2nd chapter it commences " God, there is no God but He the Living, the Abiding slumber taketh him not nor sleep. His throne reacheth over the heavens and the earth." Tu/e also page 74. Aya rd damidan (dam karvd in Urdu) the sacred texts are repeated and the breath is then exhaled on the breast and hands, etc., or over ^

IsTitihil i.e.,

;

—

a sick person. '

Yak ddnd

" a single one."

dhii-yi

drdm-i

tdk-l.

Probably tdki

a slip for tak-t,

TRAINING THK PASSAGE SAKER TO GAZELLE aiul cagei'iK'ss,

and her traiuiuy

109

excited her that she might

lias so

bind to a greyhound instead of to the gazelle, and so be spoilt

For

ever.

yon must

this reason

the (jazeJlc, cast

he.r hi(t

the help of the hounds, she

On no gazelle in

"will

take

account must you, this

You must

company.

two

at three gazelle but not at

srazelle toQfether will

up together

after their

dam

first

ahead of

please God, with

day,

liawk at two

tly yuiir

either fly her at a single gazelle or

Let

''!

why you can

cast lier olf

explain.

he either two fawns that have yrown

has been destroyed by some accident,

and female

or else a couple, male

it"

As }iothin(j

it.

Doubtless you wonder

at three together.

Two

hawk; and

yi'ui-

oil'

Him'

loJim

first,

for

and young;

separating.

Your hawk, being

any case domestic affection

rather quite ignorant," will stoop,

may be dam

or possibly they

;

prevent them

will

raw and inexperienced,^ or

still

first at

one and then

the other,

while the greyhounds, being trained and experienced, will rhop and

change, always making for the gazelle at which the hawk stoops.

Your hounds,

tired out, will fall hehiml antl " get

hawk, without

their assistance

get it

lost.

Should }ou happen

difficult to lure

twenty days

will

her;

to regain sight of her,

be a male or

along been

all

female.

there are three gazelle together, your falcon will single out

and stoop

make

will

and

at it; off

together

folloAV the single

Now

soon as she does

as in

return

left,"

one

will

only

stooping.

I tell y<iu.

lioine.

happen; should your falcon get "

It'

the reinainnig two

which y^ur hawk

Should the gazelle be taken, feed occasions and

so,

company, while the greyhounds

remaining gazelle

be warned and do as

liud

will

ifowever, a single gazelle by

lost,

whether

this

you

will

successful in luring her, the labour of

have been

and

training: her to,

and the

being unable to take the deer,

the same as the hand-train'^ that you have

itself is

left,''

hei-

Shouhl, tirei

up, etc., as on previous

however,

any

accident

out and the greyhounds get

or should an eagle appear, then act as before

;

have the carcass of a gazelle with you, cast your falcon at

its

you head

colloquially ijji_<i>'h7)ii, "inexperienced, helpless use in liughdad, this word is not used iu Persian. Na-ddnani-kdr.

Ahii.-i/i dasli.

Siva kardan.

Qa<hvi,

though

Ar.,

common

110

BAZ-NAMA-YI NASIRI meal^ togetlier with a " casting " from the feed her so that she will " cast " early the following morning.

and give her skin

;

please

a very

God

lig-lit

she will not

ever, be again unsuccessful,

next morning.

Should she, how-

you must feed her up well and

let

her

two or for three days.

rest for

fail

the third day, feed her on the head of a live gazelle, giving

her only a light meal.

(_)n

the fourth day,

fly

her in the open

country at a single bright and active^ gazelle, but so act that she cannot

that the gazelle

tell

not a wild one.

Kill the gazelle

under her and act as before. The next day " set ^^ her by giving her washed meat, and the day after fly her at a wild gazelle. She certainly please God will

—

not

fail.

CHAPTER XXXIII TRAINING THE EYESS SAKER TO EAGLES I WILL

now,

nestling

cliarJxh"''

pupil, describe to

you the method of training the

to eagles.^

In one point the nestling charldi excels the rest of the black-

eyed race

When that she

can take eagles, the rest cannot.'

first

take the eyess from the eyrie, feed her well,

may grow

and stout and strong, and may, by taking exhibit all her pride and power.

you

her quaiTy in

style,

Now when

fat

the constellation of Canopus

rises,''

take her up,

not half-starved or crushed in spirit.

Ziring or zarlng,

The Rev. H. B. Tristram writing on the ornithology of North Africa

i.e.,

{Ibis 1859) mentions "'eagles, kites and sand-gronse" as quarry flown at by the Arab Shaikhs. [Elsewhere the same writer says that the Launer and Barbary falcon are flown at sand-grouse. No Indian falconer, however, has succeeded with the latter quarry it is too fast, and the hawk and quarry soon disappear from. view. The sand-grouse will not let the hawk get above it when the hawk is waiting on." Mr. Tristram does not mention what device or artifice the Arabs adopt.] The author of the Land and the Hook (W. M. Thomson, D.n.) says of trained falcons, in chapter xxr, " they will even bring down the largest eagle in the same :

wa5^ •^

^ ^ ''

•" •

•

CharkJi-i ashiyanl. Qara-(plsh. Vide, however, page 44.

Vide page 126, note

TRAINING THE EYESS SAKER TO EAGLES

hood her

always

are

carry her: train

luul

may

readily from any spot where she

Now

lower her condition a

her lose just a

let

flesh.

Procure a young I'lgyptian vulture^ and

back.

its

Twice

the eveninn', show

hawk may take

that yonr

young Egyptian

one a "yellow" one, but

a black

the hind claw

twice

fl\'

little

niorniuu,-

and of

such

manner

procure a

buzzard,

failing

any case you nuist bind

Fly your hawk at this "train/'

to the ''tarsus."''

the morning and twice in

up on

tlie

"black^'^

get

vulture,

let

Mnd some meat

you are unable

it.

cool

and then

to her

the

daily,

placed.

1)0

little:

that falcons

obeys the lure and conies to

she

miiil

iraiiu-tl,

manner

the

licr after

the evening," and feed her

it.

Should yon be able to procure a second " train " of any of the three birds mentioned, then on the third day cut the throat

the

" train."

your hawk must

for

killino-

the ''train" and

little

the exposed

however, to conceal

careful,

learn

tied to its back, cut

first

bind only to

hawk

open the back, and

all

your hawk eat flesh

"hand-train,"^ as you increase the

tied to its back,

and your hawk binds

left

meat that

the meat that

During these days that you are

distance at which you i-clease the train, you

amount

let

head, After

back.

She must not see the

flesh.'

the

hawk on

feeding your

any other part except the back. entering your

the

its

till

musi decrease the at

last

no meat at

the ungaruished back of the

"train."

Karhal

young -

charJcas (or karkas),

of this species

lit.

" the scald-headed vulture."

The

brown and not white. fly." The autlior always uses this word a hawk and then lettiiiLi' it fly. In the preliminary

PamnJiJan, "to cause to

showing a train to lesson or k^ssons, one or together to make the train for

would pi'obably i)o tied fly as sluwly as possible, and a creauce would Vide note 2, page 97.

two

flii^'lit-

be fastened to a leg. Vulc chapter XII. Qulh'ih or "'hook" (for Ar.

feat hers

•'

The

After the two of meat. "

kulli'ib);

the "talons'" of old falconers.

'"stalke " of old authors.

From

first flierht

the

hawk would

the back she would get

little

be given unlv a beakful or

tlian a taste of

warm

blood. ^

Dast-par.

It nuist be recollected that sak'^rs are not easily spoilt

by being given numerous

ti'ains,

as are peregrines.

112

BAZ-NAMA-YI NASIKI

The two^ uppermost mentioned above

— the

fligb.t

feathers in each wing of the birds

by the Turks

feathers called yfh- mdliq

are broad aud large.

Take these

feathers,

two on each

side,

and

placing them on top of each other bind, the garnishing meat to

them, so that the meat

will

be conspicuous during

flight.

After you have killed the train and fed the hawk, yon must,

by giving her washed meat,- ''set" her as previously described.

Then go out

into the open country

and

vulture, which in colouration resembles a

find a youiKj

young

hawk at it. She will surely take hawk well.^ "Set" your hawk the next day; and it.-^

out and find a

lihura/'

b/''q

and

fly

your

and feed your

the day after that, go

which has before been described as

most ignoble of the eagles.

the

Kill

eagle,

Egyptian

Get close

it,

and

cast

your hawk that by the time the eagle has risen from the ground, your charkh will have reached it aud bound to its back. off

With

make

haste

all

a dark-coloured

wing

chicken, present so

its

hinj

flesh

Ishura, and,

the

by you

feed your hawk;

but feed her vliarkh'

alive.

morrow when your hawk

let it fly,

killing

from underneath the

Eelease the buq-khura'' from the claws of the

open country.

and

and secure the

the huq-Miura, and

sparingly.

and keep

Bind the hind claw giving

hungry, go out into the

of the huq-lxhura to its shank,

a long start.

Then unhood" and

cast off

^ On page 16S, chap. LIl, it is stated that there are three feathers in each wing so named, and that it is the Kurds who call these feathers yar mdliq. Vide also chap. LX. • Ishtilid dddan. ' The Egyptian vulture is frequently found sitting on the ground and will let a horseman or footman apjiroach within a few feet. It rises slowly, aud as it does not shift from the stoop it is at once taken. It does not seem to have any means of defence except its odour. ^ Of course on other flesh. ^ On page 31 the hdq-khara is described as an eagle always found on marshes and reed beds. It eats frogs, dead fish, etc., and occasionally a wounded duck. This should be doue stealthily at the time the chicken is substituted, or after the hawk has been re-hooded for the hawk must be induced to believe that it has eaten the quarry it captured. With a thoroughly-made hawk no great stealth need be observed. mild kardan, "to release." The author uses this word to signify setting free a train secretly while the hawk is still hooded. Vide note 2,

—

;

page 111.

TRAINING THE EYESS SAKER TO EAGLES

She

your hawk.

certainly take

will

and

Kill the huq-khura

it.

feed the hawk.

Now feeding

again "set'" her

yeiii-

when

iii)

s^lie

hawk and takes

her at a

lly

ynii

'rhi>

it.

\\\\d hu(i'khura,

do thine m-

iniist

times.'

tViiii'

Of one

vmi

thino-

inu^t

eight days that you are

warm

take care

tlesh,

I)e

earel'id

hawk and

ilyiug youithat

her on

feeding

become

does not

she

seven or

these

diiritiu-

and get

fat

above herself. After taking with her four or five bnij-Mlw'", Ay her at one

of the black eagles that have no spots or markings.-

her at a spotted a~iu(i-n eagle. latter,

you can

tly

After she has taken one of the

tly

her at be of a large species (such or the

nioon-tailed eagle/'

tiie l-arJ(il.\

which are the largest of the eagle species),

and shouts

cries

hy the

can,

three

all

your horsenieti, bo made so to lose

become incapable

as to

tlie kPjllxaii,

Should the

her at any species you choose.

eagle you are going

tiy

its

head

of defending itself.

Supposing, for instance, you spy an eagle seated on the ground a good open plain where there are neither small water-courses

nor hillocks-' delay

—a

— make

spot where you can gallop without caution

the eagle face the wind

and gallop on

placing your trust on Almighty God, cast eao-le

the

will see

possibility of the

ap})roach

makin<>- for

hawk's attacking

of the trickery of

wings saying

hawk man.

to itself,

it,

elT

but

for,

your

poor thing,

"This charkh, whose dog

it,'

rharJih.

and

The

not conceive the

will

Cahnly and k-isurely

is it

ignorant

it is

will

that

spread it

its

should

If the eagle

be a large strong female,

charkh for about a thousand" paces, but

will certainly carry the

weak

tiercel

will not

should not be allowed to get ragged. It should each If it settles on the ground, it should be start. longer given a time be regains heart and takes wing of its own it allowed to look about it till It is also well to go to a diiTcrent spot each time. accord. Apparently the black eagle described on page '.il. Mrilti'ir, any up and down ground. '' give the eagle's breast to the Sina-iji qara-q''ish rn hi-hiid bi-dili, " Presumably the eagle clear. quite meaning is not the author's wind wind. would be sitting with its breast to the From behind. The distance is probably exaggerated. ^

Tlie " train

;

•^

114

BAZ-NAMA-YI NASIRI

drag

more than

keep close up ground.

under the eagle^

and

then run, flapping and trailing

its

hunted chicken that

until

You must

settles

on the

wings like a

pursue

with

the eagle takes to running like a chicken,

one

tired out.

shouts and cries.

As soon

gallop hard and

tires

to or

It will

You must

half that distance.

all

horseman must detach himself and intercept it in front. Now when that son of a dog^ sees that it cannot flj, that its path is blocked in front, and that shouts and veils arise on all sides of it, it

will

back

have no recollection of the charMi that has fastened on to its from rage and bewilderment it will drive its talons into the

Xow, my

ground.

dog

like other quarry.

it.

own

no account

not in your excitemeut cast yourself upon

on no account do so

As soon

destruction.

the ground,

on no account must you treat this son of a

pupil,

— unless

you seek your

as the eagle has convulsively clutched

you must dismount

and approaching

in all haste,

from behind firmly place your long boot on its back just between the shoulders, and so render it defenceless. Then cautiouslv advance your further hand from behind legs, split

You

and firmly grasp

its

keeping one leg on the eagle the while. Then cut its throat, open its breast, bring out the heart, and feed your hawk. must know that the flesh of eagles is greasy and indigestible,

do not overfeed your hawk or she will fall ill.- You must not imagine that an eagle's flesh is the same as a pigeon's; so feed her so

lightly

:— If ^eagle's flesh as pigeon's ere

appears

Then must you match the lion's with the deer' s. So when two eagle's thighs have passed her beak, Enough unless you her destruction seek. !

—

The next time you go you

out, fly

your hawk at any species of eagle

like.

Now

you

must

understand

temporarily, cripple the eagle, yet

taken.

you want

Pidar-sag, a that b y is by 1

although the

owing

to the

of the riding party that the eagle loses

yells

that

to test this, fly

common term of abuse Thomas Atkins.

Tu'ma-zada ml-shavad

mean

that the

hawk

does,

screams and

wits and gets

your hawk at an eagle as used in

does this simply her gorge ?

will cast

its

hawk

much

mean

the same

way

indigestion or does

——

11 O

EYESS SAKFR A\D i;AZKLLR

though you wen> Hyiui^ a g'Os;hawk and

hawk

foot swe(>p the

"Thus does wise heaven grant susteiumce That countless wise are

The awe and

filled

given

has

iiis[)ired

God

the lunnan voice.

creatures, birds, beasts, etc., a

his

all

its

to fouls

greater than that

by any animal, and especially terrifying

willi

thereat with wonder."

man

fear inspired by

slowly

rich'

will

eagli'

whih- exclaiininu;

off its liack

and

parli'idg'c,

Note Imw the

after the ()uari'y.

([iiietly

at a

weapon

defence for their safety, and man's w^eapons are his voice and the

dread his presence inspires flies,

even the

much more artifice

;

every thing that creeps, or crawls, or

sound- and terror of man

lion, tlet-s t'rom the

the

of the falconer

master the eagle

The eagle

eagle.

what

for

ca])ture(l

sort of a

dog

That feeble

This sport with the

skill

how

can show

could

falcon fight

country

it is

being trained to eagles,

Init

— The

eyess sliahin

tliat

the

capable of

small and delicate,

nor

this (piai ry.

XXXiV

EYESS SAKEI{ AND GAZELLE

iVcm

impossible.

CUAl'TEJi

The system

and eagle must be pursued

charJjJt

Eyess Shahin axd Eagles.

employed for

the charkh to

Fight and prevail against an eagle's might

in hilly

the

cliarkhs can lay great eagles low.

Untrained, untried,

onl\-

The falconer by art and

plains

— how

training the nestling cJiarkh

previously di'scribed

foi-

the passage

gazelle differs

saker.'"'

From the GnUstiln Chapter I, St. 40. modern collof|uial, ''t-lamour." The late Sirdar Sher 'Ali. the e.xiled \Vr,l7 :

Kavi'clia, in

3 of Qandaliar, told the translator that in Afghanistan he used to fly eyess charkh s at gazelle, and he considered those nestlings the best that wore taken fiom nests either on the ground or close to the ground. His theory was tliat oidy bold birds dared to baild close to the ground, and that their nestlings were, from the egg, accustomed to the sight of jackals and foxes. ^

CItark/i-i

<lsln}/<'in7.

Baldbdu-i turl

ti'irl

from

tur,

net

8 *

116

BAZ-NAMA-YI NASFRI

Autumn yon

In the beginning of the

with your eyess,

niust^

take a large number of hubara bustard so that she

and

adroit

As your hawk

her rawness.

lose

may become

a nestling and

hence without any experience whatever, you must, after getting her to kill one or two domestic fowls, enter her by a train of a live hubara.^

You must

first seel

the hubara^s eyes, so that

may

not puff

up and drive away the young hawk,- which might thereafter

itself

conceive a permanent dread of this quarry. the train and

your

let it

run

She

chivlih.

soon as she seizes

it,

about forty paces, and then cast

for

approach

will

''Seel'' the eyes of

stealthily^

and

seize

give her a small quantity of moat

;

off

it.

remove

her and reliood her. In the

evening

loosen the

sliglithj

hubara's eyes are seeled, so that

When

eyes.^'

the charMi

her out of the tops of

when

the

hawk

its

flies

thread with which the

can just see out of the top of

towards the hubara, the

latter,

spying

eyes, will puff itself out for the attack

and drops

arrives close

to the

its

;

but

ground, she will no

longer be visible, and the hubara will therefore not charge her. When the hawk seizes the hubara, again give her a small quantity of meat.

On time

the next day unseel half oi the hubara^s eyes, so that at one

may

sight of

puff itself out ready for attack,

and

another lose

enemy.

Let the hubara get some distance, and then unhood the hawk and let her go. As soon as she binds to the its

hubara, cut

its

throat and feed up the hawk.

the next day

give another

time with unseeled eyes.

unhood your hawk.

Kill

Let it,

"train" of hubara, but this get a long distance off before you

and feed up the hawk on

its flesh.

1 Passage sakers rarely, if ever, require to be given a "train" for this quarry, as they kill it in ;i wild state. Bad Jairdan. An hubara will not hesitate to attack a hawk on the ground, puffing itself up like a turkey cock and striking forwards with

its feet. =^

Sometimes several

The hubara

will

will of course

combine in showing front to the enemy. have a few flight-feathers plucked out

or tied, to prevent it flying. If many feathers are plucked out it will not look formidable when it puffs itself out. Vide note 1, page 117. ^

Bi-duzda raft an.

Ghashm rd

hdld-hln kardan.

EYESS SAKKR AND GAZELLE Altliouali

hawk

inferior

will

eyess saker that

be mentioned

t'cat

for a falconer to tiikc luiLarn' (for

this

kill

(|ii;irrv),

destined for gazelle,

still it

tlio

any

training of the

has a special

])laee,

Avill

This remark, however, does not apply to the

later.

netted passage falcon,- whicli has killed hubara for

itself in a wild

state.

From

the wild falcon," an

cannot possibly escape

for

hubai-a,

what

however stout and strong,

the ilight of an luibai'a

compared

XVlII VOrNG

that

till'

SAKKK (LKiHT

I'ASSACili

wild sakcM-

I'litil

VAltlEl'Y)

tlio

ON HUBAKA

wild saker overtakes the

hubara, she will never reliui[uish the chase. If,

quite

however, yon

a trained passage falcon at an hubara,

fly

different matter

;

for the falcon will not be in the

it is

same high

a large and powtM'ful l)ii\l the wild saker 'I'lu' hubara is not a higli-llying bird, and its flesh preys on it" largely. After kiUing one or two, the most cowardly chnrth Ijecomes is palatable. wedded to this quarry. When giving a " train," it is preferable, in some The saker, however, takes to the cases imperative, to give a flying one.

Though the hnbara

hubara with

little

or no entering.

Bali'ibdn-i

•'

B't1'ih'n\-i sahrn.i.

tiirl.

The author means by open flight, for the hubara frequently escapes by doubling and hiding. It will sqnat on a perfectly open plain, the '

alighting within five or six feet of it utterly puzzled as to what has beeome of its quarry. Uu the ground, an hubara does not at first seem afraid of a single saker or peregrine. jnirsuing

hawk

BAZ-NAMA-YI NASIRI

118 condition she was in

from her

when

wild,

and rises high, she

and

will not

so, if

be able to overtake

neither will she be so thin that she will give up killing,

where she three. ^

stern-chase

will

Now

at hubara.^

hawk

and soon be

in the first place

If,

quickly

She

will certainly

God knows

lost to view.

you should not

however, you must do

wing

The hubara

will

will also certainly

Agar hubara jilav-i

so that

so, tie

bind to

off

a passage saker

fly

together four of the

shall fly clumsily,

certainly stand

desire aiidhope of

overtake the hubara, w^hether two farsaMi

flight-feathers of one

ground.

all

and remain tamely seated on the ground.

commence a

away

the quarry breaks

hugging the

do battle and the

on the ground.^

If the

hubara

va huland sJiud. LCihud hubara rd dar jiJo avdnliJita 'aqab mJ-kunad. Sakei'.s are passionately fond of the hubara as a quarry they will never relinquish a chase as long as there is any chance of success they will fly the hubara ev^en when they are not vei-y hungry. The hubara, when put up with a hawk just behind it, flies faster than is commonly supposed, especially in the Spring when it is fat and in high condition. A passage saker intended for this quarry should not, I think, weigh less than 2 lbs. 4 oz. and should have been brought into hard condition by being exercised twice daily at the lure twenty-five stoops at each exercise are sufficient. A wild saker seldom exceeds 2 lbs. 8 oz. in weight. A haggard of the editor's that weighed when caught 2 lbs. 9^ oz., when killing hubara weiglied 2 lbs. 6^ oz. (For kite 2 lbs. 3 oz. will be found a sufficient, and generally a suitable weight. For hare a weight of 2 lbs. is sufficienf. Beginners should note these weights and so spare themselves much disappointment.) * Only jDassage sakers are, in India, flown at hubara. They are usually flown out of the hood, but in districts full of ravines they are trained to " Avait on." The author, like most natives of India also, seems to think that hubara can be killed only on the ground. As already mentioned in the above note, to fly houbara successfully sakers must be in liigh condition, i.e., they must be kept well exercised and well fed, a simple fact that most Eastern falconers forget. I have seen Arab falconers stuffing their newly caught sakers with suet and skin. In Arabia Beserta by C. M. Doughty we read, " The Gate Arabs had robbed more than a dozen young falcons. Their diet was small desert vermin, lizards, rats, insects. on finding naught they maintain them with a little dough in the nomad life they pluck for them those monstrous bluish blood-sucker ticks which cleave to the breasts of their camels." The translator once gave a school-boy a trained lagar when 1

n sJiikast

•^

;

pocket-money and meat failed, the boy fed it on boiled rice. Even after this treatment it flew and killed a wild raven. " Wild hawks seldom if ever kill on the ground. They stoop at the hubara, knock it about and put it up. Many trained hawks even will not, when in high condition, bind to an hubara on the ground but stoop at

it till

the falconer flushes the quarry.

119

EYESS SAKER AND GAZELLE

takes to

itself utterly

outpaced

The nature

many

hawk

the

Higlit,

will follow uiilv for

will

the evess, however,

was that

"train'':

on the

ij'i-onnil.

diifen-'nt.

liavr

had

hubara

th(>

pulled

and

itself

got ready

hesitated and sat on the gronnd

became

The reason

afraid of hubara.

3'et

omitted to seel the eyes of an hubara given as a

coming towards tion

sit

h'w yai-ds, and seeing'

that woukl take two or three eagh's in a day, that would take

crane and gazelle, and were this

np and

L:i\t'

seeing the

the attack

foi-

;

the rhnrkh

and the hnbara seeing

like a spitting^ cat,

i-linrlxjj

charged and put the

its hesitacli(irJ:li

'-15.

:v#^KV:

—-^

ik' xix YOrXr, PASSAGK SAKKK (nAl!K VAr.IKI Y) ox HI'nARA

flight.

God

weapon

of defence a peculiar kind

the All-knowing, has

these are nothing in reality yot

When

iIm y

bestowed on the hubara as of

"miites;"- and although

have

a certain

awe.

the timid lamb-natured hubara's enraged,

She becomes,

attack, like a lion nncaGrcd.

Jinirnq shnda. Bnrrtlq is the long-haired " Persian " cat gurba is the general term for a cat. - Chalqi'i: or chal(f]i>'iz ; "Mutes.'' the excrement of birds onl}'. technical term for the droppings of hawks. When the hubara is feeding on certain juicy crops, its excrement is tliin and glutinous and has an offtuisive odour. Though the excrement is ejected through fear, it is a very ett'cctive weapon. hawk that is smeared, is unable to fly properly, possibly because the wiiul strikes cold through the damp feathers. Some of the best hubara hawks, peregrines and sakers, always bind to the wing, and so escape being buffeted or befouled. '

;

120

BAZ-NAMA-YI NASIRI If

eyess charMi has once been frightened on the ground and

;iu

driven

by an hubara, nothing

off

quarry on the ground.

But a

will ever induce her to take this

may

skilful falconer

cast off the

charMi so expertly that she takes the quarry in the air within a few yards' distance.^

hawk

In short, as soon as your

hubara that she

and

many hubara

even though you

fly

Go on

till

flying her

take six or seven in a day^ you must go out

will

her at as

fly

even to follow the

you can, but do not feed her

her thirty times- with success, do not feed her. she

the chapter on training

As soon

tied on

may

its

kill

will not

you see

attempt

bring up a

this,

head, as previously described in

As soon

passage saker.

tiie

binds to the gazelle's head,

her up so that she

and

utterly disgusted

(quarry.

fawn with meat

gazelle

so thoroughly entered to

as the rliarlxh

a fowl or a white pigeon, and feed

learn the pleasure to be derived from

taking a gazelle.

You must proceed

with the training of the eyess as you did with

the passage saker, but there are two or three points of difl'erence. First

the passage

she must be fed up she

contract

will

Second

;

hawk

down

a habit

Third

and

always have

w'll

she

will

certainly,

Go and take two

all

Then, as on the

gazelle's head, feeding her up.

you must

the third or fourth day

After that

day,

first

let

till

active,

Agar

some distance, gallop

after

dast-t ustCid-i kh_ilh hasliad diir

and

•^

Si dast. A:: khnstagJ rn-yi

nl.

nuhaata

ast

her at the

fly

After

When

slip

quick

set a dog,

the gazelle

the greyhounds

mst dast-raw biyanddzi dar havl

bi-glrad. 3

she

her rest for a day or

and secretly release it at a distance. or a young greyhound too slow to overtake it.

zest,

Next, take into the open country a gazelle fawn that

fawn gets

sit

disappoiiited,

the hubara you can without feeding her,

worn out or disgusted.

and

out,

or three hubai'a with her,

one a day, and feed her up on them.

two.

no longer follows gazelle with her former

her at

up.

must then and there lure her and feed her up.

cure her as follows.

fly

be fed

when worn

the e3^ess works hard several times but

and

the eyess follows the gazelle and works well but the

you

;

or second entering,

first

but the eyess must not be fed up, otherwise

greyhounds go wrong, "

binds at the

exact meaning doubtful.

you do wlim

When may

EYESS SAKEK AND GAZELLE

121

and

cast off the eliaryh'.

liawking- wild gazelle,^

the gazelle

hawk

taken, feed up the

as before, that she

learn the advantage to be derived from taking this quarry

and return hubara

to a liking for

as has

You may

The object

it.

been stated.

think to yourself, "

been described for the passage acc<iuut

must you do this;

First, the nature of the

the eyess

of entering a charl<h to

ignoble.

I will

li;iwk

eyess at hare as has

Now, my

pupil, on no

her not at hare, Inr this

fly

passage hawk

If, after

fly

error.

noble, while the nature of

the disappointment that your eyess

r A*

aS*^ ?<r

XX Hri.AUA SINMXfi ITSKLl'

has experienced at gazelle, you

must

tly

her at hare with success, you

and as the gazelle and the hare are both ground-game*^ and akin, your hawk will say to herself, " Why of necessity feed her

should I not henceforth

bond have

u]i

ily

;

only the easier quarry

given to the Court to wrestle

Ahi'i-yi safiri'ij.

The author has not mentioned

•'

Charanda,

lit.

chi'ir

stam])od

with that other kind of

this flight.

"grazers."

du-lashma

lasJun P.= .smooth-bodied bi-shavam to wrestle together without either

dti-lashma shudan is properly opponent getting a good grip.

RAZ-NAMA-YI NASIRI

122 "

The hnbara, on

contrary,

not gronnd-game,"

nor has the eyess in a wild state preyed on

as has the

jackass

By taking one

hawk.

keenness and plnck, but, on

tlie

passage

two liubara^ the eyess recovers her third or fourth day,

tlie

when she

overflown at hubara and unrewarded, she gets disgusted with that particular

quarry

a gazelle's head and

being then flown at

;

rewarded, she re-transfers her attention to that quarry, and by

being afterwards given an easy bagged fawn, her quarry

the

cemented.

The system this that

afi^ection for

of training the cliarMl'

has been described, and

Baghdad and

the

Nomad

it is

who

masters of this

are

of Turkistan

and Khurasan and

Buzhnurd,^ being unskilled, have a different system, and that, for the eyess only

;

too,

for they are quite unable to train the passage

saker to take even one gazelle.

Another System of Training the " CharMt Their system four

ells

the system of the falconers of

Arabs,

But the people

particular sport.

and the hdldhan to gazelle

this.

Gazelle.

First they dig a dr}- canal about three or

deep, and four hundred or five hvmdred paces long.

the end, a recess or chamber

contain a gazelle that

—

constructed, sufficiently large to

brought and confined there.

rope

tied to the gazelle^s leg,

and the

beaten so that

take refuge in this chamber at the farther

end.

flees to

This treatment

gazelle

continued

till

is,

step

step, driven

the beginning of

and

Autumn,

when the people commeuce giving " trains "^ to their eyess sakers. The gazelle's head is protected from the hawk's claws by a '^

piece of leather that has two holes to admit the horns, and on this

The gazelle, released in the canal at the required distance from the chamber according to the progress the young hawk has made, is obliged to run straight and

leather the meat

take refuge in 1

Bd hamchu

its

securely fastened.

accustomed

retreat.

If,

during the run, the

narra khar-t. siiiM-i charavda nJst : sinkh in ni. c.^^qism. ^ Jhizhiiurd, the capital of a district of the same name, is about 180 miles from the river Atrek, which flows into the south -cast corner of the Caspian. Si char yah zara^ (m. c.) " about 3 or 4 ells " zara' (Pers. for Ar. stVo') is the Persian ell of about 40 inches. ® ki hitia-yi inarj u hfill kardati-l cliarkltu-yi sluln asf. The word bilU is also loll, bawll, havli and hdvll. Vide also note 1, page 123. « Mikhlal. ''

;

—

EYESS SAKKR AND GAZELLE charkh binds to cJiarkh fed

" train "

its

head, the rope

for

as those peo})K' luivc

and have

ever

and

pulled and the

gazelle can act as a

slip five or six

tliis

ott'

it is

owini' to

ilii'\-

four or five charkh at a wild

God knows whether they

greyhounds.

If they do,

luannor completed the

under the liawk,

killed the "-a/eile

anything.

kill

twenty charkh.

their lack of understanding, cast gazelle,

One

up on the "train's" head.

As soon traininof

meat on

tlir

not

skill

;

they do not,

utter buuo-liufr.

hawks take the quarry no credit is due Their failure we must as incompetence view. If you look at the methods of sport of these Turks in evervtliing' buny-linn' and botcherv lurks. If the

Now

the

Mil' ammara

;

system of the falconers of BiKjhdhl, (in

which places

passage saker was

from that at

first

this ancient flight

"invented'')

of the Turkistanis

and Khurasanis

succoured by a couple of greyhounds^; intelligent are the

hounds that even

only

fly

and apart

the former, even

foi-

;

and

with the eyess or

wliolly distinct

herd of two hundred gazelle,

Chn'b'-

single

halahau

so well trained and

l)ut

thousand gazelles come

hawk

front of them, they will seize only that one at which the

stooping.

The

skill of

these latter people, however,

confined to training

charkh and hnldhdn to gazelle, hubara, and hare, and they practise

no other

Skill is

flight.

shown

l»y

practising every form of spdiT."'

Dakl H bolt, "train"; in note 5 ou page \2'2 marj u boll. The author in a marginal note (page 117 of the text ^-ives dast-par as an equivak-nt for dakl. Dast-par or " haud-fbght " can, however, refer only Bi'',Rli is, in India, a train given either to a hawk or a to a bird. greyhound, etc., etc. it lias a general application. Vide also page 141, note 4. - The Cha^h (pniperly Ka''b) Arabs are a tribe iuluibiting the southern portion of Khuzisldn. y[ii''(immara the writer must mean Mii/iaininarah in Khuzistan, 2(3 miles below Bcisrah it is ruled by an Arab Sheikh. Tdzi-yi qush-sJiinds, a greyhound trained to hunt in company witli a hawk. '-Tri/, " knowinrr. intelligent." •'An anil)iguous sentence in the original: it may mean "flying at every kind of quarry." ^

)

;

•'

124

CHAPTER XXXV ANOTHER METHOD OF TRAINING THE EYESS AND TO GAZELLE Another method op teaining Gharkh and The people of the Fdrs desert train the by another method.

gazelle

P SSAGE SAKERS

Biflabirn to Gazelle.

cliarMi

In the early

and hnldhdv

Autumn when

passage sakers are caught, they tame^ one and lure gazelle's head.

When

dark place

in a

thoroughly entered to this

lure,-

bones get set and strong, and

till its

becomes black," and the bird

itself fills

— to

the

with the

they its

tie

marrow

out and grows stout and

Twenty days before the Naw-rPz^ f^^^y take it up, and every morning and every evening lure it,' etc., Avith the gazelle Now in the hot climate of this desert, young gazelles are head. vigorous.

born from between ten to fifteen days before the Natv-r/'z to ten to fifteen

hawk

days after

it.

then flown

of their small size

young fawns begin

fawn

given, and the

young fawns, which on account taken, and she is so flown till the

the desert at

in ''

''train"'' of a small

are easily to

go about with their dams.

After the

hnldhnn has taken seven or eio-ht fawns, she will readilv single out

young fawn from the dam. When in this manner she has sing-led out and taken seven or eio-lit^ fawn at foot, it is considered sufficient the weathei', too, has grown too hot to go out into the country the hawks are therefui'e of necessity set down to moult. the

;

After being taken up out of the moult, they are, next season,

given two or three "trains'"' before being flown at a large wild gazelle. If the falconer has the patience, this last

following reasons, the best.

^ -

' *

•

First; the

method

is,

for the

hawk, when taken out of the

Rmn

Jcardan, "to tame, to man." az garm-i talah slindan. V' inki inagJiz-i ushikhwdii-ash siydh bi-shavad ; an unusual idiom. Naw-rvz, the Persian NeAv Year's Day abont the 21st jMarch. " And make it play with the head " bdzl ml-dihcmd.

I?«'cZ

—

DaJd.

I know of two instances in India of a saker trained to hare taking a very small faAvn of a " black buck." ^ The author (vide next paragrajih but one) means seven or eight altogether. '^

Bi-qdni'in-i mazlcur

si ciliu bard-yasJi

ml-lushand.

TRAINING moult, luiving not forgotten the Spring,

quarry.

wIumi flown

will,

Secuncl

young bones Third;

will

wisdom, and

will

Do not be

happen

she

buck,

tackle

it all

let

hardened her

be liahlc to get swollen

i'eet.'

have

will

Icai-iit

your hawk, having been

will

not tackle a horned bucdc

you can

fly

her at

be together without a female.

siiiglr

mould

one

or a full-wrown

tw^o or three

bucks that

These three bucks have

certain to be rather smaller than

single out.

liawd-: will

you

find a

be even as big as the foal of au ass, she will

right,

i^ut

if,

one day, you

fly

her at an old buck,

hounds not arri\ing she wears herself out and gets jostled

or injured, you

not

will

the others, and this one your

tlic

the Autunin, single out the smallest

the least afraid that

If she is keen, to

killed in

slie

not be liahlo to get lost.

not been cast in one

and

or seven fiiwns

become domesticated,

liuve

entered to fawns, gazelle.

tlu' six

125

the long rest will have set and

;

so that

she

"sHAHIn"

I'HK

tackle

may

rest assured that in the

old

hucli.

She

will

still,

second moult she

will

however, take does, or

small young bucks that are only one or two years old.

holdhdn that has been trained by this last method

certaiul\-

better than one trained by either of the preceding methods.

CHAPTKK XXXVr TRAINING

Now, my

me instruct falcon may in the

son, let

so that thy

THK -SHAHiN''^ thee

the

trainini-o of

field excel those of

and thou thyself be acknowledged a master. thyself be a shdhhi, and thy horse, too, must be Falconers have compared the Shdhhi to a

an expert marksman expects from

his

the

:<lu'i]ihi

other sportsmen, First, thou

must

like one.

rifle bullet,

and what

weapon you must expect

from your falcon; she must not miss when cast at quarry within her compass. 1 Mlkhcik (vide chap. LVI), i.e., braised stoopinfT at the hard head of the antelope. feet from a variety of causes.

Narra dhu-yi shakh-ddr.

Vide note

and swollen

hawk may

soles

from

get swollen

page 42 regarding the confusion of the term shdhln.

126

BAZ-NAMA-Yr nasir!

Now know

the nature of

tliat

tlie

ShdhJn somewhat resembles

Goshawks it does not require many '' hand-birds " and ^'trains.'" Amongst falcons- it is the hero. Should a young ^ shdJiln come into your possession^ set her on a perch, and feed and fatten her* up till the rising of Canopus.'' Then slightly reduce her food for a day or two, just enough to induce her to step off her perch on to your fist. About half an hour after dark, fit her wi th a soft part- worn hood'' that cannot, by that of the

;

hurting her,

make her hood-shy;

a vice that can, by no of the

hood be too

manner

for hood-shyness, in a shdhhi, is

of means,

tight, her ears will

cured.''

be hurt, and she

the back

will develop

the incurable disease of " ear-ache."

Every half hour or

so,

unhood her near the lamp, stroke her on

the head and breast, and then I'eplace her on the perch.

Then

again take her up and hood her, and continue doing this for three or four hours.

After that remove her hood and place her on her perch

in the place that she is

accustomed

to sleep in every night.

Early

next morning take her up, hood her, and give her a small quantity of

meat washed

midday.

warm

water, and then set her on her perch

After mid-day take her on the

fist

and carry her

till

in the

At sun-down give her a few pigeon's or chicken's feathers washed in warm water, so that she may " cast " early and rid herself of glut and slime.® As soon as she has lost some flesh, shade.

Dast-far ra

hFil't.

"the black-eyed." Yuri or yaivrt, E. Turkish, is the joung of any Shdhln-i yurl. animal but I think only before it has begun to fend for itself. ^Orientals do not iiy hawks at "hack." "'Hack.' A state of liberty in which young ey esses are kept for some weeks to enable them to gain power of vfi-ng."—LasceUes. In Teheran about 15th September. In Baghdad about two daj's " /SV?/<7//-c7ias7im, •^

;

—

'->

later.

The hood used in Persia and in the regions around Basrah and Baghdad is quite unlike the Indian hood. It is, in fact, little else than It is a bag of soft leather with two straps at the back to tighten it. nearly the same pattern as one depicted in Falconry in the British ''

Isles. ^

Bad-lndilh, " bood-shy."

have heard

" hood-shyness," but real hood-shyness

is,

of sakers being cured of

I believe, a vice impossible to

Let a hawk sit barefaced during the moult for six months, and two days after she is taken up she will be as " hood-shy" as ever. A hawk is "hood-shy" that has, owing to bad handling, conceived a terror or hatred for the hood, and " bates " when it is shown to her. ^ Safrd, lit. " bile " (one of the four humours of the body).

cure.

" rUAJNING THE " SIIAlliX

procure a Inro made of

tlie

wings of a comiuou craue, and firmly

bind a piecu df meat on to falconer's It is

fist,

even the len^-th of her

its

name.^

Especially

jumps

jesses,

sJtdhJii

this

from the

suthcient.

it is

or the eyess saker to

such teaching improper in the

you have taught the latter to know name Hke a passage saker, and shonhl call her 1i_v it when she

case of the passage .shdhJn its

If slie

it.

not necessary to teach the

recognize

127,

;

for

hooded, she will mal<(> her carrier impotent by tearing at his glove,- or by " bating/' or lianu-ing head dnwnwards witli hci- claws

XXI STONE -PLOVKI!

convulsively to

come

Now '

lixcil in

us u'Idvc.

the luriuLC crv of

as soon as she

Hawks

it is suilicicnl to

teach the

fiJidkhi

'-do rr»o.-"

thoroughly trained

the lure of crane's

quickly learn to associate any particular

au'l peculiar sounil

with food. is in India "an assistant falconer," or one who " strokes with the hand." Eastern falconers use the voice freely in training hawks. The The translator luring cry throughout the East seems to be cnn mn. remembers more than one old-fashioned Panjabi falconer who prided himself on his '• coo.'' -

Dast-hasli, in

modern Persian

" a glove,"

BAZ-NAMA-YI NASIPJ

128 wingSj it

from the falconer^s

in the following

As soon

lure.

come eagerly and unhesitatingly to the moment that it is swung, you must,

as soon as sbe will

I.e.,

fist

manner, give her one or two

hawk binds

as the

it iu

Grive her several chickens in

morning and one

head and

and

lure,

hawk

the

let

Then, cut the chicken's throat and feed up

her claws.

the hawk.

chickens on the

to the lure, insert the

neck of the chicken through the wings of the grasp

live

in the

In the morning, take care that

in the evening.

your hawk eats no feathers with her meat, but her a "casting" of feathers.

manner, one

this

in the

evening give higher the

E,ecollect, too, that the

condition in which you train and enter a xholihi the better.

The next partially

and then off"

to fly

" seeled " so that

Go out

eyes.

cast

step

into the

let it fly.

your

.v// r7/(

7» so

show the pigeon

;

the pigeon has got away a

that she

with eyes

can see out of the top only of the

open country

When

at a blue rock^

your shdhTn

may

to the'^hawk

little

take the pigeon in the

distance,

Cut

air.

the pigeon's throat and feed up the hawk, giving her sufficient

food to with

last

Then

her for twenty-four hoars.

warm water wash away any blood

carry her home, and

and

stains,

cleanse her nostrils from congealed blood.

Grive

also carefully

her two or three

pigeons in this manner.

You must now mark down

little-owl

the owl, feed her up. cast the lure to on-

somewhere

If,

open

on the wing and your

inclination to give chase, let her go.

hawk shows an

her settle

As soon

Unhood your hawk and

country where there are no wells near.

walk up towards the owl.

If she takes

however, the owl gets into a hole, quickly

your hawk and

let

the (jround, for settling

her take

on no account

on the ground

in a shdhiii

let

odious vice.

on the ground Be gorged with delicate and dainty fare 'Twere surely then beyond all reason's bound, If

the ShuJiln

To hope

when

settled

she'll take a

quarry in the

air.

"' blue rocks in certain districts Kabutar-i cMhi, lit. "well-pigeon inhabit and breed in old wells. Ghuglid or linja-qnsh, the species already mentioned in Chapter YIII as inhabiting "ruins and being useful for a preliminary flight for a sJulh'ni that is to be entered to stone-plover. Panjabi falconers call the This species is not uncommon in spotted owlet {Athene Brama) chvgjid. The flight is feeble Persia, being often found in holes in garden walls. and slow, and it is easily taken by any hawk. The flesh is palatable to hawks.

•

—

TRAINTNfi

Huoil

liawk on

tlio

its

evening;-.

In the 1'ihkI

the open

Unhood

When llv

the

tbetl liev.

prtiNidinl

nioriiiii"-

129

Now

go and

ynwr falconer's bag for the

your liawk

— mount vour

lla^

not Ix^en given

and go out

litu'se

;

let

her see the owl and then

and

Kill the owl

it.

kill

into

let the oavI fly.

has ilown about twi'iity yards, cast off the hawk.

the

])iill

a place where there are neither holes nor wells.

shdhln

certain to take

now

evening

])lain, to tlu'

lure and

hiding [)lace ami put

owl out of

too nuicli

tlie

" THK " SHAHIN

and feed up

her two or three

wiili

f)f

tlu'

liawk.

She

You must

these "little-owls."

XXII HEKON STRUCK DOWN BY I'KKEGKINE (PHOTO TAKEN THE ground)

The next thing cast her so that

oil'

.TUST BEFOltE

THE HKnoX TOUCHED

to fly her at a stone-plover.'

with hor breast to the Avind, and then cut

s(|uats

on the ground.-

other foodj savintr

the

If she takes

it,

off

You must the plover

feed her

up on

pluvcr alive for another day iu case

Lane, in a note to Chui)ter x.\, Vol. Ill, of his incomparable tiaiis.'ation of the Arabian Xights, says that the stone-plover or karauthi is a favourite cage-bird with the Turks and EgA'ptians. - Fas datvr-i chdkhruq hi-glr iu li-Mncdhad : the author's meaning is not clear. 1

C/iok/irrnj, T.

130

BAZ-NAMA-YT NASIRI

must not

accident, for yoii confident. If

let

If slie fail to take

your hawk's success make you overit,

you have a made hawk,

and feed her.

lure her

it is

better to

unhood her

the

show the youngster the way. Here let me give you a word of caution. Should your shlliin fail to kill, on no account must you in luring her back release the bagged plover as she couies towards you do so only twice and she plover

first, to

will

never after be really good at the lure

habit of

;

she will contract a

waiting on " in expectation of a live bird being thrown

out for her, and will ignore the dead lure; then,

you have no

live

bird by you with which to lure her without delay, some eagle

will

be attracted to the spot, and she

Now

will to a certainty

lost.

a properly trained shaJiln should be obedient to the dead

lure; she should not require live ''band-birds "

To resume her,

;

you must

first

to call her

down.

take two or three stone-plover with

and then two or three hubara.~

mallard,'^

After that, three or four

common

heron.''

order mentioned, for a

slidhln

then a wild goose,^ and then two or three

Fly her at this quarry in the

improves by degrees ^ and does not require to be entered to large quarry by " hand-trains." ^ Should you, however, be in a district

where

quarry is not to be found, you must of necessity have recourse to " trains." Next fly her at a raven.^ If she take it,

all this

give her only a

morrow

fly

little

meat and save the raven

her at this raven from a good long distance

as she takes

it,

alive. :

the

as soon

cut the raven's throat and let her just taste the

blood, but feed her up on the flesh of a pigeon or of a chicken, for the flesh of the raven

not a suitable food for hawks.

hawk and go

the following day take your

where only two or three half-tame undistui'bed cranes 1

Dastl, adj.

Hfihara or ahiihara, Per.

MurghCihl-yi, sar-sah::, P.

yeshil, "

•''

;

and

some spot

to ''

are accns-

Ijuhdra, Ar.

murghdbl-yi

shil

hush, P.T.

;

xhiJ, for T.

green."

Htiqur (for ''uqdr) vide page 136, note 1. Pilla pilla bald ml-ravad : pilla (m. c.) is the rung of a ladder, ;

a step, etc. 7 Dast-par. ^ '••

the

Kuldqh-i quzqnn.

Bu si durnd-yi common crane;

Anglo- Indians.

nazdik-i drdvm va amln. Duma, P., or tjirnd, T., is also called kulanh or kulang the "coolan" of

—

131

XXIII Too'G

pebectRI>t:

(exgush block axd

ixdi.vx

hood)

132

BAZ-NAMA-YI NASIRI

tomed

Get close up to them and cast

to feed.

your shaliin "bind" to the quarry, get secure the crane's wings

;

cut

your hawk.

off

quick as you can and

in as

throaty rip open its breast,

its

and

feed your hawk. If the slidliln bind to the

head of the quarry bat

she will not

flesh of a

pigeon or of a chicken, and, on the morrow,

you.

fail

the 6-hdhln approach the crane close, but neither strike

nor stoop at

it,

warm

for

flesh

;

act in the

same way,

amongst falconers

i.e.,

'Asholun chase the quarry at which she

lure her

accepted as a fact that, is

she

will,

and feed her on if

unhooded, only for the

warm

length of her leash, and be then quickly fed on flesh,

go again

and quickly feed her up

after a slight struggle, call her to the lure

on the warm

let it

palaiahle

on the morrow, chase the same quarry for double

that distance.

Fly her, I say, on the morrow, and again If

fails,

lure her

she again chases and

and feed her up on warm

flesh.

you have patience and act as directed, she

certain, at the

third or fourth flight, to take the quarry.

Recollect that a shuhln

hawks;

in disposition

the contrary,

differs

in disposition

the most noble.

from

all

other

eyess cliarkh on

lured and fed after she has turned

tail, will,

from

the ignobleness- of her nature, contract this habit of turuing

tail.

Not

so the

shdMn,

often yards, she will,

for if she

will

be rewarded on the lure after a chase

on the second day chase for

on the third day, either take the quarry, or

earnest stoop that she If

may be considered

fifty

else

;

and

make such an

have taken

your shdhm binds to the crane high up

yards

it.

in the air, seizing

by the head, and then, when nearing the earth, unbinds and strikes it to the ground, you must be close up to render assistance by seizing

You

the crane to prevent

should, too, have

charMi, ready

disabled

Even

;

for

it,

not disabled, from escaping.

with you an old made hawk, shdlun. or

to fly at a quarry that it

the habit

perhaps only partially

most shdhlns to uubind and

The common crane has a very sharp claw, which it uses in defence. if the falconer make in at once, the hawk may suffer a permanent

injury before he arinves to her assistance. ~ Dlla va past-Jitrut, " io'noble " dila, apparently here the diminutive of dil, " of small heart." :

—

Xn ATXTVO THE

altogether

release

second made li.iwk

the

([uarry

STTAIlTx

bct'ort,'

183

touching the

earth.

therefore necessary to secure the partially

disabled quarry.

Should ynwv tui'u tail,

Should Call

sJu'tlil)!

you should

this lui'

he buffeted by

tly In r t'nr

expedient

fail, try

ilic

crane and in consequence

a few days at crane just at sunset. the following'

remedy

to the lure of crane's wing-s for

luT at no ([uarry), and

kill for

a day or two (flying

her undei' the lure some live bird.

XXIV INTEKSIK\Vi:i>

I'EKEGRINES (fROM A PHOTOGKAPII BY LIEUT. -COL.

ItUiDlLPlI)

After that mount your horse, go out into the open country and her at a raven, an

hubara, or a stone-plover,

three, at a little-owl.-

her on the

warm

flesh.

or,

failing

tly

these

Take one of these three with her and I'ocd Next evening fly her at a crane and she

Haggards'" will often nubiiul to avoid the concnssion on striking the ground and then rebind. The translator had a haggard saker trained to kite, which never failed to unbind he cannot, however, recollect a case of a young passage hawk, peregrine or saker, unbinding either from heron oi- kite. The Persian author is here writing either of the eyess or of the young thdl'm, captured some time before September. ChvgJid or hdya-qush. '

;

134

BAZ-NAMA-YI NASIRI

will not fail you,

shdhni there

tliat lias is

son, think that

yon

will

and

will,

compared

to a

raven does not.

latter."

;

the

Flown

former

Quite so

— but

at a heron she will

the

The raven and the

resemblance to

for

spoilt.

a heron

is,

say to herself,

and the other

there are two kinds of crane, one suitable

unsuitable

mar her

doing,

crane, a small and feeble^ quarry, one that your

will easily take."

" Hallo

at a

that a heron closely resembles a crane in colour

in shape, while a

hawk

remake her by flying her

Often have I seen a crane-hawk so

You may argue

tail,

a flight at a raven or a stone-plover.

heron; for on the contrary, you crane.

For a

been buffeted by a crane and therefore turns

no medicine

Don't,

but will return to her former excellence.

the

rewarded by warm

crane

flesh,

;

game

for

stone-plover, successful

no more of

;

however,

flight

have

either,

the

duly

strengthens a shdhln's courage.

your shdliln that slays the long-legged crane, Fly at her prey, and haply fly in vain, An your heart wish her to resume the chase, On raven or stone-2:)lover try her pace. Then, when at length at crane she may be cast.

You'll find this flight will far sui'pass the

—

But

let her kill a heron then goodbye For naught but easy quarry will she try

She'll say, "

last.

strong tenacious crane for So long as easy crane like this I see."

Another remedy for a crane hawk that has turned

tail is to fly

her several times with"' a made hawk, giving the latter a goodish start. When the " cast " has taken one or two cranes in this

Bl-jdn-tar va Icnchah-tar va tnaf! /ik-tar. In Europe the heron was justly considered a diflBcult quarry. Its powers of flight, however, have been greatly over-rated. A heron, even " on the passage,"* is an ensy Hiyht to a good jDassage hawk. But hawks, at any rate after the first flight or two, fly at this quarry with great deliberation, and stoop at it with some cau.tion, for the heron wlien high up malves half-hearted dabs Avith its beak at the hawk. An experienced haAvk generally knocks about the heron by stooping several times at the shoulder or point of the wing. I have known a " haggard " break the heron's wing by a stoop. Some hawks bind to the heron's feet sticking out behind, and so drag it down close to earth, out of range of its beak they then close, on the ground. Bd-ham jandh anddTchtan. 1

the passage,"

i.e.,

its

regular flight to or from

its

feeding ground.

TRAININO

manner, reverse the process, turned

A In

"sirAHTN" cast

tliat is,

the

a little later

become

like this, -she will fii^'hts

with a

and

Don't fancy you can give

will

Distkicts.

Let

K'ir(lisfi7ii

you work her

One

—

you that there

tell

radius of two or three farsakh

slink'ni first

life

all

where

Siilai/mdniyaJi

has within a

the quarry you want

and

;

lastly,

have ever

quarry suitable for a shdhln

all

this varied

all

These are the only three places

the district of ShJraz. in

to three

more are unlawful.Possibly Vdu are wondering

next, the province of Baijhddd, which

•/'

come across

spoilt.

l)e

yourself what district will produce for your (jiKirry.

that

are permissible;

s]i(7]iln

Hawkixh

Good

stale

hawk

the

first

off,

a day without spoiling her.

Hio']it>;

135

made hawk.

sh(7]un differs h-mii oilier falcons.^

ten

!•

ami then

lail

TIIK

be found.

"AVaftixg on."

— For

the passage shahin''

your

.s7(''/;7//

;

Avaiting-on " flights, the peregrine^ or

better than the eyess shaliiu."

to " wait on " she will

common

as wild goose, etc.

crane,

you

train

never take large ([uarry such

ruddy shieldrake, common heron,

but she will, however, show you excellent sport with small

([uarry.

'The

beauty of the

it.

that she does not

kill in

in this

so on are, in a

she

off

your

gallop

fist

That his haw^k should take unusual quarry

a bullet, to seize

it is

it,

when you

that

sJulirni lies in this,

on to large quarry, unhooding her at

and

her wild state

he exhibits his

hawk's wild

state,

skill.

the pride of a falconer,

Pigeons, plover, duck and

her natural prey

;

these she takes

without the falconer's teaching. " black-eyed." Hardm, "prohibited; that whicJi is unlawful.'" Kurdistdn, in Turkey in Asia, N.E. of i\[osopotamia. ^ The Mack ibis, a favourite ((uarry in India for the peregrine, is not Gulls are found in tiie vicinity of found in Persia. Baglidad, etc. Sliiraz, notabl}- in the open ground round the " Tak]Lt-i Jamshld " or ^

Sii/i'ih-chaf^hm,

•*

Perse]iolis. »

Bahr'i.

Shi'ihtn-i tJirl,

Shdhm-i

lit.

a netted sliuhin

/'??v

for

tur'i.

nsJiiydm.

" shahin " here the author presumably refers to the eyess.

136

CHAPTER XXXVII TRAINING THE PASSAGE SAKER TO COMMON HERON

must

train the hdlabdn to heron, she

described, to a hire

When

she

made

knows the

be trained, as ah'eady

first

wings of

of the

common

crane.

hire well, get a live chicken

and

tie it

the leg to the lure, with a string about twenty inches long.

hawk from

the

a long distance, casting into the

air^

force

and eagerness and

seize

chicken^s throat and feed up the hawk.

the

hawk may

may come

fowls in this manner, so that she

Cut the

chicken.

Let her

kill

Lure

two or three

times, the lure garnished with the chicken, so that the

come with

two or three

with eagerness to the

lure.

Now close to If

go out into the open country and find a night-heron,^ get

and

cast off your

hawk

it.

*.^

you find a night-heron on the edge of a small stream, cast

your hawk, and should she take will

not

aud

in the

fl}^

it,

morning give bind a

feed her

up.'^

If,

however, she

to her alive as a flying train

meat on

it,

"train"

ao-ain in the evenino^.

train, ^'

it,

off

you must take one with a shahin or with a goshawk

not take

you must

little

fly

its

back.

When

Fly her at

she will

this

same

she will readily take the

her at one or two wild night-herons and at

one or two purple herons. *

*.'^

Huqdr, corrup. of the Arabic 'ugdr, which is possibly also the name In some parts of Persia and in the Kapurthala State Sakers are not as in the Pan jab, the common heron is called bilttmdr. or hare. are hubara to they to to heron as easily entered In Basra and a lure " in India dalha, coirup. of talha. Tahiti, P., Baghdad the lure is called haftura, but in Kwet and Bahrain Island ^

of the white egret.

milwd,ih, root unknown.

Vdq, "night-heron " Kapurthala State awdnh. '

;

some parts

of the

Panjab ivdqwdq; in the

short description by the Author, of the night-heron, being unnecessary, is here omitted. Sakers as a rule do not fly this quarry unless entered by trains. The flesh of the night heron is not injurious to sakers, vide page 137, note 6. few lines describing this Jarda, evidently the purple heron. the wing looks nearly as large purple heron on The species are omitted. It is, however, a feeble quarry it is very slow in as the common heron. The flesh is not as coarse or flight and is unable to shift from a stoop. fishy as that of the common heron. ^

;

—

TKAINIXG THE

Now

common

procure a bagg-ed

mdliq- feathers

tie

SAKEK TO COMMON HERON

TASSACili

a piece

ot"

meat

lioron

and on

its

ib)ld the hoi-on by on(> wing,

it.

stand some distance

oil'

with

the meat, let her pull and eat a

now

little

seel the heron's eyes so that

better it

Imwk.

tlu'

still,

bind two or three of

ma}' iMin on the

and go

off

and get your assistant

its

may

not sudih'iily ring np''

flight-feathers together so that

ground and extend

wings,

its

As soon

as the

heron's back, but unbind

Release the heron, and

has flown ten or twelve paces unhood and cast off your

As soon

hawk.

her again days,

Wlien the hdhlhdn binds to then remme lier. Yon must

hawk takes the train feed Ium- up. On tlu' morrow, again tie meat on to the the flight-feathers so that it may tly well. when

broad ydr

very jirmlij so that there

possibh' cliaiK'o of your liawk being' abh» to disengage witli

137

as she takes

give her only a

the evening in the same way.

gradually iHMlucing

As soon

back."

it,

as your

the

hawk

quantity of flies

the hei'ou

little

meat and

this

fly

for several

meat on the heron's in style,

seizing

the neck without regarding the meat, cut the heron's throat and

fi'ed

Next day procure a fresh heron but tie no meat on its Let it fly, and when it has flown a good distance unhood and

her up." back.

saker that kills purple heron will kill common heron. In any case a saker that has killed iiight-horon will take a train of the common heron without the back being garnished with meat. Vide note 1, page 112. Tt is very rarely indeed that a bagged heron will attempt to ring If once taken by a hawk, it will generally, when the hawk gets up. close to it, drop to the ground. It is always advisable to give " trains " flying, especially to sakers. Sakers do not, however, require flying trains of hubara. It is not necessary to tie meat on tlie heron's back even for a saker, and most certaiidy not necessary when the hawk has already been flown at purple herons or night-herons. However, sakers are not spoilt by beinLi" given many trains as are peregrines they do not easily become what Indians call ba,r/ll-band or " train-bound." No matter how or where a train is given, hawks at once recognize that it is not an ordinary wild bird. A saker (unlike a peregrine) should not get a full feed of heron's Some sakers flesh, nor, generally speaking, of any water-bird's flesh. after a full meal of duck or heron will cast their (jortre, sicken, and die. For some reason the flesh of the night-heron and of tlu' purple heron is not injurions at least I have never lost a saker by feeding one on t/ie flesh of these birds. When entering a hawk to a difficult quarry, it is always advisable to kill at least one " train *" under her, and to let her plume the feathers a litfle and eat some of the flesh pigeons' flesh may then be substituted. Vide page 188, note 5. 1

•'

—

138

BAZ-NAMA-YI NASIRI

cast

When

your hawk.

off

she takes the heron, feed her up.

Withdraw the dead heron from her grasp and of ten or twelve yards that she

quarry

;

then

her go and settle on

let

Again withdraw and

beakfuls.

may know

procure another heron, one

Get an assistant

ring up.

about a hundred

high

ell

to "'

let

Wash

once or twice and then hood her. clean the " nares ".-

Now

to a distance

that that

her dead

and take two or three

dead heron to a

cast the

hawk go

distance, but do not let the

cast

her " bate

towards

strong of

that

flight,

the heron.

release

any blood spots and

off

mount some high place

— and

little

hawk on fist, take stand below hood of the hawk and let her discpver

—a

will

place

You must

be mounted, and,

this

Remove

the heron

the

She

above her. if,

after getting

have

will

above

spot, but fully

She

it,

and

she jaakes two or three stoops at

it,

find a wild heron

an easy and suitable

have with you as a "make-hawk"'' a hdhlhdn that to

ti-ained will, of

this

First

flight.

make

course,

it*

Feed her up.

before binding, whatjsetter?

Next -day, go and

exert herself to get above

spot.

cast

off"

your young haAvk.

four or five stoops at

the heron, but

should the heron com.mence to ''ring" and the hawk show signs of slackening, then at once cast off the " make-hawk," so that the jealousy of

young hawk may be excited and they may

the

Feed up the young hawk

together

take

the

that you

may

give her washed meat*' the day following.

As long

quarry.

as your hawk, while ringing

beating'^ her

wings quickly,

well,

up with the heron, keeps

a sign that she

trying to get

Indian falconers also do this. " Nares," a hawk's nostrils. ^ An exaggeration an ell is 40 inches. * Sar zadan, " to stoop " in some districts lagad zadan, lit. " to kick.'" It is very seldom that an experienced hawk will bind to a wild heron at the first stoop. Herons in the air try to use their beaks, and hawks prefer to knock about a heron first, by striking it on the point of the shoulder, and then to seize an opportunity for closing. Once, after binding to a heron in the air, as both birds were falling, the heron seized a hawk of the translator's by the wing and made it scream. Buldhdn-i iistdd, "make-hawk," i.e., an old experienced hawk to lead and " make " the youngster. ^ Ishtihd dddan, lit. "to give an appetite to"; by this expression the author always means washed meat. Bdl-ash rd bar liam mi-zanad, " to beat the wings." 1

;

TRAINING

above

but

it;

tlie

moment she

has given up.

slic

lure of crane's wings,

under the

killing,

hrr up well a

case, at

this

and

the lure

her

call

a chicken

down

sail,^

the

comes reward her or

l)y

pigeon, feeding

nf falconers this

dropping from

than taking ten herons

better

once

as soon as she

either

lure,

139

JIlUiON

ceases to beat^ and begins to

for in the opinion

;

lieiy-ht

SAKEK TO COMMON

I'ASSAGE

TIIIO

she

now your property u]) till now she has been merely a loan. Next day" go and find a liei-on in an easy place, and first cast oil" your young hawk at it. As soon as she has made one or two stoops, cast off the "make-hawk" (before the Iutou commences to ring) so that they may stoop at it alternately and the ;

two may take

the

together.

following day feed

her

following that, again Hy her at a heron.

condition^ and not too for her to

— uidess,

even

fail,

course,

a broad

into

and

fat,

and on the day

lightly;"'^

If she is in her proper

also hungry,

impossible

the heron ring up into the Seventh

eagle

interferes

stream that cannot be crossed.

the

Heaven^

heron

drops

Should either of

these mishaps occur, lure her without delay, and foed Iier well.

In the latter case, you nuiy consider she has taken this heron it

though she had done

she will not If

your hawk has had a hard flight after a heron, she should

however, she

no harm

it,

kills

and not flown a second time that day.

giving her a second

you want your saker

young passage saker

far lictter for this flight that

the moult, a

If,

vciy quickly and without exertion, there

iho

flight.

tly

her for this flight alone and not

the morrow, please God,

fail.

be fed up on

so.

heron well, you should keep

lly

her at anything

tirst

else.

immature plumage,''

the " intermewed " hawk," for, after

hawk becomes heavy, and cannot ring up

after

Bal-ash rd dar hard nigdh ml-ddrad, " to sail.'

The author must mean the third day, as he has said above tliat hawk is to be given washed meat on the day following. Vide note 6,

the

page 138. Giu-isna-ash bi-kuii, lit. " make her liungry." ' Agar hi-ji'inht-i k hud- ash asl. The Seventh Heaven, wliieh is Abraham's, is the under the Throne of God. Bdldbdii-i hiizij>'(ri^=chftz of India. '

•'

•^

Tulaki, "moulted": tCdak subs., "moult."

highest

140

BAZ-NAMA-YI NASIRI

For one or two moults a hawk

heron. a

for

useless for

of fashion/

sort

this

but after three or

you

flight;-

indeed

will

heron

kill

four moults

she

must procure a young hfddhdn^

it.

CHAPTER XXXVIII TEAINING THE PASSAGE SAKEE TO COMMON CRANE

You must know

that

the pride and glory of a falconer that his

it is

hdldhdn should take

common crane with dash and

resolution,

i.e.,

that she should stoop quickly and bind soon, not letting the crane

away any

get

distance

;

then your mounted friends can watch

the sport closely, and applaud the

exploits

of both

and

falcon

falconer.

There

hawking, only two forms of the sport that can be shared by a crowd; firstly, crane-hawking with the Ixlhlhdn, nnd are, in

secondly, heron-hawking with the hdldhrin

hundreds of sportsmen

can together witness and enjoy these two

flights.

all

other

whether with long-winged or short-winged hawks,* the

flights,

smaller the party the better.

Though training

a hdldhdn to

and troublesome than training trouble

Now

common heron to

more tedious

any other quarry,^

still

the

repaid.

you want to indulge in the sport properly, you must have with you five or six active mounted men, two or three trained and keen hdldhdnt^, two or three keen shdhms and two charMis if

trained to eagle; for

hawk makes hawk

hawk"

it is

there,

want a dead crane

and it

you want

there.

yon want a ''make-

a live train

it is

you have not

there, or if

all this

you

equipment

Bi-murdan murdmi l-ar-l mi-hunad. There is no reason why she should be useless. I have had an intermewed saker of twelve or more moults that was still a first-class hubara hawk, and intermewed peregrines of ten moults that seldom failed to kill either heron or hubara. Btlluhan-i farkh farJch, pi. ofrdMl, A., often means a nestling, but also, as here, (a hawk) in the immature plumage. Lit. "black-eyed or yellow-eyed"; sujnh-chashm and sard-cliaslim. ^ ' In India the common kite is considered the most ditHcult quarry of all for the saker only the saker is flown at it. The kite is very rare in Persia, except near Bushire. 1

•'

TRAINIXG Tin; PASSAGE SAKKR TO COMMON CRANE

you must

yourself,

otherwise

join forces

you

for

possible

not

will

with some sporting friend train

141 "i-

friends,

your hawk

to eagles.

Before entering your passage sakcr to train Iut anil

From is

Autumn

the beginning of

''mad":

except an

will

eagU"

its

wild

tyranny of the eagle and has learnt Well, from the beginning of Naio-rF'z

you must

Vou must then get

heron. wings,''

Festival,

and tying meat on

and then

fly

your hawk

fly

state its

biiuls to the

meat she

thus, once in the morning,

)ii

give her

call

ignorant,"'^ is

given

has experienced

i.e., it,

the

might.

Autumn till ten days before the your "igimramus" at common

a live uninjured crane with unshortened its it.

back make If

run and

llap its

wings,

she seizes the crane by the head,

a sign that she has a big heart ami

it is

beginning of Spring, the

take a train' of anything that

— for

;

to the

what the Arabs

must

as already described.

lOo,

immauii-e passage saker~ it

crane, you

when other hawks take crane, you must her feet,^ to make her keen and plucky.

most days, one, in

common heron

her at

tly

common

only middling.

and once

in the

well-j)lu(d<:ed,

but

In either case,

she

fly

her

evening.

The next day show her the crane and let it lly a little,*^ and thru tlv your hawk at it do this twice as on the prcvinus day. :

Bdsh-qandt dddan : brisk. 'l\, " head,"' ami ii<inat, T.. ' wing." Tins consists iu liohUng a live hagj^ed bird iu the hand and yetting the hawk to "bind" to it from the distance of a foot or so, or getting tluhoodi'd hawk to l)ind to it and then unhoodin<^ her: tlie liawk is of course rewarded either by a pigeon's wing stealthily inserted under the train's wine, or the train is killed and the hawk allowed to eat a little. ^

Bnldhrin-i liHzyi'ir. Majhfil. DaJd n hi'ilt. In a note the author says ddld means clanf-pdr, but as he elsewliere, page 12;5, note 1, uses daJd for "train" of a deer, this i-endering appears inaccurate. The crane should not be dishevelled. In any case hawks quickly recognize a " train." I had a young peregrine that, on taking its first wild liei-on, was badly injured by another liawk, and in consequence w.iuhl. however, alway.s take It refused even to look at a wild lieron. It bafrered heron released in the iuu'dc Iiefore the hood was removed. crane. also took a bagged common Probably one or two flight- feathers would have to be tied together to impede its flight. The common crane has a sharp and powerful claw that it can use witli cttcct after tlie hawk binds. This should be -

3 '

•''

•5

blunted.

common

A hawk crane.

of the translator's once had its

wing ripped up by a

BAZ-NAMA-Yl NASIRI

142

On not,

the tliird clay,

must be cast

off

the crane will

mound

meat as before being bound on bind If

the

to it in

air,

back

feed up your " ignoramus "

— the

hawk may

that the

ground together.

to the

cut the crane's throat, and

possible,

—

head and pays no attention

to the crane's

the meat, you should,

but

;

some high place

— so

and both birds come

you find that she binds

or from

its

and good

well

fly,

being of course understood that

you have plenty of bagged cranes or the means of obtaining them. If,

however, you have but this one

'^^

train,"

you must

stealthily

under the crane's wing a blue-rock or any pigeon

introduce

coloured like the crane, and feed the

hawk on

and putting

a chicken under the wing,

or else introduce

;

head

its

into the

hawk may not hear

foot, so cut the throat that the

hawk's

the chicken's

cries.

the following day

fly

hawk

the

from a longer

at the crane

distance.

Now when crane,

and

you see that your hawk thoroughly recognizes a any

will resolutely fly at

traiii

first

shown

then released from the hand, you must proceed as follows

Get a crane, and as before sharp front claw

—a

meat on

tie

together, so that the crane

and drive it is

it oS"

its feet

rising

from your

crane,

and

fist

the morrow,

nor with

till

two stoops bind

fly

assistant to carry

to a distance

its

beak.

Now

its

— and

seel the eyes

your hawk at

fly

lie flat

until

make

while

your hawk,

straight for the

to its head.

you have a fresh crane that

on the wing; but,

hawk by

its

no meat remains, and

should unhood the hawk and

cover, so that he

Cut

back.

no way frighten or injure the

without hesitation, will

after one or

then either

Continue this practice, increasing the distance,

but lessening the meat

may

and

then bind the two mandibles

;

ten or twenty yards, and

on the move.

claw as sharp and deadly as a hawk's

insert a string thi'ough the nostrils

hawk, neither with

to its

will

her at that, after

the crane will

not

fly,

you

put

you nnist get

and there release

it.

He must

on the ground, or conceal himself behind some

may be near

render speedy assistance to the

seizing the crane's legs as soon as

the

hawk

binds to

head.

For a few days,

too,

you should release two cranes and three

cranes in company, so that your

hawk may

single out one.

TRAINING TIIK PASSAGE SAKER TO COMMON CRANK If, in

the district where you are, there are

haw

tliey

i.e., if

143

cranes to be found,

still

not yet mii^'vated out of the country, go

somehow

the open country and take witli you a uiadc-hawk too, and

Tlicu, as soon as ])ossible,

or other with the latter take a craiu'.

and east

vards, unliood

a liuiidrc'il

Cut

sure to t:ike the crane.

hawk,

and when

freshly caught crane Hy,

let this

giving" her the heart

tlie

give

;

<>nt into

has flown about

your yDiuiy

off

She

liavvk.

crane's throat, and feed

some

lier, too,

up the

of the small neck

feathers as a " casting."

Next take your hawk out find a solitary crane put

your trust in God and

however, you tind

a tlock

do not even

//;/// A*

doing

so.

you

her at

ily

knowdedge

falconer's

young hawk

cast off the

crane

taken,

during

'*'

and

once give

you

tind

make-hawk," but

however, you

il",

not Hying with resohition, tlun

"raake-hawk" to her feed up the young hawk on

time

Hy her;

you that ynur ynung hawk

tells

master of the situation, do nothing: the

it.

— as you did yesterday.

Have by you

it.

a solitary crane,

next day, again go out hawking, and

the

solitary crane,

your

her at

ily

fail tu tind

a crane,

your young hawk as a flying " train

you liappen

of ten or twenty, on no aecnunt

you must with your made hawks take to

and

into the country,

if is

that

see

loss of

itlioiit

the

A\lien

assistance.

it.

Spring she takes one or two cranes, return

this

thanks to God, and tly her at iiothing elsi' set her down in the " mew " to nioidt and act as will bo explained later. Leave her ;

in the

mcAv

till

all

hawks

ytjur

When

nioidti'd.

an.-

she comes

out of the moult, you must treat her again exactly as you did when she was lure,

ignorant."

go and

fly

can be better:

Imt \'evd

•'

at a

she

" train,"

releasing

coinnion heron.

common

irive

her

distance.

will

she takes

it,

nothing

she has no inelmation for

well,

the " train," to-morrow she

taken one or two

soon as you have rt'-ma.de her to the

her up.

does not work

take

active

Lfood If

to-day

it,

oi-

heron as she

takes

After she has

wild heron.

herons, you must turn your attention

to cranes.

Take a crane with your old "make-hawk," show it

fly,

and then feed her up on

T ulak-khana.

it.

her and

let

Next, give her two more

Bi-tuLak baslan.

Vide page l4l.

144

BAZ-NAMA-YI NASTRI

" trains " of common crane released secretly

meat

on their backs.

tied

As soon

these should have ''

as she takes the

train

feed

•

her up.

. .

Now

go out and find a half-tame' crane; stalk

close as jDOssible to

and get as

it,

then, placing your reliance on Grod,

;

fly

your

young hawk at it. The nearer you get to the crane the better. As soon as your young hawk has got a short distance, cast off an The first hawk will make a old " make-hawk " to her assistance. stoop or two ; the " make-hawk" will then arrive, and will keep the crane engaged and overpowered till your mounted assistant, arriving in all haste, secures it and prevents it doing an injury to the hawk. Feed up your young hawk on the crane. She is now well on the road to being quite made.

Should

this

tame crane take wing when you get

no account be tempted

to fly

your hawk at

it,

close to

for the crane

get away a long distance before your liawk binds to

second crane then joining in the fray to

may

birds

assist its

and injure your hawk that she

so buffet

may

and a

it;

fellow,

will l)e

it,

both

useless

for further sport, or else so frighten her that she will ignore the

and be

lure

lost.

In either case the labour of two vears will be

lost.

Hawks,- whether kinds

;

loug-wiuged or short-winged, are of two

those that the falconer must assist, and those that assist the

falconer.

hawk

that

given but one " train," the falconer.

made

such a

hawk

and

valiant,

gives assistance

mettled, high-spirited,

Another requires ten "trains" and bagged birds;

such a hawk demands assistance /Vom the falconer. Well, for

five or six

days you must

fly

your hawk secretly^ as

described above.

Now

listen attentively to

what

am going

to say.

When

you

means one that by feeding in crops [•"rom what the presence of men. disregard come to has near a village taken on be crane to apparently intends the he says later, the author was not a The hawk will recognize that it the ground while feeding. 1

Amln,

" tame, quiet," probably

bagged one. Tuyur-i slnhdrl. Salaf a word explained by the author in a marginal note to mean Apjtarently by this terra the author means that a li-duzda, '• secretly." solitary half-tame crane must be stalked when feeding and the hawk allowed to bind to it on the ground. ~

•^

145

TRAFXIXO THE PASSAGE SAKKR TO COMMOy CKANE are stalking this solitary half- tame crane

— should

— or

may be two

hey become alert and seem ready to take wing, hood

your hawk ami

settle again, follnw

— not

tliciii

may

distance that they

iiujve off to a little

up, or c\^v

settle

Should they take

down ami again busy themselves with grazing. wing and

cranes

one, or

others,

tiiul

down to their walking about and picking up grain, unhood your hawk even thouofh rile distance be somewhat more, and when your hawk You sights the crane, place your trust in God and cast her off. two, or three

more.

As soon

as they settle

must judge the distance, and when your hawk is twenty or thirty yards from the crane, you and all your mounted men ^ must suddenly burst into a gallop, i.e., you must so time matters that just as the crane

the

first

stoop

is all

forced to take wing the

hawk

three cranes are sure to

reaches

and

fall

it.

on the

sit

You and your falconers will then roach them and they will ;>,gaiu rise. Your hawk, however, will he in tlu' aii' and will command all three. If you see that your hawk is slack, then

ground.

without hesitation cast

oif

an old " make-hawk "

her assistance.

aim I have iu view, Whate'er the deed I try to do, Success, I'm certain, will be mine With Thee to help me, Lord Divine W'liate'er the

Whether

the

young hawk takes

the crane

after a few stoops the make- hawk arrives and

tirst

whether

herself,

binds to the

crane, matters not in the least.

On no account must } on this season, i.e., up to Spring, Hy your hawk at a large fleck of crane, for the combination of cranes is like that of no other living thing, and your hawk is only in her second year. In the opinion of the author, a young falcon in the better than an " intermewed " one of one

first

year

moult,- for the

young

"ignorant" and "mad"; it will obey any order that is After given her and will lly any "train" that is shown to hei-. one moult, however, she has learnt a few falconer's stratagems and hawk-^

The whole party would probably be mounted:

falconer would be the exception. - Buzyfir-i bihtar az farkii-i lOlak ''

dismounted

ast.

Farkh. 10

146 is

BAZ-NAMA-YI NASIRI

not easily deluded

she

lias

not yet learnt

she will have done so by the time she

Now

you

fly

there

all

know^

past her second moult.

hawk

your valuable passage

(of

one moult) at a

large Hock of crane, say a flock consisting of thirty or forty,

and keen on

or less, she, being pluckv

and ^'bind " in time, all

hawk

the

to one.

well

not, the

and your hawk

so buffet

will

may be completely cowed.

that she

be spoilt beyond re-making.

will

flock

she will become cunning;"

spirited,

this quarry, will single out

you and your mounted companions are up

but

;

and bang

by nature high-

not naturally plucky she

such an accident does happen,

remedy is to fly her, ten or fifteen times, with a good make-hawk, and then, somehow or other, to manage to take with her alone in the Spring two or three more suffers,

However, there

cranes.

in the Sjiring^

a great risk in flying a passage saker

whether she be a young hawk or Avhether an "

mewed"^ one

one moult;

only two or three cranes.

hard in the heat recovering her

the

and

If fails

therefore be

content with taking

one day your passage falcon works to

kill,

she will depart.

For

you

will

hardly succeed in

this reason

you must not be

When

impatient but be satisfled with only two or three cranes.

your hawk has so killed, feed her up well, place your trust

and

set her doAvn to moult.

inter-

After the second moult she

obedient bond-slave, and she has learnt, too,

all

there

in is

God, your

know

her business.

When

you take her out of

means or other, manage Next you must, with an the spot give

that she thinks

hawk ^

common heron. hawk, take a common crane, and on flying the hawk at it in such a way

old

a wild one.

Now,

in this third season,

your

thoroughly and completely trained.

The

himself.

second moult, you must, by some

to take with her, first a

as a " train, ^^ it is

this

is not at all clear. He appears to contradict probably a copyist's error somewhere.

author's meaning"

There

" thief." Sakers leave India in February, i.e., much earlier than Peregrines, and the migratinor instinct seems to be more powerful. When the Spring stirs in their blood and the migration restlessness is on them, they will sometimes when unhooded look up skywards, and call. One sign of their becoming mast is bobbing before rousing. Possibly, too, sakers nest earlier than other falcons. ^ " Intermewed," i.e., moulted in captivity. " That is the heat of Spring. '

•^

BuziJ,

lit.

TUAINIXa THE

PASSAOfc;

SAKEK TO COMMON CRANK

147

To guard against accidents,^ you should every year keep a good young passage-saker and ti-;iiii Iut to tlio iliglit of the coiiiiiuin heron, so that should any accident liappen to one of your crane-

hawks, you to crane. lose a

have l>yyou a youngster

will

you

oiuit to

take this precaution, you

whole season's sport.

trained

various

ready for being entered

all

(quarry,

some year

will

Your "mews" should contain hawks whether your hawks are sakers or

sh(7h7n-'<.

As soon

as y(^ur passage saker singles out

crane, out of a

tioek of

her and release their comrade.

will

attack

her

business,

on above the

she

She

the cranes.

will

until

will

the cranes

all

You must

all

one

companions

its

ihe

hawk knows

once release the crane, and waiting

flock will not lose sight

which she bound again

say thirty or forty,

and binds

of the

particular crane to

you arrive on the spot and again put up

then again stoop at her selected quarry, when

will

attack her and release the captured bird.

gallop as hard as you can

;

neither

nor well, nor

pit,

You must not draw rein till you are the fray, when every sportsman should unhood

stream must hinder you. right in the midst of

and him.

cast off his saker or peregrine at the quarry that I

myself have often, out of a flock of

nearest to

taken four

live,

;

have we knocked over birds with sticks and clubs.

too,

shooting them, that

There

;

dred others in the

when your air,

hdlillidn

takes one,

they will one and

all

droji

valour and a fine there are a hun-

from the sky like

a stooping slidhm, attack your hawk, and perhaps kill her:

they release their captured comrade they

This

air.

how

for

quite easy.

no bird to equal the common crane

sense of honour

often,

till

not again take the

will

that five, or six, or seven, cranes out of a

"herd'' can be seeui-ed or

killed.

had

sovereign Imt

live

thousand cavalry possessed of the valour and resolution of the

cammon

crane, he could conquer the world.

and your men must gallop hard, not funking

Well, as well.s,

Miid.

you

and streams,

and holes. Baray-i yndagt u ihtiydt. A good saker flown at kite in cantonments will sintrle out and stick to one bird, even when the air is black with kites. Indian falconers generally .=;tdect a young female kile at wliich to unlirod the hawk. Whether, if the hawk were unhooded at an old bird, she would not be tempted to abandon it for the feebler flight of a young one, is a question, ^

10 *

148

BAZ-NAMA-YI NASIRI

You must know

that thei-e

no sport more

and crane, but there

of the saker

also

than that

difficult

none better

none, except

;

that of the lion with a buffalo, and the cheetah with a gazelle.^

have hunted, many a is

inauspicious

lion

and seen trouble therefrom,

for the lion is the

;

Commander of the Faithful'-^ Lieu of God. Hence the sport the

follows tried

will certainly see

— but

will regret

it,

King

of Beasts,

whom

(ou

no good

;

and His Highness

advice to you

for

no benefit accrues therefrom.

styled the

baleful,

still it's

for the sport

be peace)

of the lion

and he that

fine sport

ou no account to do

I have

;

so, else

you

CHAPTER XXXIX ON MANAGEMENT DURING THE MOULT

Now

let

management

say a few words concerning the

in the moult.

The more hawks

any kind are flown

and the better they are protected from the severity cold, the better

and quicker

will

they moult.

in the hot regions of Persia

you must pay the greatest attention

Now

to the flesh

hawks quarry

of heat

and

cleauer

Further

cold.-'

you give them, not

you do, they

will

fall sick. if

you wish

moult your hawks

Baghdad, you must construct out of proportionate to the river

Hawks moult

than in the

feeding them on one kind of meat only, for certainly

bank where the

in a hot region,

split-cane a "

mew

number

of your hawks, building

Sliinu7l

wind can constantly be

of this house or I'oom, enclose an open space with a

such as

" of a size it

felt. wall."''

ou the In front Inside

^ It is not clear what the author means by " lion with a butfalo." The hunting leopard is trained in other countries besides India to take antelope and gazelle. ~ By this title the Shi'ahs refer to '^4/7. The writer was undoubtedl_y a Shi'ah. The Sunnis of the present day, but not the Shi'aJis, style the Saltan of Turkey " Commander of the Faithful." ^ Garm-slr va sard-sir, hot regions and cold." Tabrt~, Tihrnn and parts of IsfnJidii are sard-sir. The city of Isfahan and of Shlrdz are "'

" middling."

Shimdl, " Xorth," is the name given to the prevalent wind in Baghdad and in the Persian Gulf. " The wall would naturally be of mud or of sun-dried bricks and ^

would cost

little.

ON MANAGEMENT DURING THK MOULT

149

the room, construct at a distance of forty inches from

man\- liolldw

mud

you

platforins as

of the jilatforms with

sand and

liavc liawks.^

the room also to the depth of a span

I'^ill

gravel, and spread

fine

witli

tlio wall, tlio

top

tlie lldor

sand and gravel.

the

platforms intemled for short-winged hawks, spread leaves of willow, or wild mint,

fi-esh

and green, or any other kind of greenery, so

may

that the hawdcs

down and

lie

each platform, construct

tlie

Every morning

with red clay.

rest on

ground early,

it.

Next,

in front of

small bathing tank lined

you must sprinkle the

inside

and every evening as soon as the sun has set, you nmst take out your hawks, short-winged and long-winged, and " weather " - them in the open-air enclosure that is in front of their of the nuMv with water,

dug out

Tn the outside enclosure, too, there must be,

room.

of the

ground, small tanks, which should be lined with clay. Doubtless you are saying to yourself, " Why can't I substitute a copper or

an earthen basin

Now,

Avere

you

copper or an

to substitute a

earthen basin, there would be a danger that while splashing about in the water, the

moulting hawk might strike the half-grown wing-

or tail-quills that are

of blood against the

full

hard substance of

the basin, and that the injury might cause the blood to dry up in

become "strangled," and would with a tank of beaten clay and sand

the quills, which would thereby eventually drop out. there

Now

no such danger.

in short, every

hawk

enclosure also, must have its own loathing-pool. " Rangle."^ In front of each long-winged

—

hawk

this outside

there should

be a handful of jiebblcs ranging from a size smaller than a pea to in

the

swallow small stones on most afternoons before they are

fed,

a size larger than a bean

mew

;

for

it is

the habit of

all

falcuus

Should them up again with a great deal of "\n]c." a hawk have stones in her stomach Avhen vou feed her, she will

and

to cast

Sakii

"wooden bench,

a garden seat"; or as here a "

mud

platform."

The author has not expressed Inmself at all clearly or else there are omissions in the text. The passage might mean that the platforms should he forty inches apart or be forty inches liigh. - " Weathering" is placing hawks, usually unhooded, in the open air on blocks. Eastern falconers do not " weather " their hawks, as during the hawking season the hawks are on their fists in the open air many hours. ^ ^

have never seen a .saker eat stones. Safrd, " yellow bile," one of the four

humoms

of the body.

BAZ-NAMA-YI NASIRI

150

meat

retain the

the stones.

in her feet

Not

till

and wait a

little

till

she has cast up

then will she feed.

Short-winged hawks do not eat " Rangle."

— Goshawks

and

other short-winged hawks do not eat stones in the moult.

During the in the

moulfc

you must feed your hawk twice a day, once

moruing and once

in the evening, letting her eat as mucli as

she pleases, so that she be gorged.^

"mew'^ be

If the

in a " cool-region/' every short-winged

hawk,

from a common sparrow-hawk to a white goshawk, should have a

room

to itself, proportionate to its size.

made on

the north side.

this

few air-holes should be

room, two or three perches of

varying thickness should be erected, and the perches themselves should not be turned to a unifonn thickness, so that the

may have time.

ground.

a choice and select a perch that suits

hawk

feed the

fancy at the

its

roomy bathing-pool must also be constructed Next, place in the room a piece of matting [made

cane] to the centre of which a cord

twice a day,

till

she

attached. is

fat.

hawk

first

As soon

in the of split

you must

as she

is fat,

the amount of her food must be a fixed quantity, and this should be

bound on

to the centre of the

when she

feels inclined.

It is fact, it is

matting and

left,

so that she

may

not advisable to keep falcons loose like this in a room

feed

;

injurious to do so.^

^ In the plains of India, hawks during the moult should not be so gorged, at least not during the four or five months of hot weather. Hawks that are kept too fat will not moult properly. Further they should be fed only once in the day, and that in the morning. If gorged in the evening, their rest is affected, and they do not get the benefit of the slight coolness of the night. 2 I one year, in Kohat, India, tried moulting a young (^chilz) peregrine in a large outhouse, high and roomy. The hawk did not moult at all, and frequently got so fat and heavy that she was unable to fly up to her perch until her food was reduced for a day or two. How-

falconers in in a loft.

evei',

England recommend keeping a moulting hawk loose

—

151

ciiArrKu XL REMEDIES vow ST.OW

-NrnT'T.TTXO

generous/' the other Moulting lunvks are oi two kinds; the oue quickly; the "miserly." The "generous" are those that moult ^'

" miserly " those that positively refuse to part with their feathers. description Shuiihl y,.u happen to have a hawk of the latter

and wish

Receipt

make

moult quickly, then

procure a snake;

one hand, and then chop extremities

breadth of

its

its flesh. 1

Item

hoopoe.--

off,

hold

head and

it,

together in

and give your hawk a

hawk a few days on your hawk daily, concealed

feed your

give

tail

with one blow, about four fingers'

skin

;

its

little of

the flesh of the in a thin slice of

Item of sheep.^ meat, one ant-lion with three of the saliva-glands alternate days dry and grind up some hornets,' and for three :

sprinkle this powder on

your hawk's meat.

Item:

reduce your

a little hawk's food for three or four days, so that she may lose of Grind up the skin of a snake, and twice a day give some flesh. ''

her with her meat.

this to

Item of

will quickly

cast her feathers."

dry, in the shade, several saliva-glands taken

sheep.

She

will

from the necks

Grind one before feeding and mix it with her meaj;. during the space of six soon cast her feathers. Item puppy. her thrice on the flesh of a nine- or ten-day-oUl :

days, feed

She

'will

quickly cast and renew her feathers.

This receipt

hawke Ther of Redde ben

an ihall tell vow verray true medeeynes for to mewe them. Will assay haftyly that ye fhall lulene for trowthe and ye "

Kow

edders that be inWoddys or in hc(l£?is Worinvs caldc be nakys of the lame ther also and and he is calde vepa. nature of tliem and Imyte of or ii Take and tliey be verri bitter. kvnde take a new erthen pot: Then their hedes and thendys of theyr taylis. ito rmall gobettys * * *. —hokeoj and rut Ik that Was neuerused. 1

Albans. 1 , ^1 " and not the lapwmg Hudh-ud, the " Bird of Solomon is the hoopoe, Qui-an. as supposed by some translators of the = of animals. -/;7//Tr7r/f7 or (^'/(/»r/; fonnd in the neck derived from the * Aceordincr to the old-fasliioned theory of medicine, are cooked in butter Greeks, hornets are "hot." In India wasp-grubs the meat. spices, and the butter is then spread on St.

with

•

crind by rubbintr on a stone as Indians do curry spices. burmg the Indian hot weather, a fat hawk will sometimes start moulting, if merely reduced in condition. '

152

BAZ-NAMA-TI NASIRl'

specially beneficial in the case of long-winged liawks^ particularly

so in the case of the peregrine,

other kind of hawk, for

which moults better than

any

moults quite two months earlier than

other hawks.

CHAPTER XLI ON FEEDING ON JERBOAS DURING THE MOULT

You must know

that during the moult there

for both short-winged and

two-legged

absence of these

rats

flesh

In the

of the autelope-rat, is

good

particularly

flesh of the

(jerboa).

jarhi/''^

you must catch house-mice

Let your hawk eat her fill For where is the food that

The

no food so good,

long-winged hawks, as the

by the Arabs

called

rat,

better than that

about two or three months

when your hawks are half-moulted, having three to four flight- feathers of each wing uncast. At this season the jerboa is vei"y fat, and hawks find its flesh palatable. The properties of the jerboa's flesh are First it keeps your hawks in perfect health for, though the weather is hot, the flesh

before Autumn,* that

is,

—

;

of the jerboa

cold.

Eip open the belly

put your fingers inside

and

birds, which,

cold.

Second

will last

till

you

every

one newly killed and

will find that, unlike all other beasts

when newly

nourishment from the

and

;

killed, are hot inside, the jerboa is

feather

your hawk

flesh of the jerboa will

that

be strong and

the next moult without fear of breaking

feathers have the pliability of a spring.

draws

I say this

;

its

pliant,

for such

from experience

;

saw a gazelle, when the hdldhihi bound to its head, trip and roll over and over with the hawk for twenty or thirty

for I once

and

fall,

This is not the experience of Indian falconers. In a wild state peregrines moult late doubtless the duties of maternity retard moultiug. I have twice caught healthy haggard peregrine " falcons '' at Christmas that still had an unshed flight-feather. 2 Properly yarhu'. ^ Milsh-i khdnagl mush is either a rat or a mouse however, rats, except field rats (jerboas, etc.) are not found in Persia. (Doubtless ship rats are found in the ports.) The Persian Autumn is supposed to commence in the end of ^

;

September.

;

153

ox FEELINr, THK PULSE, AND ON TnK SIGNS OF HEALTIf

The hawk's

paces.

However,

bruised.^

and lail-feathers were badly bent ami

wing*i

restored them

Third: the fur makes yo\ir liawk cast

water; not one was broken. twice daily,

you can feed your hawk twice

(if

afternoon, on the jerboa with

the moult there

feathers

them.

God,

Fifth I will

daily, morning-

the better

Fourth

attrrnoon).

tlie

;

a very lino and powdery blouni

and

not,

the

u\\

the

though a delicate powder had been sprinkled on

;

much

fur, so

its

feed her on this flesh once,

end

with the help of warm

all

an excellent tonic for a sick hawk,

as,

please

explain later on.

CHAPTER XLU ON FEELING THE PULSE, AND ON THE SIGNS OF HEALTH

sou, thouu'h

life

the physician

treatments as

1 will

and

deatli are in the

for the relief of

temperament

known by

mav remain on

record.

tiic

heat and

holding- the

ilie

moisture of their

wing and feeling the pulse

it.

Know, in

experience proved beneficial,

the pulse of birds lies in the second

tiiat

the wing, and that

joint of

still

Such remedies and

the sick.

<iwu

lure set down, so that thc\-

Now, you must know

have by

hands of the Creator,

wlidui

that

tlii'

pulse of

miii in ])erfect health (that

the tour huinnnrs

ari'

balanced,

man

one humour prepon-

\\*>

derating over another), has seventy-live pulsations to the minute. 1' 1

preponderate,

hiiiiiidit}

beats less;

heat, more.

prey, however, on account of their natural

from 135

140.-

If the

bird be fevered,

humidity preponderate, then

The

signs of health in

she mutes, ^

Mdnda,

"^he

heat, the pulse beats it

beats more; but

less.

short-winged hawk are these: she

should be bright and ever on the look-out

mournful nor moping.

In birds of

The morning

for

food,

and never

casting should be firm.

When

should do so quickly, and the mutes should be cast

" braised, ci-ushed"'

an unusual expression. Later on, under "Hectic Fever or Phthisi.'?,'" the author states that

the pulse of a

hawk

in health

;

1"2U to 130.

1-^4

Rl/->fAMA-YI NASIRI

away

clear

to a distance

-^ :

the white of the mutes should be very

white, with the dark portion

somewhat

She should drink

firmer.

and should bathe. After feeding, the stomach" should be quickly filled. Wlien in the evening you place the hawk on regularly,

her perch/^ she should not sleep in the centre of

move

to one side to do so.

health; but

hawk

that does

all

it,

this

but should is

in robust

out of sorts these conditions will not be found in her.

CHAPTER

XLIII

ON DISEASES OF THE HEAD AND EYES It

may happen

Remedy

should

for three days

that she

that a cataract foimi on your hawk^s eye.

may

arise

If so

from humidity of temperament, feed her

on larks and sparrows, giving- her the feathers so

cast in the morning.

brand her with log-wood

Should she not recover, then

between the eye and the

nostril

on both

making two small brands the size of a peppercorn. Item take a tamarisk stick and put one end in the fire. Then take sides,

piece of twisted cotton-wool and apply the oozing sap, quite hot,

to the cataract.

she be "

moved

Give her also one small dose of mauna,° so that '"^

a few times.

Item: remove the

fine film

with

scissors.

Should your hawk^s eye become white, so much so that the pupil

from the snow,''

covered, then, effects of

and should

the disease arises from excessive cold or

snow, treat as follows. this fail foment"^

Bemedi/

with water.

steam with

Should she not

then be cured, foment with curds.

Should the defect be due to cold and snow,

will

be removed

When she mewteth a good distance from Gentleman's Recreafion, ii, 63. ^ Khizdna, the " pannel." ^ "... ye shall say cast yowre hawke to the perch, and not let }oure hawke upon the perch."— i?o7i-e of St. Albans. ^ i.e., with a stick of log-wood (baqam) burnt in the fire. Slnr-khisht, a species of manna collected from certain trees. Ifjdq slmdan, a medical term. BuMiur ha barf kardan : snow is placed in a basin and a red-hot stone or iron cast into it. ^ Bukjiur bd dh dddan is either to foment or to steam with hot water. ^

her."

•''

" Slice " said of a

hawk, "

—

ON DISEASES OF THE MOUTH by these remedies, but as follows.

Bem-iJ;/

the eye, and

slio shall

procure

remove

while

its yall.

sli )ulil

blow, then the cure

di-aw a stick of limnr caiistir twice across

be whole.

and

i-uck

must have performed the hxed facing-

.Should she not

slay

(Von must be

your hawk, and stand

from

arise

155

Ijc

whole, then

according* to ordinance,

in a state of

and

ceremonial purity and

Then east and "mail" With a pure heart and

ablutions.)

the (llbla}

single faith, doubting not that the whiteness will disappear from

Holy God! Thou who canst melt the mountains, remove this whiteness from my hawk's

your hawk's eye, cry aloud, the rocks of eye.

O Thou

wlio

Change

this wliite spot; restore

Saying

this,

makes the eye both black and white

my hawk

to sight."

squeeze the cock's gall into your hawk's afflicted

eye.

Should a cure not be effected the

first

time, repeat the remedy,

using the same observances but a fresh cock-gall,she

will recover, for this

Please

God

proved remedy.

CilAl'Ti:!;

WAV

ox DISEASES OF THE MOUTH

Should your hawk's^ nuaiih become ulcerated, or break out eruption so that she

Remedy

first

unable to

eat,'

then:

bind a piece of cotton

cloth

our hnger.

Qiilu the (Hrection of prayer, that is, towards Mecca. cock's crow is, Zi/cr Ullah Ztkr UUah, iji'i ghdfiUn ! " Praise the " Lord, Praise the Lord, oh ye slothlul ' (j^>~i>ih : a term applied to auj- large bird of prey, and especially to goshawk. the * This disease is '' the frounce i the mouth " of old English falconers. It is said to resemble thrush in children and to proceed from damp. The Boke of St. Albans tells us that " The frounce commyth when a man fedith his hawke withe porke or cattil" flesh iiij days to geyder.'' la India this disease, though not uncommon amongst tlie short-winged hawks, does not seem to attack the long-winged hawks. I have never seen or heard of any falcjn being atHicted with it. Bert, however (page 82, Harting's edition), says that the long-winged hawk is more susceptible to it than the short-winged. '

The

BAZ-NAMA-YT NASTRI

156

which then introduce into the hawk's mouth, and rub the eruption

Take sumac and

the blood comes.

till

pounded and

gall-apple,

You

mixed, and apply them with the finger protected as before.

must is

your finger right up to her throat, for the disease

insert

sure to have spread

thus

Item

far.

when

feeding, the

she eats, but

bii'ds

of a

she can swallow them^ only

that

size

her throat,

be carried down by the bones, and next morning the throat

will is

bones and feathers of the neck of the

Should any excrescence remain

with diGSculty.

same way,

Then, for a few days, give

substituting syrup of pomegranates. her,

treat in the

again scraped and cleansed by the casting.

Item

make a

twist

Grind

of cotton cloth, three or four fingers' breadth in length.

barberries with their stones, and mix a

little

and apply

which must be inserted as

this freely with the

far as the crop.^

cloth,

Then withdraw the

juice of willow leaves,

cloth,

and

God

pleases

that ailment will be removed.

Swollen Palate. and

— If

your hawk's palate becomes swollen

have seen a hawk's palate so swollen that she could not close

her beak

— then

mouth.

If the swelling is red,

Treatment

brand

with a packing needle, so that pus cured. it is

If the swelling

You must make

lengthways,

may

long

slit

rub the wound with black pepper, that

she

may be

an indication that

have escaped your

liitherto

remove the congealed white substance from

You must

two places,

may form and

white and hard,

of long standing, although

notice.

hawk and examine her

cast your

the swelling and then inside.

its it

may

not

After that refill

with

hawk on

the hot lights^ of

a hare, and let her eat this flesh with the blood.

Once a day wash

matter.

out her ^

mouth with

Hawsala,

further feed the

either

sumac

juice or

pomegranate syrup.

crop."

Jardliat, '' wound," in m.c. is " pus, or matter from wound " mddda is pus inside a swelling before it is opened. "

•'

Jigar-i safal, " white liver,"

i.e.,

" the lungs, the lights."

an open

;

157

CHAPTKK \]X DISEASES UE THE NOSE

Should your Imwk he she draw her breath air,

a sign

Treatment:

rliar

tor

wiili ditliculiy

"tire"

witli

force,

and should

mid her crop become

filled witli

the air ])assages of her nostrils are blocked.

one or two days, give her, as 'Hiring" and food,

the tough thigh of a fowl

induce

uii;il)le

;

for the exertion of palling at this will

water from her nostrils.

a flow of

some sneeze-wort

Wery

fine,

and put

end of the reed on the hawk's

nostril,

that the j)owder enters the nostril.

Should in a line

and blow

this fail,

pound

reedj place one into

the reed so

After a few sneezes, there

should be a flow of water from the nostrils, and the ailment should disappear.

Iffni

mix the

of a turnip-radish,

be cured.

Ifrni

juice of coriander seed Avith the

and drop

this

into her nostrils,

and she

juice will

with a stick of log-wood, bra ml her skull from

the base of the yellow cere of her beak, upwards, for a length of three barley-corns: it

the bi'and be longer than three barley-corns,

brain-pan and be injurious. This is a last resort Arab proverb has it, " The last of remedies is the

will reach the

for, as

the

cautery."

CHAPTER XLVI ON DISEASES OF THE EAR

Should your hawk get a swelling on the produces pus, the chances are that she disease does nothing more, sport.

This ailment

hawk

is fitted

will

found

short-winged, hawks, for to say, a

ear,

will

which afterwards

become deaf

this

at least reiuler her useless for

the long-winged, rarely

arises from an ill-fitting hood;

the

that

with a hood too large for her, which she

consequently casts repeatedly;

the

irritated

falconer

then

ties

Kuiidush, Ar., a sternutatory plant, said to be identical with the nak-chhiknl of the Hindus. '

BAZ-NAMA-YI NASIRI a knot in the strap, aucl this kuot, pressing on the ear, results in a

wound ^

For

Avhich refuses to heal.

this there

no cure.

once had an excellent gazelle-saker that became afflicted

In spite of this ailment, however, she used to

with this disease.

take daily, one, or two, or three gazelle. years without effect, and

I treated her for

then died.

slie

and applies

If the falconer detects the iujury in its initial stage

two leeches

the swelling, a cure

two

further treatment will avail.

You

itiaij

effected.

If not, no

now understand why

will

cautioned you, in a previous chapter, against jsutting a new hood

on a newly caught falcon, or on a falcon just taken up from the Let the hood be soft and part-w^orn, and of a

moult.

size that fits

the head.

CHAPTER XLVII ON EPILEPSY If your epileptic

hawk have epilepsy hawks when you

—

quarry, but just before you will let go, fall

voice

;

fly

her

come up

have owned and seen many slie

will

perhaps take the

render her assistance, she

on her back, and utter strange cries

her wings and

of water

— and

an unnatural

be agitated, and there will be a flow Unless seized and " mailed,'^ she will

tail Avill

from her mouth.

not cease from her distressing struggles.

In half an hour, perhaps,

she will recover. I

once had a passage-saker, a \evy fine heron-hawk, that was so

afflicted.

One day

Qizil RuhfJt" 1 flew her at a heron

birds went ringing up high.

and

Suddenly the

though a bullet had struck her she

and over.

She never recovered from her

fell

fit

attacked

and both

my hawk,

to earth, turning over

injuries.

The the knot would press on the ear. is soft Gulf a hood used in Baghdad and in the ports of the Persian leather bag witli a strap, the eje-coverings being slightly hardened and made to protrude. This pattern differs essentially from the Indian 1

difficult

to see

patterns. ~ Qizil

how

Khdniqdn or. Bagh_il<ld to Ii'uldt is on the road from Khdnijru, about seventy-three miles distant from the former and seventeen from the latter both places are in Turkish territory. :

ON EPILEPSY Treatment: pound a

round parcel

a small

Have

reaihj

squab,

and

ten

i/our

the

little

packages of sacred

luke-warm

water,

cohl

aide

any delay

for

after

may

act quickly

put

;

earth.-

water,

a is

paper packet

tlie

down

into

your hawk;

cast

sal-

negligence

sunrise,

twenty holes with a needle

make

and

sugar-candy,

niu/ning,

the contents

so that

niisqdl

chicken-pnulr,

dangerous.

make

and mix together half a misqdl^ of

and half

aramouiac

159

the hawk's

and then give lier a fi'w hits of meat the size of" a pea, induce her to " put over," so that the medicine may reach the

throat, to

low-er

she

stomach

will

vomit.

then set her on her perch to rest.

At the

first

vomit,

sometimes happens that she

up two or three dead white worms, but

casts

At the second

case.

medicine

and

packet,

vomiting,

third

also

In half an hour

purse "^

not always the

this

she

will

up the

cast

yellow

After

fat.

Now

she has cast up these two things she will vomit no more.

hawk, and pour a good deal

cast your throat,-^

and release

her.

^Vait

again cast her, and this time

Then

set her

on her perch.

of fcjiid water

down

she has twice muted and then

till

rulJ water

])i»ur

down her

— the breast,"

but no feathers,

li'

she

— that

much out

and won't feed, pour the warm blood down her throat as from the cut throat, and, chopping np the also

down

her throat

then after a

give her some of the breast.

Item

brand

her neck with

throat.

Alter she has muted once, cut the

throat of the squab (or of the poult), and let her eat half of

one side of

her

little,

heai-t into bits,

of sorts it

issues

put

them

when she has recovered,

This treatment a line, at

is,

will

cure her epilepsy.

the junction of the body, and

Misqul : 2i niiikhnd :^^ 1 misqdl nearly ^ oz. avoirdupois. Basta-yi tiirhat is a small amount of earth from Qarhnhl, from the grave of Inv'nn Hiisayn it is tied up in a little bit of cloth and makes a packet about the size of a l"2-borc bullet, or less. 1

KhizCnia. Klsa, '' purse" the same word is used by Panjab falconers. About three dessert-spoonfuls should be frisen. After this, or similar physiciug, an Indian falconer tills the hawks crop with water by inserting a tube (usually the shank-bone of a crane or heron, made smooth at the ends) into the crop, filling his own mouth with water and letting it flow through the tube into the crop. Peregrines and Shdhlns will usually drink of their own accord. ^ Yak slna, the yak haghal of Panjab falconers. Easterns have a passion for branding things. •^

•'

160

BAZ-NAMA-YI NASIRI

vary

lier

as a

hawk

may become

food every day, so that she in the

mew.

The

sufficient quantity of olive oil

and a

olive

oil,

manna.

little

and

fill

and stout

Item: get a

disease will disappear.

pull off the skin of the thigh whole,

manna, the

as fat

Slay a cockerel,

the empty skin with the

and some old and whitened droppings

of a doo-.

Please God, this will prove a perfect cure.

CHAPTER XLVIII ON PALPITATION 2 This disease

and

dirt.

make the

The symptoms

tail ^

all

arises

from smoke and dust

three are the same

slightest exertion, she

and her body bone."

One

of three kinds.

draws her breath with

she breathes, her

tail

hawk

difficulty,

agitated from the crop to the far end of the

When

keel

and the feathers under the

heave, and the wings are carried loose and drooping.

Treatment fatten her

\mt the as

much

hawk

in a dark

as possible.

room and keep her

in front of her, that she

larks, with the

quiet,

and

Give her three doses of castor

Keep water

on three alternate days, before feeding her.

oil,^

the

may bathe and

drink.

Feed her daily on

bones and feathers, and on young pigeons.

(On no

farhih. Ghdq, T., means " stout, healthy, well," and of a ready to cover." " Khafaqdn, proper!}- " palpitation of the heart." The disease described under this name appears to be identical with the " Tejne " of the J]n],-e of St. Alhans and with the " Pantas " of other writers. Markham describes the latter as " A dangerous disease in hawks wliereof few escape that are afflicted therewith it proceeds from the luugs l^eing as it were baked by excessive heat, that the hawk cannot draw her breath and when di'awn cannot emit it again and jou may judge of the beginning of this evil by the hawk's labouring much in the pannel, moving her train often up and down at each motion of her pannel, and many times she cannot mute nor slice off if she does, she drops it fast by her. The same distemper is also perceived by the hawk's frequent opening her chip and beak." ^ ^Azm-i zaicraql, " the sternum." Dum-l7ca I do not know whether this is the " Pope's nose," or the feathers under the tail, the " brajles or brayle federis " of the Bolce of ^

Ghdq u

stallion "

;

St. Albans. "

Rvghan-i

tiarctiaJi is

in m.c. " castor oil

;

viile

note

o, l^age

171.

—

161

ON PALPITATIOX account feed

hawks).

One

licr

piofeoiis reai-ed

Fatten lnr

tlie

till

ii]i

on millet, for millet

disease leaves

temperament

with the slightest exertion and there

jiauts

discharge from the mouth, eyes, and nostrils, and she

wiping her eyes on lur shoulders costive

as well.

)l)serve

(

complicated

mutes,

witli the

good meats.

can, feeding her on

previously described, give her

she )nutes

;

she mutes

droppings of a dog. bnttci-, or

inent

almond

take

lilanelu'd

oil.

a sign

she

still

twici', in

the

you

lier as fat

manner

and manna and the whitened

mix

mute

of ])cach-kernels, with

oil

disease

licf

tlinl

make

alternate days,

It'

the region of the

Once, or

oil

continually

probably she

Treatment

costiveness.

liy

a watery

;

small (junirlties at a time, the soft feathers

vent getting sculod

them

to clean

when

her

poison to

lior.

variety of palpitation arises from moisture of

tlio liinvk

her food either

in patches,

oil

almonds, and mix a (luantity

witli

then

Trcaf-

of filberts, and

ecinal

oil

to a ftiinjacl;~

then

dip the cotton-wool end of the clyster-stick-' in these three

oils,

means give her an enema twice a day, once in the morning, once in the afternoon. Feed her, too, on young pigeons, and on larks, and on the flesh of the wild boar and of eagles, and, and by

if it

its

Item

please God, she will recover.

and removing cotton.

burrs, etc. etc. from

all

Hound about

it,

the middle or "

get some sheep's wool, tease

waisf

out like carded

of this wool, tie a

piece of silk of two or three strands in thickness, and about two

spans

meat

hawk

AVash the wool

in length.

one end of

it.

warm

Holding the end of the

it,

show her other meat

indiu'c her to " ])ut over

" the wool now

as vou have ascertained bv touch,' that

water and bind silk,

tlio

little

induce the

to swallow the wool thus garnished with the meat.

as she has swallowed

and

As soon

to excite her cupidity in

her crop.

As soon

wool has reached

Mar:-{ M.i(sl-7, "dryness," i.e "costiveness." Snujad or sinjid, a sort of red wild plum, oblouy;

ilu'

shape like the

''nnnah or jujube. '^

in oil

Shdf or shdfa

a stick with cotton wool at the end

and used as an enema

;

this is

dipped

for children.

stomacli and l)0wcl with the fore-finger it is easy to Indian falconers, who have tell whether the stomach is full ov empty. a liawk on the fist for nuuiy hours every day, can frequently tell by touch whether the hawk has cast "' or not. Tlie " easting " apparently forms only a short time before being ejected and can be distinctly felt 1

feeling

tlie

by an educated

finger.

162

BAZ-NAMA-TI XASIRI

lower stomacli, pull the

silk

with

and withdraw

it^

aud

bring up

will

any impurity there may be in the stomach.

If the

hawk be

goshawk, or indeed any short-winged hawk,

substitute cotton- wool for the sheep^s wool.

water, or in the milk of a

hawk soaked

given to the

washed

cotton-wool, or the sheep's wool, be

If the

young

This disease

incessantly

much

the better.

due to a blow, and those skilled this, " Contusional and Incurable is

probably due to the ill-temper of

Perhaps the weather has been cold and there has

your falconer.

been snow

warm

or of a donkey, and then

with the milk, so

The third form of palpitation Avian Pathology have named

Palpitation."

girl

about: the hawk, suffering from the cold, has batedtill

the

ill-tempered

falconer has,

his

irritation,

"mailed" her in the skirt of his filthy coat. The result is that some ribs, or small bones, have got bi'oken or injured. Or it may be that the hawk was low in condition and maddened by hunger, and in pursuit of her quarry

buffeted her and boxed her, and then

dashed herself against a stone, or against a branch, aud so broke

Remedy: send

a rib. let

him have thirty or

for the

falconer

and show him the haAvk

forty cuffs over the head

;

kick him out of

your service and see that he does not get a place elsewhere, and about procuring a new hawk for yourself. Palpitation " there is no treatment but this. set

For

Contusional

CHAPTER XLIX THE SICKNESS CALLED KABAJ,^ WHICH The symptoms

COSTIVENESS

of this disease are, that the soft feathers

under the

tail

and round the vent are soiled by the mutes; that when muting

the

hawk

and

raises her tail higher

than usual, mutes with

difficulty,

unable to cast the mutes clear to a distance.

Treatment

feed the

hawk

for

some days on the

liesh

Burd7i, " a snow-storm," a word not in tlie dictionaries. Parldan, " to fly, i.e., to bate." The iTSual punishment would, in Persia, be the bastinado. The author probably wrote in Baghdad where the bastinado is not used. ^ Apparently the " Stoone in the fundement " of the Bul-e of St. Albans. 1 "

•^

HECTIC FKYHi; OR cocterel, sprinkling

dil.

//'///

her food,

vai'v

;

sparrows, and the larks called

peach

before feeding her: give

mixed

in a

please God,

drink her

hvi- also a pill of

ciiii'd.

If fin

lill.

T\ei^]i

take

cunnnin seed,' a quantity

adjacent parts with the slir

falconers. of

sliall

jtowdered sugar-candy-

may

Item

two

filberts.

and powdered

kernels,

the size of

walnut.

Sprinkle

the vent; then anoint the vent and

days

this for three is

the

practice

in succession,

the

ancient

anoint her vent a few times with a mixture of

jasmine, white wax, and

shin-bone of a

of api'icdi

This

whole.

water ever near her, thai she

oil.

aduiiuister

will,

oil

(Ui

oil

She

ecpial to

the poAvdered cunnnin seed

and

and aliuonds;

of cow\s butter the size of

])at

Apply the

the cotton-wool in

dii)|)iiig

kernels,

kernels, apricot

pigeons and

hei-

u'ivini^'

Ainbs (jamharali.

l>y tlir

clyster-stick as already described, of

;

Further, anoint the vent with almond

feed her thus twice a day. vv with dlivi'

of the iiiarsli-inalli>\v

tlic juice

tlie fiesli witli

168

ruiiiis'is

o-oat

and mix

the goat be an old female, so

pitch.' it

Ifrm

oil

take marrow of the

with her food for a few davs.

niucli

the better.

CHAPTER L HECTIC FEVEK

As mentioned

in a

Or>

riTTTTTS;TS

thirty.

of all

faster

winged or long-winged, If

you are unable

of her wing, or

in in

pulse of a hnndred-and-twenty or a hundred-and-

The pulse

as the shi7ji7n

human being minute, while a hawk

previous chapter, the pulse of a

sound health has seventy-five beats to the

good health has

hawks is, however, not alike for instance, ami more poAverful than any hawk, short;

so, too, it

fixster

to feel the pulse of a

after discovering

has a

you

pulse.

hawk

in tlie

find that its

second joint

beating

too

Mat sh-.M;illow." It used in medicine. - Powdered sugar-candy i.s a simple and harmless purge for hawks. About eighty grains' weight is a suitable dose for a female peregrine in

Khafml,

tlie

the latter that

"Persian Hnllyliock," and the

••

good condition. There are two kinds of cummin seed, the black and the white the former is used in cooking, the latter in medicine. Zljt, "pitch,"' and also a kind of ointment said to be made of black damar. •'

Tah-i luzim.

164

b1z-nama-7I nasir!

rapid to be counted,

know

Another symptom

that both by day

head under her wing inordinate throaty

appetite

she will gorge

her crop

symptom

and by

nig-ht,

she puts her

the meat appears in her

meat and throw

at ;

till

of hectic fever.

Another symptom

unusual times.

and even then tear

no more room

that this

away, there being

but the more good food she eats, the

thinner she gets.

Another symptom

that she

unable to cross her wings, but

them droop one on each side of her tail, and loins uncovered. Another symptom is bathes more than usual. lets

leaving- her oil-gland

and

that she drinks

If the disease be not of long standing but has reached the

may admit of cure bat you may set about ]3rocuring

or second stage only,

the third stage,

yourself, for her case

Now

this

and from heat

;

first

has reached

new hawk

for

hopeless.

disease arises from both humidity of temperament, :

from the former there

from the eyes and mouth.

Treatment

will

be a slight discharge

feed her twice a day on

pigeons, larks, sparrows, black chickens,

and pork.

her daily one white pepper corn;^ and

you notice an improve-

ment

by degrees

increase the dose

pepper corns.

Item

till

in her food.

change her perch

the to

disease

in size to a pea,

arises

Item

and give

grind

to her

from heat of temperament,

another room and thus give her a change of

Feed on jerboa

air.

five

roughly crush some ginger and give her

cinuamon equal

give

you can give as many as

daily with her food a small piece the size of a pea. finely a piece of

Item

rats, land tortoises,

and cockerels.

of water, give her to drink the juice of ispaghul,-

Instead

and sprinkle

dried ispaghul seed on her afternoon meal, giving her also feathers

with her meat.

When

will find that she will

the heat of her temperament abates, you

no longer drink the ispaghul juice

;

you must

therefore exert your falconer's skill and get her to take in the

morning about two or three misqdl ^ 1

Vide note

White pepper"

of the juice with her meat.

is prepared by divesting- the ripe berry of its skin by maceration in water, after which it is rubbed and finally bleached in the sun. It is occasionally bleached still further by means of chlorine. It is twice as expensive as black pepper, but is in little demand. Bid. Econ. Prod., Vol. VI, Pt. 1, p. 2(31. ~ Isfarza or ispaghiil ; said to be the seed of the pea- wort.

2, p. 165.

;

HECTIC FKVEi; OK

ucconnt of

Tf, oil

1G5

I'UTJIISIS

al)atemer)t of lior hoat^ she will in no wise

tlip

touch i.spaghul jnice, you must resort to the device

Now

falconers as clwlma.

cockerel close to

its

reversing the skin

and bind

joint,

some ispaghul acorn

ii[)

body in

this

draw back the skin

anil

Next sever

end

with

tlu^

juice and also

tirnilv

some

tlio

thigli of

knee

to the

joint,

the skin at the knee-

bag put

Into this

silk.

amount

of the seed, to the

a quantity in fact as the

of an

hawk can swallow

While feeding your hawk, carelessly introduce the

end of the skin bag, and get her

loose spare

cannot induce her to swallow

morning you must give her afternoon the dried seed

it, tli(>

you must use juice

it.

and every

She

liv(M-.

you

J^very

force.

ispaghul,

for this will cool her

;

swallow

will cast

seed every morning with the casting of feathers and bones.

tlie

The quantity

of ispaghul juice

dried seed less than half a in ejecting

Item

take

juice

ispaghul juice. ;

maybe two

))tisij(7l

giv^e it to

First put

may

find no dillicnlty

Please God, she will recover.

cucumbers

long

or three itnhqdJ, but of the

so that she

with the morning casting.

cucumbers,' and

manna

chalma: sever

so doing.

in (|uantity, sucli

with ease.

known amongst

and

juice

small

her in the same way you would give

down her

throat a quarter of a misqdl of

on the top of that administer the cucumber

juice.

Wait

she has muted three or four times and then feed her up for the

till

day, giving her a moderate meal.

Employ

this

treatment on three

" alternate " days.

With

these drugs, dose her thrice, on alternate days

For that's what the book of Greek medicine says.

On no account should you give her manna alter feeding she maybe allowed todi-ink as much cucumber juice as she Item

and

give her daily, a

her, but

pleases.

a female goshawk, one nukhud- of camphor,

male goshawk, half that quantity

a quantity proportionate to her

size.

to a

sparrow-hawk give

Fatten up the

hawk

much

as you can. 1

Khiyi'ir-i

chambar, a

loiifjf

variety of

cucmnlici'

khiydr-i dbJ, h

small variety.

the twenty-fourth part of a mifq'il and a misqi'd Camphor has a peculiar effect on three grains. liawks, producing intoxication, and later convulsions, according to Two grains of fresli, strong the dose and the condition of the hawk. camphor, given to a saker in fair condition and on an empty stomach, larger dose will generally cause convulsions will produce intoxication. and possibly death. -

ni(k]it'"1

equal to about

166

CHAPTER

ON CANKER OF THE FEATHERS This disease, which

called qdyishqa,^

commoner

in Persia than

From what I have observed, it arises from taking a moulting hawk out of the mew too soon^ that is, while some of her feathers are still in blood. The hawk bates, injuring a youngelsewhere.

and the blood

quill,

dries

up and

putrifies

then the flesh near the

;

root of the quill gets infected, and soon a tiny kind of maggot, similar to the '^disease of parasites "~ that sometimes infests is

produced, and

think, corroborates

away the

eats

opinion

eyrie

noticed that one of the two centre

"imping."

thought that as

out the feather without

stump

fear,

too

flesh,

with pincers.

and that

just like

On examining

size of

it,

admit of

might

pull

would speedily grow

neatly removed the

found some hundreds of

a poppy seed, wriggling about inside the

examined them under a magnifying glass; they looked lice,''

but were broader.

It struck

the cause of canker in quill-feathers.

and circulated

work

their

These parasites,

way under the

that these were

closed the end of the quill

amongst

for inspection

and acquaintances. quill,

close to

was a young bird

feathers, called the qiipaq

Accordingly with the utmost care

minute insects the quill.

tail

was broken close to the

feathers,

me from an

Mazenderan, just about a month before Autumn.

again."'

case,

once had a very fine eyess-goshawk, brought to

one

The following

root.

man,

all

sporting friends

after attacking

flesh

to the next,

and eating and

so on.

They have the same passion for feathers that white-ants have for wood. If you examine carefully, with a glass, a feather that has broken off from a hawk afflicted with this disease, you will find that '^

has a dead appearance

has not the water of

Par-khnra or imr-khuragi P.

name -

;

life

the

qdrishqa appears to be the Turkish

of the disease.

Da'"

'l-qaiiil,

lit.

" disease

lice."

this

probably refers to some parasite other than the louse,

term the author other than the

i.e.,

common louse. Flight-feathers that are pulled out never sometimes do vide page 177, note 1. 3

;

* ® ''

Buqa. Qaml, Ar. Uashmlz, either white-ant or weevil.

grow again

;

tail-feathers

167

ON CANKER OF THE FEATHERS

marks of erosion

also

will

cause of featlier-rot, and naught else Tri'dtmeni

first

give

These insects are the

be apparent.

lier

—but God knows

tliroe

doses of

best.

on alternate

inaiinn

more niauua than the quantity mentioned previously. Then cast her, and pull out the small feathers from round the diseased spot. If the tlesh is black and swollen, it is a days, but give her no

sign that the

in jiii'v arises

to the injured spot

and

let it

ice to

a room.

The treatment

parasitic kind.

Treatment

difference.

the affected spot.

prick

the disease cases

i)oth

the

till

the blood

It'')n

After

the second or

the same, with a

ox-gall,

and paint

take carbonate of soda,^ blue-stone, sal-

ammoniac, " yellow aloes," ~ and long pepper,^ a grain

of each,

pound and mix. Prick the injured spot Then apply the needle, and wash witli strong vinegar.

and three black raisins

powder and she its

place

;

when

This

the feather

the practice of the ancient

falls

out,

wait

till

then before the stage has arrived when

out by force and do this three times.

out,

pluck

time

let the feather

will recover.

Item

falconers.

takes

red spot with a needle and

Mix vinegar and

induce a flow of blood.

with a

Ifrm

this twice.

however, the spot bo red,

If,

Sprinkle

then apply the fouling of a tobacco-pipe.

;

keep her loose

this

apply a leech

staunch the bleeding.

rub the injured spot with powdered stone or brick near flowing

suck out the impure blood.

on the wound, or apply

salt

Treatment

from a blow.

reach maturity.

This, too,

new one will fall

The fourth

a receipt of the

ancient falconers.

Bura-yi ArmanJ, ciude carbonate of soda.

i.e.,

•'

SocotrinsB aloes, which are yellow.

Dih-filfil,

^ Di'nuik-i,

"Piper Longum." a pea-grain in weight.

false moult " with "featherIn " false moult " tlie hawk canker," but the two diseases are separate. a .second moult recommences casts newly grown feathers, and, as it were, This disease is well known to before she is out of the tirst, and so on. •''

The author seems

have confused "

Indian falconers, but no case has come under my direct notice. In '•feather-canker," or in one form of it, the hawk moults well and clean, but when flying to the lure one of its flight-feathers will make a whirring sound as though not set in the wing at the ])roper angle. In a few days this feather will break off at, or in. the flesh, and there will jn-obably be One by ime every flight feather will break oil" in this a trace of blood. manner. In the only case I have seen, the hawk, a sakcr, had moulted The disease perfectly and was apparently in the best of health. flight-feathers. attacked both wings and she lost every one of her

168

CHAPTER LICE

The symptoms neck stand

of lice are these

erect,

and the hawk

LII

the feathers on the back of the

ever scratching her head with

her foot and picking at her hack and breast^ with her beak she never at rest. Treatment: get some quick-silver and "kill "2 :

with vinegar

;

then appl_y

to a thread

neck of the hawk, and the

lice

tobacco-water and mix therein a to the

will

Item: there

and cast the thread on the

be destroyed/^

little salt,

back of the neck and to the

loins,

Item

take

and apply the mixture

and she

shall

be free.

Mazenderan a grass called hankarvdsh pound some of this very fine and mix therein a little wine, and apply to the back of the neck and under the wings, and to every place where you know the lice collect and hold their councils. Apply this and the lice will instantly fall off. Item place your hawk in is in

the sun, and as soon as she

warmed, the

lice

will collect

large broad feathers, three on each side, called by the

You can

mdliq.^

Armenian

bole,°

grind and mix.

will

lice

and twist

lice

with scissors.

Then place the hawk

Item

disappear.

Item

in the sun for a little,

take some

take

into a roll as thick as your finger,

collect

on the wool.

cast

away.

In the morning snip

off

and

carded cotton-wool

and

on your hawk's neck and put her in a warm place.

Kurds yor

country tobacco-leaf and good cigarette tobacco f By means of a reed, blow this powder on to and

into the feathers.

the

then remove the

on the

night cast

All the lice will

the wool hastily and

Shipish or shupnsh. a term of alchemy. Qaick-silver is a well-kuowu Indian remedy for lice. Women mix oil with the quick-silver. Indian falconers mix saliva with a little quick-silver in the palm of the hand, and then dab it on at night on the back of the hawk's neck, etc., and under the wings. In the morning not a trace of the vermin will be found. Newly-trained sakers are invariably troubled with lice, but if so treated after they are" manned" (and will preen freely), they generally continue free unless infected by another hawk. Peregrines in health, that bathe regularly, are rarely if ever troubled with lice. • Yide note 1, page 112. Gil-i Armani " Armenian bole '' once celebrated as a European medicine said to be identical with the gern of the Hindus. Tambdkri, " tobacco-leaf " used for smoking in the water pipe tutun is good cigarette tobacco, from Syria. ^ '

Hi-liutih,

•^

—

•''

;

—

IGO

CHAPTEK

Liii

wot; MS

hawk

If your

and

lial)it

know that the lui-^ jiml is incurable. You must and fly her as she is. Do not,

with this foulness in her,

however,

let

her ever get too hungry

out her feathers

all

She

the more.

pulling out the hairs:

some men,

for

;

hunger she

one who has contracted

beard and moustache and

too, 1

have seen who have a habit

of ever plucking out the hair from their chests,

Your hawk

and their pubes.

pull

will

his

always toying with

the habit of

breast,

done so since she was yonng, and

lias

has become second natnic to

uj)

])iit

feathers from her

tlie

not forsaken the practice,

lias

iiKniltini;-

out,

])ullin«i;'

and stomacli, and

tliighs,

even after

ever

and their armpits,

one of those and cannot be

cured. If,

however, she has newly acquired the habit,

worms

in the

stomach.

Treatment

a symptom of

a long-wiuofed

hawk,

her sal-ammoniac and sugar-candy, as previously described if

hawk

a short-winged

purging.

Ifvin

increase the

may void

rub

gall

feathers,

be got rid of by

will

daily

worms

the

till

j'ou

have reached

worries,

simple

five nulshi'd, so that

by vomiting or by purging.

either

Item

and tobacco- water on the spots whence she plucks the and she

will be cured

Give your liawk the medicine bitter Then the good result ascribe, With a highly sweetened temper, To the drug she did imbibe.

Item

this

give her one nukh/'d of asafoetida, and by degrees

amount

she

but

give her, on alternate days, a few doses of

Perhaps the worms

manna.

;

o-ive

pluck out

till

the feathers from

all

the bare flesh shows.

wine and old vinegar, and apply she will be cured.

Mix it.

tlie

little

;

spot at which she

Armenian

Fatten her

u}).

bole with

Please

God

myself have proved this receipt.

Khazlna. Vide Latham's The Falcon. Lure and Cure, Book I, Part II, " To kill the rancknesa and itching that Chap, xlii, for a receipt sometimes will be in Hawkes bloody feathers, which is the cause she pulls them forth in that estate." The disease referred to is not uncommon in cage birds that are carelessly tended, but I have never met with it in trained hawks in India. 1

170

CHAPTER LIV HEAT-STROKE If your

Lawk mope, and

and her mutes, them,

mix

too,

a little saffron

the feathers of lier liead stand on end,

be red as though there were drops of blood in

a sign that she

it is

sui^ering from heat-stroke.

and sugar- candy and give

concealed in a fold of meat size

Treatment

to her at meals,

the quantity of the dose depends on the

and the constitution of the hawk.

Feed her on cooling meats,

such as cockerels, jerboa-rats, and tortoises.

With every meal give

her cucumber juice with juice of ispaghul (as previously mentioned

under chdlmcc"),

may be

so that her liver

cooled thereby.

CHAPTER LV PALSY, ETC.

Ahnaja

a disease akin to paralysis, palsy^ and epilepsy, but

none of

yet

three.

tliese

apparent cause, and her this distressing

time

fall

on the

The hawk grows thin without any and wings seem palsied. Sometimes will at

one

face, at

which generally occurs amongst short-winged hawks,

The cause

two or three days

old),

it is

stale

brand her with a

meat

(mutton, she-goat, or hare,

damp room.

also her oil-bottle, her forehead,

her nostrils from the direction of both eyes. Give her one nuMiF'd of quinine (Quinine cures 'Tis also

Treatment

man

at once

branding her four limbs with

stick of log-wood,

and branding

given her by your ignorant falconer, who

has afterwards placed her in a

lines,

overpower her that she

will so

another on her back, and be unable to sit Sometimes, too, she will cast her " gorge ".^ As a rule

fist.

fatal.

symptom

on her

this disease, is

tail

and between

Feed her on pigeons.

in the

West and

good for bird and

the East

beast.

Garmd-zadagi. Vide page 165. ^ " Gorge," the crop and also the contents of the crop. GilsJd-i du-si-rnza-mdnda, " meat two or three days old." meat kills all trained hawks, even lagars and sakers. 1

Tainted

;

PALSY,

hoiu's l)ofore sunset.

171

ETC.

Give her that amount of pigeon's

two

flesh that will l)e digested'

In the afternoon

chop up one side of the breast very

fine,

an egg, and give

Itrm

and give Item

ill

your liawk.

a little

a fold

pigeon, applying to

ginger very

linej

<in

the yolk of

little

cinnamon"

her tear

the breast of a

i>F

meat.

it,

as she does so, a little wine.

'I'lieii

let

the right ((uantity in

tiie

castor-oil.

with the yolk of an egg.

her as a

You must be

day and giving her just

Item: give her in the

Feed her on minced meat mixed

you observe any improvement, then

later give her a second dose of castor-oil.

her, before her food, one white peppercorn;

and,

any improvement, gradually increase the peppercorns

many as five. God do we belong

give as .

If she :

iii'st

morning, so that she may be empty and

keen by the time of the afternoon meal.

morning one misq/H of

of her meal.

tcj)

tlie

and give

specially careful aluuu feeding lier twice a

two days

^tound a

pigeon and

kill anotlier

and mix with

meat and

to her in a fold of

powder

mouthful

;

be not cured by

Verily to

Him

you observe

you can repeat, " Verily

this,

do we return

Item: give

till

and

set

about

procuring another hawk.

Who Who

there that can Fate's decree contest can complain against Time's ceaseless flight

Ciod in his

Will

men

wisdom does what He thinks best

]n-csnmo to

piiirlc t1u> Tjoril

aright

Sarf kardan.

Such

spices do indeed whet a hawk's appetite, but their continued use is very injurious. Briglan-i harchak. lit. " oil of cotton seed," so-called from an idea that castor-oil was obtained from this seed. "

death.

formula repeated by Muslims

times of distress, especially at

172

CHAPTER LVI DISEASES OF THE FEETi

THE "PIXXE"-

Know

that

disease

tin's

are peculiarly subject to

hard head

force at the

is it

two kinds, and that gazelle-hawks

for a

;

THE FEET

keen

hiUrilxhi

stoop with

will

thereby injuring her feet

of the gazelle,

;

from the blow a small vein in the sole of the foot gets torn or bruised, and the blood under and on the surface becomes corruj^t,

and soon black spots appear in the and one day bad, till the beginning

new

out

leaves

cripples the

then the

;

called

ment of

make

cloth,

also arises

by the Arabs ihe first

and

hafo,^

form,

dough

i.e.,

and the cure

" m'/Jxhah"

bind

to the foot.

your hawk

well

and soon

the spot swells, but

rest,

the sole

3'our

Treat-

sure to be hot,.

on a piece of blue

hawk's

off before

This kind

of hafd is easy.

and put

feet.

Watch her

the ispaghul has dried

In the morning rip up the cloth, and

having previoush', by spreading cotton-wool

seed, prepared a place of rest for her.

If she lie

down, so much

In two or three nights' time the swelling will dis-

better.

appear,

the trees put

too breaks bounds

from a bruise

of ispaghul seed

at night-fall

and adhered

the

when

of Spring-,

no discolouration, nor any sign of black spots.

for half an hour lest she tear

let

one day the foot

hawk completely.

The second kind there

pinne

sole

but

the

treatment nightly

remain.

Continue the

the ispaghul poultice comes

away with that

discolouration will till

blackness adhering to

it.

twelve horse-hairs, and pass

Item it

still

thread a needle with ten or

from the outside

of the foot

and

"When

yowre hawkes fete be swollyn she hath the podagre.'" " Podager " is said to be gout in the feet (from 2Jod of St. Albans. " a foot "), but the name was probably applied to the initial stage of the ' pinne in the feet " of other writers. 1

Boke

M'ikhah.

" Bating " on a hard perch during the moult when the hawk is heavy, will also cause this disease. Also a hard perch when the pressure always falls on the same spot, will produce it. Hawks moulted on sand do not suffer from it. ^ Hafd, Ar., is " the sole of the foot of man or beast being chafed or '^

worn down by travel." " i.e., dyed by indigo, wdiich has medicinal properties, 6

The top

173

DISEASES OF THE FEKT brino-

out at

in siicli a

Two

way

you can

that

or three times daily,

matter.

])ull

Item: pierce the

under side

at the

of the foul

till

1)lack

tlic

the ii])por knot will pass

tl\e tiiiif>

come out

How

two months,

this for forty days, or for

the foot and

cured.

the hairs to induce a

horse-hairs

them iipwanls ami downwards.

[iiill

core moves with the hairs. tliroiiL;-li

Knot the

''blackness" in the foot.

tlie

(if

she will be

it,

the sole with a needle,

iliscoh.urat inn in

forcing in the needle for the distance of two or three barley-corn

Then

lengths.

stick to the eye of the needle a bit of touch-wood,^

the size of a filbert

sumed with

to ashes of

oil

togetli(

;

set a light to it

;

and

let

burn

ill

con-

then withdraw the needle and anoint the place

walnuts.

two or three days' time the blackness,

with the core which

nothing to the hole that

will

come

the real corn, will

left,

except anoint

awa}'.

it.

Item

both feet are affected remove the jess from the worse of the two,

Keep

and break the tarsus bone.~ a bed of cotton-seed,

hawk

the

dark room on

depth about four fingers' breadth.

The

room must be so dark that the hawk cannot distinguish night from day. Once a day anoint her leg with clai'ified wax and uiiinimyIf youi- hawk is oil.'' ft is not necessary to set or bind ilie leg. young, say of one or two moults, her leg nmults,

If old, say of ten or fifteen

youngei" the liawk the sooner a luiwk resembles child will join

a fifty-year-dhl

man

days that he

;

will

for the

will

twenty days.

take forty days. In

the leg set.

broken bone

of a

this

The

respect

live-year-old

days, of a ten-year-old child in ten days, of

in five

Howevei", a

days.

man

will set in

in fifty

man

laid

days, and of a ninety-year-old

nf ninety years

up, contract so

will,

many

ninety

during these ninety

other ailments

tliat

will die.

Should an old man break a bud), Leave liim, take no care of him, Since before

Further

ills

hones can mend procure his end. liis

I'/'iljis iiiisl" and culUnpiially in Turkish (j'lv. touch wood.'" in saying Baghdad. ^l-qdv, "dry as touch wood," is a common Arab - Qalam, the " stalke " of old English falconers. ^

Qii,

"mummy," is a name in Eastern bazaars now apjdied to forms of asphalte, mineral pitch, Jew's pitcli, and maltha. Formerly the name was applied to PJg^-ptiau mummy and by the vulgar at the present day this mysterious me<bcine is supjtosed to be '" Mummy-oil " is made by the extract of negro-boy boiled in oil. mixing equal parts of mummy and clarified butter over the fire. •'

Mi'nniyd.,

several

;

174

13AZ-NA:ilA-YI NASIRI

THe same rule applies to liawksj too. Now, as soon as you see that when yon throw the meat to your hawk she gi'asps it with her broken leg, change the jess from the sound to the unsound leg, and then break the former as you did the latter. Item : (and the remedy

best

mirror, grind

very

make

a black goat, and this

removing

fine,

and

sift

through

in the evening.

Again bind on

an hour.

hawk

After removing

it,

the morning-,

let lier rest for half

removing

this poultice,

the gall of

an ointment.

into the consistency of

ointment on to the feet of your it

taffeta, so that it is

Then mix with

coUyrium of antimony.

as fine as

Bind

take a broken piece of a mercury-backed

all)

in the

morning.

Again, after half an hour, bind on a fresh one and leave

and gently

pull

it.

till

will

protrude somewhat.

will

by this time have been drawn out and Take hold of the blackness with tweezers

That blackness

sunset.

the dispensation of the

Creator the corn

come out by the root.^ Fill the cavity left, with powdered antimony, and see that the feet are kept quite dry. This cure was invented by the Avriter and has been proved by experiment. Iteni take fresh hot cow-dung and add to it double the quantity of salt.will

Appl}^ the mixture thickly to the perch, and renew twice a day,

month or forty days. She will be entirely cured. Doubtless you will say that to keep a hooded falcon on such a perch may be easy but Avhat about an unhooded yellow-eyed hawk ? This is my answer take your hawk, kirldn, morning and evening,

for a

;

qizil,

or sparrow-hawk

— or whatever she may be — into a dark room

wooden peg of joroper thickness,^' but not so round that the cow-dung will not stand on it the perch should be broad. The hawk shoukl be so tied and drive

into

the wall, as

perch, a

to this perch that

the

first

when

she bates she will remain hanging.

day or two she must be watched by your man, for the

heat of the cow-dung and

When is

salt

will

she 'Mmtes," go not near

exhausted 1

P^or

then,

when she

certainly

her;

quite

let

still,

make her

her " bate

'^bate.^' till

she

and has ceased beating

Ordinary poultices or repeated fomentations will produce the same

result. "

Indian remedy, whether good or ill, I cannot say, is to keep a lump of rock salt instead of on a perch vide page 175,

hawk on

the

note ^

In India a sparrow-hawk's perch mud wall of the living-room.

into the

usually a

wooden peg driven

175

DISEASES OF THE FEET

her wings, raise she ''bates" act

up with

rlio

hanging

heatl

become

and replace

lier

manner.

this

ilnwnwards.

and she

nnnihc'd

no longer

will

cow-dung that the hawk's

fimlini^'

"mew " so as to Now as regards

the

You

the blackness

bind on her

feet,

and

tliiMii,

The

it.

the

and

effect

tether a

fact,

fresher

cow near

the second form of this disease, called in

a few nights,

viously described, and little

itukliak,

except

absent from the sole of the

feet will

on such a quantity

jiiit

efficacious

should, in

than

have a fresh supply of dnng ever at hand.

symptoms are the same

the

pain in

feet are buried

put

lesser evil

feel

must

y><\\

and warmer the cow-dung, the more the speedier the cure.'

she will

little,

two or three days her

therefore cease to ''bate."

will

After a

her feet,

lau-iiiiiL;'

Every time

on the perch.

licr

she

that

be cured.

Ttrm

//"/''

Trratment

feet.

powdered ispaghul seed

shall

/"//"'',

as pre-

])onnd

np a

ami add thereto

of the skin or rind of sweet pomegranate,-

manner Ifrm take acorns and described, and the disease will disappear. gall-apples and ]ionnd them together, add camel's urine to make Apply

a little salt.

this a

few times to the perch,

the

and bind on

a dough,

cured.

Tfrm

pound together;

When

to cool.

hour, and the

the feet a few

take

camel's

boil slightly;

ami she

will

and green ispaghul/' and

remove and place on the ground

lukt'warm, iniiuerse the hawk's feet for half an

ill

will

l)e

removed.

carry her every day, and

luii-

Item

her.

take her on the

fist

and

The glove and "carriage"^

cure her better than anything else.

will

If slie's

ill,

let

the falconer carry the

Both man and bird

Item I 1

urine

times,

will £jet ffood

hawk

from the walk.

keep her on a rough stone or rock, instead of on

a ]ierch.'

have myself tested these remedies for mJkhalx and

liave certainly

//"_/"'',

and

found them beneficial.

The translator tried this treatment with success, but it was difficult keep the tail-featficrs from being stained a green Miilla colour. - Andr-i shirln, "sweet pomegranate," is a particular variety. Tspand-i snbz, " gi-een (or l^lack) ispaml," is the variety used in medicine: ispaml-i zard or isfarza-yi zard, '"yellow ispand," is used to keep off the evil-eye. Ispand is, I am told by an authority, the seed of Peoranum Harmala, one of the rue family. ^

•'

Bahla, " hawking glove " (jard'hiidan, " carryiuL'." In the Boolce of Kepinge of Sparhawkes, a cold stone vide also note 2, p. 174, as a core '

•^

mentioned

176

CHAPTER LVII ON PAEALYSIS OF A TOE Sometimes a hawk loses unable to grasp If this

that the tendon^

a cure.

Treafme)it

it.

not burnt.

quite

apply a leech.

hawk have

two remedies

If these

" labour not

further treatment, and

Many

iron."

witli

and

in one of its toes

brand the toe lengthways with a needle^ taking- care

failj

no time

food

its

power

all

are

liable to

Perhaps the injury arises from a

short-winged.

waste

beating cold

but seldom

I seen with this disease,

The long-winged hawks

fail,

strain,

than the

by the hawk

grasping her food too tight and straining or tearing a tendon.

Now

a severed tendon will not join.

happen

your hawk, God grant that

toes, for that is not

so serious

" hunting talons "^ she

ruined

Should such an accident it

fall

on one of her small

happen

;

but

;

she can do no good at

one of her

all.

O hawk, if of your hand a tendon break For evermore you must the hunt forsake.

CHAPTER

LVIII

FEATHEES PLUCKED OUT BY THE EOOT Should anyone, out

enmity

you,

break the wing- or

tail-

feathers of your hawk, you must match the broken feathers as as

far

possible

with others, and "imp^''" them.

them with a needle

then,

;

inserting a shaft*' into the off at

"imp"

they break again, imp them by

hollow

quills.

they again break

the root, close to the flesh, you can do nothing more.

On no account must you pluck by the

First

root.

out the

tail-

or flight-feathei-s

Flight-feathers plucked out will never

grow again

but tail-feathers, though they will grow again, will be defective

" ''

"tendon." Mikhlah-i shikari.

liag-i

pi'iij-i

Payvand

fi,

hardaii, "

Lula-payvand

imp

a broken feather to graft a tree." conclude this is the author's meaning. '

;

—

FEATHERS ill

fun

First,

|)Mints.'

prolialiK'

A\ill

Second,

l)ri'al<

castint^-

pull

the

i-e-^Towii

and

gazelle or a erani\

foul, with blood, the portion of the

that

feather as a

year

may

constrained

l)e

by year, yonr liawk

for ever.

supporter,"

called

th(>

fly

that

llight-feather

its

cpiill

and

stxd^et,-

by xVrabs a " key."

hawk

for

two or three days, silk

th(>

expiration of this period you can,

remove the

silk,

but

till

down

and

not necessary to do

the

"ur

otlici'

tliat

will

wing.

take In

you

like,

its

place will be smaller

the si'cond moult, however,

days elapse since the

put the

hawk

in a "sock,"'''

seat of injury, so that the down'

out the spot.

diilereiu'e.

should several :

binding tor

Fly your hawk

so.

Should the feathers that have been ])lucked out Triatmenf

not

S!u^ will cast this replanted feather before

to moult.

fellow

there will he

i.e.,

the moulting season, but remove the silk Ijefore you

any other, and the m its

than

l)ind

Vou must

it.

forty days.

set her

gets

thai goi^s into the t1e>h,

and do not remove the

feather has set;

regularly

from a

some accident

l)y

pressed

not after this

tlu'

till

expei-ieiicc uToat diHiculty

will

home into its exact place.' Yon must by Divine Agency every llight-feather has a short stout

see, too, that

all.

j^-i-ow

primary-covert'' that iuijiends

tirinly witli silk to that

know

will

take the feather that has been

once re})lace

not

lia])])en

plucked out, \\\cu:—Tre(ttm(']il

plucked out and

some

disfi"-ured

does so

" wifliorcd," and

enmity or

))ersonal

fhrouu-h

weak and

on,

177

ROOT

'I'ifK

and ymi

t'eathei's,

beino- tlnis rendered foul If,

hawk

again, and

out

tlicm

In-

too,

p(i>-il)ly,

the niouli, the

iliiriim;

ill

will

tlicv

OUT BY

I'LUCKKft

injury

b(>

occurred,

lost,

then

and wet the wing near the

soaked.

Very

carefully search

The hole wilh have closed somewhat, and be too

^ On a first of October I saw a youuu passage-sakor minus six of its tail-feathers: the clumsy hawk-catcher, in his eagerness, had stepped on tlie tail. Forty days later these fail-foathers were ono-fonrth part grown and the falcon was also coming well to the lure. In Falronri/ in the British Isles, by Freeman and Salvin, mention is made of a merlin's

which had di-npped out, growing again. flight-feather of a female peregrine penetrates the flesh the distance of more than 1\ inches. ^ Miftofi, Ar.. •' a key, or any instrnment that opens a door." * Tlie hole in the flesh closes up and is very diflicult to find. Pas-hand ; in chess, "a piece that guards another."

tail-feather, -

The

•''

^ "

Vide ' to mail," page Karm-2)orhi'i,

rt9,

note

"down." 12

for

178

BAZ-NAMA-YI XASlRI

small to admit a fall-sized feather

correspouding feather of a smaller flight-feather of a female

;

you must, therefore, plant a Thus,

size.

goshawk

that

plant the second flight-feather of a male

;

if it

out,

you must

of a male

goshawk,

plucked if

the second

then the corresponding feather of a female sparrow-hawk;

of a

female sparrow-hawk, then the feather of a male sparrow-hawk, and so on.

AVell

end of the

wet the down with lukewarm water, and place the

"'artificial" feather in

your mouth to soften

soaked, act as before, binding the feather to the " key,"

The sooner

after the accident the artificial feather

When

it.

etc., etc.

planted

the better, but the operation can be carried out with successful results even three or four

months

after the accident, that

is,

any

time before the socket-hole has closed up and the feathei-s on each side of

have fallen inwards and '"blinded"

was invented by your humble

Now

the flight-feather of a

hawk

man.

fall,

or to other accident, a tooth gets

to be

compared

to the tooth

OAving to the chucking of a horse's head, or to a

a youth of ten or twenty years, its

This operation

servant, the writer.

of a

If,

it.^

knocked out

the tooth be at once replaced in

socket and Ijound to the teeth on each side of

take root again, thuugli

neighbours; and

will,

will

of the head of

it, it

will certainlv

remain somewhat weaker than

its

on the approach of old age, when the powers

decay and the teeth loosen, be the

first

come away.

Should,

however, the tooth of that youth not be replaced, the teeth on either side will fall together inwards and so obliterate the

none can

tell

that there

a tooth missing.

gap that

Hence the sooner you

replace a plucked out feather the better.

In Forty-Five Years of Sport, by J. H. Corballis, 1891, the author says that if a wing- or tail-feather be accidentally pulled out, the hole should at once be plugged with cotton-wool dipped in grease or honey to keep it open, and tliat if the plug be kept in its place for a few days a new feather will probably make its appearance. " If a feather should be plucked out, base and all, it is advisable to put some solid grease into the place, to keep it from closing up and preventing the new feather from growing down." The Art and Practice of Falconry, by E. B. Mitchell, page 161. Tail feathers w'ill grow' again, but most falconers are agreed that flight-feathers plucked out do not grow again. 1 once ti'ied the operation mentioned by our Persian author, but no new feathers grew. 1

179

CllAP'l'EK

LIX

OPERATION OK ol'KNING THE Oli.STUL'e

TlON DUE TO A "Castini;."

— Now,

S1'(»M\(

iiiy soil,

uuable to eject

hard substance

upwards

place your linger

cud

llie

buuo,

ui'

stuck

hawk bo

llic

Si/rn/ifnnis

you.

of a larp'e waliuir, and this altlMngh

tlio size

The hawk

castino'.''

e(|iial

but there will be no

and gradually she

Treainvuf

i-ooni,

one sparrow;

al)le

>lie will

will

you

eat

try to,

waste away

till

the moruing', before feeding, give her an

nut

will

more meat than an amount she dies.

u'ct

autl

siciniiiu,-'

downwards.

oi*

casting-

the stomach, y(Ui will be able to perceive a

tju

luav have u'iven no

oi'

may

or of featliers, or of wool, or oF cottim-wool, liawk's ^^tuluach'

emetic, suidi as the I'ouling of a tobacco-pipe, or the juice of l)lack raisins;

Watch

rub these on her tongue and on the inside of her mouth.

her

till

neck from

lier

she shows signs of vomiting;

si(h' to

then, as she Avorks

side ''to cast,^' that obstruction will

as far as the throat but no fartlier.

come up

must ])romptly grasp

^'oii

bytlu' throat, an assistant holding her hrnily

liy

lier

legs, while

tlu'

with a probe or tweezers or other instrument you somehow or other extract the obstruction, and so cure this,

mix her meat with

the yolk of an

any feathers or bones or casting

For

liei".

oii'v;,

few

days after

beware of

bin

any kind.

//'///

giviiig

Should she

uot vomit, or should she not bring up the obstruction, then cut

some mutton her of

into small ])icces and cast

in the

into

an amount eipud to a s])arrow.

tluit

give her a small

so,

manner

amount

fail, tlien

])reviously explained, and

cast her

from wind and

and yellow

and

her

tie

ilrauglits.

aloes

u])

watch her.

Khazlna.

'^Azm-i zawrtiijl,

lit.

and

this expedient also

some quiet spot protected

Have by yon ready

a needle

powdered and mixed with antimony.

As soon

a])pears, seize her

Ifon

iirmly in

hawk's legs separated wide apait.

•'

and sugar-candy,

of sal-amniouiac

as just explained above.

water, and give

Then, after a minute or

she begins to vomit, and the obstruction

remove

warm

and

Have

silk,

the

Now, the hawk being on her

" boat-bone."

Tn^mah, Ar., "meat, food;

lure, etc.,"' is

"' and for '" casting." both for " food * Maviz, black raisins with stones.

used

b}-

the Per.sian autlio]-

180

BAZ-NAMA-VI XAslld

back with her head away from you and raised, you

root of the thigh and at the end of the sternum a fine skin

pluck

Then

out the small feathers- from this, so as to lay bare the skin.

with a sharp pen-knife

breadth

fingers'

and a third care,

'''^

insert

make

two

slit

which also

lengthways in the skin, two

After the " skin,"'^ j^ou will find a second

in length.

fine-skin,"

and

fingers,

lift

Now, with the

slit.

up and expose

the guts to it

proper position, and after that sew up, one by one, the three

its

"fine-skins" and

lastly the

sprinkle the powdered aloes

and

her rest.

let

outer "skin."

the outside wound,

and antimony, and then

free the

Feed her every day on the yolks of eggs

not eat them, pound a

will

little

and mix it with the yolks of two eggs and give the morning, and again at noon, and in the afternoon. ^

meat and " puts

eats this

Feed her thus

third day give her minced

meat with the yolk

up into During

Then

she

her

If she

for

two days.

of egg,

the

and feed her

more give her meat, cut and mixed with the yolk of an egg.

for three days

bits the size of a filbert this period

over," again give her the yolks of two

eggs with pounded meat.

thus for three days.

hawk

meat, about half a sparrow in

quantity, in

greatest

Quickly and dexterously open the stomach, replace

view.

the

will find at

you must on no account

let

her pull or tear at

her food; for the exertion of pulling will burst the stitches, either inside or out,

she

and

destroyed.

difficnltv in

the stitches of even one of the skins gives way,

Anyone accustomed

performing

to caponize

this operation

cocks will have

the two operations are

practically the same.

Obstruction due to a Blow.

—There

another form of this

which does not arise from a retained "casting": to cure an easier operation than that of cutting out the " casting

disease, this is

The symptoms are the same the hawk, even if a female goshawk, cannot eat more than one sparrow in quantity, and has in

as above.

its

stomach a hard substance the

size of a walnut.

her sparrow's portion of meat with feathers, she morninof but the hard substance will

This disease

intestine.

Panla.

Par-JcJncrda-Jul.

Pilst.

The

still

you give her

will

cast in the

i-emain present in the

generally found in long-winged hawks.

ego'S are half to two-thirds the size of

English eggs.

ON THE NUMBER OF FEATHERS since

g-enevally results

from a kick

THE WING AND TAIL

the uuts from a gazelle, or

181

from a bnffet by a goose's wing (and a buffet from a goose's wing is

worse than a blow from a club), or

troiii

injury from the brak

:iii

or claws of a crane, or froiu such an ill-judged stoop at

come

that the stomach has

contact with the ground.^

violent

some quarry

The

injury produces an internal licmorrhage, and the blood gradu-

;illy

congeals and

that

fills

up the stomach, and so reduces

cannot contain

its

full

capacity

its

The congealed blond

quantity.

gradually becomes converted into a white substance like cheese,

day by day growing harder and pressing more on the stomach, at last the substance petrifies

and the bird

treated before " petrefaction " has set

ment

the operation

cheese-like substance

hawk must be

the

same

she can be cured.

in,

as in

the previous case

must be cut out and the stomach

fed after the operation

the

the scab"

own accord;

its is

till

a rule that applies to every kind of

may

;

freed.

let

be thirsty, you may, after in a cup, letting

five or six

the

The

your hawk

your hawk.

kill

wound, whether

the claw of an eagle or by the foot of a deer.

water

Treat-

formed by the aloes and antimony drops

for bathing before this

same way.

After these operations, you must on no account bathe

hawk

Tf the

dies.

till

off of

This

inflicted

Should your hawk-

days have elapsed, offer her

her drink a few beakfuls, enough to allay

her thirst.

Cll.\I'Ti:i?

ON THE NI'MBEK OF FEATHERS

LX IN

THE WING AND TAH.

hawks, whether long-winged or short, seven flight-feathers, by God's creation, show from under the coverts called ydr maliq,^ Ix

all

while in rarely, mifliq

the

tlie

tail

there

are

all

twelve feathers.

indeed, are eight llight-feathers apparent

;

tail.

Very, very

under the yor-

but occasionally fourteen or even sixteen feathers occur in Birds with the latter number are in no

way

better than

birds with the normal twelve. 1 Even wild hawks make mistakes in stoopino' and injure themselves, but in this case it is the breast-bone that gets injured.

•^

Kivla, " scab."

Vide note

page 112. 13

182

CHAPTER LXl COUNSELS AND ADMONITIONS

now

son, I will

advice and store

give thee sage counsel

mind

in thy

;

tliou give ear to

for so shalt

thou find future

salvation and present success.

Monition the First.

commonly believed,

Be not a

that all sportsmen are liars,

Shaykh Sa'd! says

no falsehood.

" Truth-speaking

Nor

Although

liar.

still

said,

and

do thou employ

—

God hath high

will he e'er the truthful

in favour set

man

forget."

Act not perfidiously with thy friends and companions. Should the hawk of a rival " put in " its partridge and " fall at mark," and none see it but thee, conceal not the fact from the enquiring owner nay, more, go thyself and point out to him the Second.

;

hawk, for perhaps some day he may be able to return the

lost

favour.

Third. theft

one of the

live in

Steal not the

dread

proclaim

hound

vilest qualities in a

lest the

and

dog-stealer

hawk

man.

Moreover thou

wilt

owner should come along and proclaim thee

hawk-stealer.

or return

of an acquaintance, for

thou

findest

lost

to the owner,^ so shalt thou lay

hawk,

up great

merit for thyself in the world to come, and also prove thy nobility of

mind

in this.

hawk and bearing wanders for her

in the

Just thiuk of the enormity of ensnaring a lost it

home, while the anxious and distressed owner

snow, from peak to peak, calling her and searching

—you in your snug home the while. As

noble deeds

evil acts

ai'e ill

recompensed in kind

requital find.

Certainly the Almighty will not be pleased, and before elapse,

some

retaliation"^ will

overtake thee.

many days

boy, copulating

This chapter has been somewhat abtidged. Eastwick's translation. s In India it was lawful to trap a man's pigeon but not to keep his In India if a hawk is caught the whole village knuws it, and lost hawk. I once lost a the news at once spreads for a radius of thirty miles. hawk in Deia Ghazi Khan which was caught in Kapurthala, but the news of its capture soon reached me. Such instances are common. * Qisds, ''exact retaliation " an eye for an eye. 1

;

ACCIDENTAL IMMERSION DURING WINTER witli

penis of others

tlie

188

poor sport: refrain or you'll

fall

into

evil i-epute.

Fourth.

an enemy loose a hawk and

Slioiiltl

tlie

hawk happen

come into thy possession, take it thyself and retuni it to him; for thy generous action will remove his enmity, and, slniuld to

men

not do so,

will

thus, then leave his

seen

it,

about

hawk

and

rcvili' liim

for id'tcn have I seen an evil

single

]);n't

bui'ied

it.

world nor the next "

Rciurring It"

and the

ridge,

tlimi

do not act

make as tlioug-Ji thou hadst not man quarrel with his comrades next day the lost hawk of a

alone and

comrade having by chance it

and

tlu'i'

(>xt(il

fallen into his evil clutches

he has killed

thou avoid such practices, else neither

in this

wilt thou escape [)unisliinent.

evil

foi'

evil is

easy to do

man

you're manly do good to the

CHAPTER

;

that wrongs you."

LXII

ACCIDENTAL IMMERSION DURING WINTER If your hawk,

water

in the dejith of \\ inter,

certainly perish.^

give

lu'i-

hawk his

its

bosom

the

pursuit of a water-t'owd, hapjjcm to

warm

she will,

Treatment: heart

and

you do not

Then

her;

warm room and and

liver

he gave her, he should give her

Iff-m

mail the

hawk and

lisjht

I'cmedies,

" mail " her, place her in

of a falconer and send him home,

bosom and "unmail"

aji])lv

into the

the hawdv has taken the quarry,

liver.

into the bath- or into a

iall

lie should carry the

there take her out of

she have digested the heart and a

])roper meal of waian chieken.

a lire.

Place the hawk

waist -shawl, or in the skirt of your cloak, or in a handkerchief,

hold her some distance from the

DuniiL;' a Paiijab wiuttr.

evening-, .she will suiTt

no liami

lire

hawk it

ltd

vour

and

so that she nuiy be gradually

falls into

water, even late in the

up on waini

flesh

— providi'd, of

ing condition juid net too tliin. The cold in Persia, however, can he intent-e, while in the open d<s(rt an icy, paTMJysing wind often spring's up and lilows with siuli force that it is difheiilt to make headway against it. -Hamini'im: even the villages in Persia have "Turkish baths," which are used by all. Persian gentleman usually has a private bath attached to his own house. cour.se, slie is

in propej-

fl\

13 *

BAZ-NAMA-TI NASTRI

184

warmed

througli

Item

feed her as described above.

be in a spot wliere

fuel is unobtainable, " mail "

sbould you

your hawk, place

her in your horse's nosebag and put the nosebag on the horse's

Then mount and ride hard for home. The horse's breath Arrived it will save her from death. will give life to your hawk home, feed her. Though by this expedient the hawk's feathers will head.

get ruffled and perhaps broken,

still

CHAPTER EXPEDIENT Should you be caught

in the

snow

this

a lesser evil.

LXIII

MEAT FAIL far

from your stage and have

no means of procuring food for your hawks springing up in your unless fed.

Eemed;/

your horse.

With

teeth,

at once

dismount and bind the forearm of

the point of your pen-knife open

then give this blood

;

deadly cold wind

your hawks will certainly perish,

hold a cup underneath so that the blood in

—a

may

the vein

;

and congeal

collect

your hawk that she escape death.

CHAPTER LXIV BESTOEATION AFTER DROWNING

Should your hawk

when recovered be

fall

into a stream

lifeless,

and be swept away,- and

the treatment, even though the

has been apparently dead for half an hour,

ment

light a

fire

Collect the hot ashes

hawk Treat-

as follows.

and lay the havfk down by the side of

it.

under the wings and heap ashes on the back,

and as soon as the ashes

cool, pile

on other ashes, fresh and warm.

either from Blood is drawD from human beings in two ways between the shoulders by the process called hnjdmat, " cupping " or, the arm being bound above the elbow, by opening the vein in the inside of The latter operation is attended with some the elbow, fasd kardan. 1

;

danger.

A hawk

that falls into deep still water can flap certainly for twenty or thirty yards. 2

its

way

to shore

185

SAGE ADVICE

The ashes must not be time, by

(iod's

remedy

suitable

been drowned.

so hot as to

decree, a

foi-

man

a nnui

Hot ashes

for

This

life.

any beast that has

even up to half or three quarters of

bird.

half-drowned, and with death

him

In a short

have several rimes successfully tried

and

beast,

come

also, or, indeed, for

It is t'tiicacious

remedy on man,

When

d'-ad liawk will

tlu>

an hour after insensibility. this

Liim the feathers.

are the

Water

at strife,

of Life.

CHAPTEIl LXV SAGE ADVICE

Never

fors^et

advice

the

will

now

(Ave you.

Fir.sf

borrow

nothing from any man, neither one penny nor a million;

fov

your request be granted, you are under an eternal obligation and

must ever carry out the orders of him who hath obliged you.^ Borrowing hawks, and dogs, and greyhounds, which are instruments of the chase

— bad

though such borrowing be

— does

not

place you under a very great obligation, and further, should the loan be refused,

Second sportsman

;

no great slight to you.

it is

Three things you should never lend

your own special horse, your own special gun, and

your own special hawk. your wife do, the

;

any friend or

therefore,

Lending any one of these

friend, lend

bands of friendship

Bestow things

freely, if

Lend not

will

you

none of these

;

for,

lending if

you

be changed for the bonds of enmity.

like, for

at all, or else

giving

generosity.

when thou hast

lent

Seek not again from the recipient Of what they've lent, they seek no restitution

Such " HaLSBAND

Third

as be

men

of gen'rous constitution.

DANGEROUS

before you go

Ifll.l.Y

hawking in

i)i;

hilly or

WoODED CoUNTKY. woody country, remove

"halsband"- from your goshawk's neck, and

the

this for

two

This " placint; a person under an obli<,^1tlou " is a common Eastern idea. Indian falconers will press their perquisites of old bells, jesses, and hoods, on their friends in order to " mount an obligation on him."' - Chalqu. ^

BAZ-NAMA-YI NASIRI

186

reasons:

(1)

she puts in partridge it

(2)

;

when

the 'Mi alsband" interferes with her foot-work

she perhaps gets her foot entangled in

it,

and the

goes out at the other side of the bush

or pheasant

often happens that a lost

hawk

found hanging dead from

" halsband.''

Hence in hilly and woody country the hawk should be freed from what is there an a

suspended by

branch,

its

encumbrance. " Halsband " necessary in the Plains. a

" halsband "

and

cast off

— In

hawk when

necessary to support the

prevent a strain to her loins

fist

from

start

with the force of a bullet/ and to this impetus you add

arm when

the force of your

and

at chuhor

the

she

in the plains,

for,

you put your horse into a gallop that your hawk may the

however,

plains,

hawk

the

seesee

casting her. hills,

However, when flying

the flight

has the advantage of gravity, so

down-hill,

and

unnecessary to

use hand-force in casting her.

CHAPTER LXVI CURE FOB THE VICE OF "SOAKING" Perhaps a goshawk or session that is,

when you

sparrow-hawk may come into your pos-

naturally addicted to cast

the vice of soaring

;

her at any quarry she will either take

that it

once, or, failing to do so, will give up and take to soai'ing and

soon disappear from view. courses to be pursued,

First device.

all

With such hawks

there

are three

three of which I have tested and proved.

— Slightly

brand the

oil-bottle

oil-gland,

Then thread a needle with two or three and wax them well to strengthen them. At a

produce inflammation. threads of distance insert

silk,

of three

fiugers' breadth

the needle into the

first

below the hawk's

tail-feather,

and bring

oil-gland, it

out at

^ Considerable skill is necessary to cast off a short-winged hawk so as to really aid her. The diffei'ence that skilful casting makes, in the amount of quarry taken, is astouishing. ^ Dawr-chl, "a soarer," i.e., a hawk given to the vice of soaring. Dawr kardan, " to soar also to ring up." ;

—

CURE FOR THE VICK OF the twelfth

draw

;

jnst so tight

be not more

there will

ont hor whole

ing her

tail

Xow

tiiil.

When

this silk

— Cut

aside in a safe place

go ami

her at quail:

lly

spread

" soars," she spreads

will

prevent her spread-

wlion she feels the unnatural tlie

attempt to soar.

feathers, laying the severed feathers

wanted.-

till

tail

four of lur llight-feathers on one side

off

on a level with the jarJcn

when the

hawk

and give up

constraint she will settle

Second device.

thread

liearfs content

\\('v

that

^^7

an interval of a finger's breadth

tliaii

between each two feathers.

SOARING

If the

hawk

a sparrow-hawk.

a goshawk, take her into the held and

her at quarry from a height (giving her the help of gravity),

fly

so that she

may know

that she

has lost pace and

Fly her thus with shortened wings for a few days.

two or three days, she

for

she settles, call her from the ground to your up, and give for

Now, when you

few days.

her quarry, she

sits

imp one

or tw^icc,

thoughts of the quarry.

all

see

that,

Certainly,

The next time

take no quarry.

will

lop-sided.

and feed her

fist

Treat her like this

failing

take

on the ground, after she has done so once the

cut feathers and

again

fly

her.

Fly

her for four days in succession, every day carefully imping, with a

She

needle, one feather.

fine

inclination to

will

have quite forgotten her

" soar."

You

ask advice, then

That she forget

Third device.

prescription try,

this soaring in the sky.

— Pinch her

in liesli couj^idcrably.

If the

weather

now and then give her a "snack" so that her stomach may not be empty and the cold may not cut her and kill

cold, every

her. to

Fly her from a height with the help of gravity.

her quarry on account of her low condition, she

take

not attempt

soar,

and feed her up.

fist

If she fails

but

will

Now

sit

down; then

call

will

her to the

gradually bring her back into her

apparently the "•coverts," but this is not the word used author for "coverts." ". When he is at the lieight of his familiarity, cut out of either wing three of his best flying feathers, au'l ]mt to his hecles a knorkinogaire of bels, and so ti'aine him when hi.s want ul' power will hinder IS dcsn-e to" trauaile further, then you may with ease follow him." Bert's Treatise of Haivlces and Hawking (page 77, Harting's repnnt). ^

Jarliii

elsewhere -

l\v tlie

188

proper

BAZ-NAMA-TI NASIRI

She

condition.^

tlyiiig

have forgotten her vice of

"will

soaring".-

once had a ver}^ fine young shikra sparrow-hawk {plqp),

which showed much sport

whenever she

ever, to

soaring.

cut

me and my

finends at quail.

failed to take her quarry, she used to take

four

off

her flight-feathers, as described

above, and for a few days succeeded in taking quail

merely by the force of

thought of soaring

on the ground.

until

throw,-'

then imped

This device

to soar.

slie

with her

quite gave up

all

wlieu she failed to take the quarry she sat

She continued

days.

How-

lier

four feathers, one by one, in four

to fly right well, is

and never again attempted

an invention of your humble servant.

—

Note of warning. Should your goshawk, when flown at rhukor or seesee, give up the pursuit half way and take to soaring, and should another partridge rise and the hawk then leave its soaring and start in pursuit, either taking the partridge in the air or on its ^

putting

it,

on no account reward her

you do you

will

give her no food at

all, for if

Had

not this

confirm her in the habit of soaring.

second partridge risen, your

hawk would

certainly have soared

away

out of view. It

sometimes happens that a hdldhdn trained to heron or crane

gives up ringing after a heron, or gives up a flight at a crane, and

that a duck

or an hubara gets up under her and that she comes

Such a course would be fatal with a peregrine, for if a i3eregrine is trained and flown in low condition she will certainly take to soaring when brought into high or proper condition. Sakers, however, are not 1

incbned to soar. - Dawr kardan va parsa zadan. A dervish or professional story-teller sends round the hat at the most exciting point of his tale and this is called fcirsa zadan ; hence any going round. tShikras are slow, and in India are always held in the hand and thrown like a ball. The hawk is placed on the jialm of the right hand and coUected, its legs and tail projecting between the thamb and forefinger. A careful falconer uses a small pad, as, from constant grasping, •^

the feathers become soiled and ragged. * Buland shudan, " to rise." ^ Trained sakers will chase duck; but do they kill them in a wild state ? saker if gorged on the flesh of a water-fowl will often vomit. A fine haggard-saker of the translator's got violently sick from eating the flesh of the common heron its stomcich was so upset by the flesh small quantity, however, that it could digest no other meat, and died. This objection does not apply so much of heron's flesh may do no harm. to the flesh of the purple heron and of the night-heron. Vide note G,

;

p. 137.

ON BRANDING THE NOSTRILS BEFORE SETTING DOWN TO MOULT

down on and

and

kills

Go and

it.

up the hawk

lift

She

lets o-o.

auLl her (iuarry,

them well

there be water near, duck both of

it'

180

till tlio

hawk

not do such a thin"' a second time.'

will

When

once in Noah's flood liei- passions cool, She ne'er again will play the giddy fool.

CHvVPTER LXVII ON BRANDING THE NOSTRILS BEFORE SETTING DOWN TO MOULT Before

settino;

great quarry,

down

lono--wiuo-ed

hawks

that have been tlown at

necessary to brand their nostrils, and this

especially necessary in the case of gazelle-

the orifice of the nose of a long-winged throat of a gazelle

her nostrils become

cut and the filled

hawk

and crane-hawks

hawk

a pit,

;

for

and when the

pulls at the spurting throat,

with blood, which congeals and stops the

passage of her breath; the blood cannot be completely removed by

Take a packing needle and red-hot and brand the "button"- in the centre of the

washing, for the nostril

make

nostril,

nostril

like a well.

and with the point shaping

of the needle clean out the tube of the

like a spout,-' so that

rinse out the nostril

you may hereafter be able

and remove the congealed blood.

For long-winged hawks flown

at large quarry,

especially for

But if you will have me grant that which 1 cannot yeelde unto, that hauing flowne a Partridge to a house, notwithstanding all these kiudc courses taken with her, fhee hath caught a Hen, then let some one in the company, that can tell how to doe it, make haste unto her, taking up both Hawke and Hen, and runue to a pond or pit of water, (there is no dwelling house inhabited, and where hens are, but you shall finde some water) and thereinto ouei-head and taile wash them both together three or foure times. ... It is not possible there should be a hawke so ill l)ut by this means she will be recouered." Bert's Treatise of Haivkes ^

—

and Haw/iing (pages o4-55, Harting's

Indian device to disgust a hawk with a particular quarry is to rub asafootida on it. This is said to be effectual. It is, however, not always an easy matter to break a hawk of a quarry at which she Hies with zest. The translator once had a young pabsage-saker trained to and tlown only a few tnues at kite. He took tbe quarry from her without rewardmg her, a dog frightened her, an old woman threw a blanket ovei* her; in fact she suffered every ill a kitehawk can sufier after taking the quarry, but she was not broken of the quarry. - Tnkvia or dukma or dngma, T., '' a button." " Misl-i ndvddn darv^-it Amu ; meaning not clear. reprint).

BAZ-NAMA-YI NASIRI

190

and crane-liawks^ branding the tube of

gazelle-

Perhaps you

essential.

will say,

Why

tlie

nostril is

has not the All-knowing

hawks with noses ready branded ? " The reply is that in a wild state tliese hawks prey on small quarry, such as pigeons and sand-grouse and larks, and, what is more, at rheir own leisure

God

created

they

first

plume the quarry and then eat

it,

so that only their beaks

get defiled by the blood and these are cleaned on the ground after the

But the trained hawk

meal. crane,

flown at gazelle and

artificially

and out of her hungry eagerness she buries

the throat of the quarry as soon as in a gazelle's throat will

and

distance,

so, too,

it is cut.

Now

her head in

all

the main artery

send the blood spouting out for ten paces'

with a crane.

a hawk's nostrils with a brand you sear.

Its

wind

suffices to

pursue the deer.

CHAPTER LXVIII HAWK NOT TO BE FED WHEN "BLOWN"

A If your

hawk has worked hard and taken her quarry and you

come up and wings are

see that she is blown, that her

loose,

beak

on no account feed her up, or you

open and her

make her

will

or else she will not fly with zest for three or four days.

from the violence

in her

body have become mixed, and her quarry

fear,

this

has exerted

kill it

its

utmost

and feed her on

it.

Now

the

and

fat

of her exertions the blood

reason

efforts to escape,

Now

owing

too,

and

ill

to its

in this state

you

Hdris bin Kilda, one of the most

noted physicians in the time of the Lord of the Prophets^ (God's

Him and

peace on

when

not

tliou

art

in a state of excitement "

appears to be applicable to quarry's throat

all

" till

;

and

this

Therefore cut the

living things.

— letting your falcon see you do — and hood her on it

" Carry " her for at least half an

her quarry, and remove her.

hour

"Eat maxim

his Family) said to NPsluravchi the Just,

she has roused twice or thrice and her beak

closed,

and

and crossed her wings, and regained her wind. Then remove her hood close to her quarry and feed her upon it. she has collected

i.e.,

Two

Muhammad. or three minutes' rest

really sufficient.

—

A UAWK NOT TO BE FED WHEN " BLOWN

With cut

191

gosliawks, however, and with merlins, too, flown at larks, throat

the

thoroughly

quarry and

the

then eat.

:nid

treat her as just described

The reason

foi-

hawks

that

goshawk has no hood,

j^ou

cannot

a falcon. wild state keep in lie;dth

after taking

the quarry, they are

''plumed"

before eating

hauk '^^plume"^

the

let

forced

wait

till

that

they have

Do thou

for this is Nature's law.

it;

is,

likewise follow Nature. Since the revolving skies, the changing moons,

The daily sunshine, all are Nature's boons. Show her perfections, and her charms display,

Gaze carefully,

Before you

g'o

and learn her way.

son,

out hawking, see, before you mount, that you

have with you various bird-catching apparatus, such as a sparrownet, a

sparrow-hawk

frequently if

net,

come across

and a du-gaza

;

for out

hawking you

a goshawk, or a sparrow-hawk, or a saker;

you have the necessary apparatus and can prove your

catching one of these, just see what pleasure

once was

fi3'ing

will

skill

will give you.-

a favourite passage-saker at a heron, and the falcon

had rung up into raid-heaven and was on the point of taking the quarry,

when suddenly an

mid-air and slew her.

eagle

and

appeared and seized

my men

falcon in

galloped after the brute to

The bastard that had made my liver into roast meat went and settled on a i-ock, but 1 had with me only a sparrow-hawk net, and with a sparrow-luiwk net it is not possible to catch an eagle foi- an eagle will not come to a rescue the falcon, but she was dead. ^

;

sparrow-hawk away.

— or

if it

does come,

carries

suddenly spied a kestril perched on a stone, and set up

sparrow-hawk du-gaza^ greed,

net, or a sparrow-net

fell

in front of

into the snnre nnd

"' Plume,'

There

it.

into

The poor clutches.

bird, I

through vain pulled a few

Harting. to pluck the feathers off the quarry." peculiar fascination about Eastern devices for birdcatching; the methods are so quamt and so successful, and the " quarry is so varied. ^ Eagles are slow in tliglit, but make up for their slowness by dropping suddenly from a heivrht. * Kabul), " meat cut in little bits and roasted on a skewer," is by a weird metaplior applied to a heart torn by grief, or love. " It is possible to catch eagles in an ordinary du-gaza, for I have done " spiirrow-hawk du-gaza,''' howevei", is sometimes much smaller so. than an ordinary du-rjnzn. T have caught hobbies in a du-gaza about two spans high and about four long, suspended on straws or thorns. is

v.,

192

BAZ-NAMA-TI NASIRI

hairs out of I

horse's tail and

skinned the sparrow."

made

four or five strong nooses, and

I tied the feathers into the kestriPs

and concealed the nooses amongst the feathers. the kestril's eyes and cast

was not attracted {.s(7r)

;

claws

then half-seeled

into the air, but the

murderous eagle

ignored the

Suddenly a buzzard

kestril.

appeared, and, stooping at the feathers in the kestril's claws,

got entangled

Both birds

the nooses.

Adding

galloped and secured the buzzard.

strengthening the nooses,

half-seeled

had treated the

ground.

to the

fell

to the feathers,

buzzard's

the

eyes

and

The buzzard rose in the air the eagle saw it, and rose after it to rob from it those tempting feathers little it dreamt that the hunter would be hunted. It rose and made a glorious stoop; then, its fingers inside those nooses, it fell to earth along with the buzzard. I murdered treated

as I

kestril.

;

the murderer and rejoiced.

almost have fancied

So great was

exultation you might

falcon had not been slain.

you should always have with you

Now, you

apparatus

complete

see

for

all

kinds of sport and fowling, even to fishing tackle, for each sport has its

own

peculiar delight.

Should an eagle slay and devour your hawk before your eyes

and then clean

its

talons in the ground, and should you, having

with you a charkh trained to eagles, cast

at the eagle

and then execute various mutilating punishments what delight can equal this ?

it,

and take it

— why,

CHAPTER LXIX MISCELLANEOUS NOTES wheat be soaked three times in the froth of a mast camel and then dried and given to birds to eat, they will fall senseless. Also if beans be boiled in rats-bane,'^ and then scattered in a spot where If

common ^

cranes,

Presumably a sparrow was the

mole-cricket "

off

Nasaq

is is

For a

bait.

kestril,

collect,

however, a

a surer bait.

any mutilatiug-

the nose and •^

and wild geese, and crows, and choughs

punishment, such as cutting

eai's, etc., etc.

Mary-i mush,

" white arsenic."

(or corpoial)

P., or

tumiu"

'l-J'ur,

Av.

(lit.

"death

mice")

;

MISCELLANEOUS NOTES those that eat thereof will will

become hardm}

and

at once rip

fall

When

clown in a swoon, and

you take these

loft

alone

birds, cut their throats

open the stomach and cast away the contents, so

may not spread to the flesh.If you lose a hawk when out hawking and do not recover lier till the next day or a few days after, know that, whether she be a .young hawk of the year or a moulted ^ hawk, she will ever after be that the poison

a trouble to you, for her nature will have changed for the worse, As for me, especially if she has preyed for herself while out.

I would not keep her

;

friends

may

please themselves.

Perchance some night your hawk may wanton prove, And leaving place and keeper seek to rove. Moreover, oh my friend, should vagrant prey !

beak as quarry while astray Think not, howe'er you worry, to retain Your hawk, that she can ever fly again. Beshrew the jade I would not have her so, Not as a gift, though friends might scarce say •' No." When garden trees run riot o'er the wall The gardener brings his axe and fells them all. Fall to her

To me, the noblest bird of all is That ever sits on friends' hands '"

she,

willingly.

May this BCiz-Ndma, written thus by me, When I am dust, keep green my memory.

they will die of their own accord and so be " unlawful " for food. - " If you desire to take House doves. Stock doves, Books, Choughs, or any other Birds, then take Wheat, Barley, Fetches, Tares, or other Grain, and boil them very well with good store of Nux Vomica, in ordinary running water. When they are almost boiled, dry and ready to burst, take them off the Fire and set them by till they be thoroughly eold. Having so done scatter this grain in the Haunts of those Birds you have a mind to take and as soon as they have tasted thereof, they will fall down in a dead soujid, and shall not be able to recover themselves in a good while. And as you take these Great Land-fowl with this Drunken Device, so you shall take the middle and smaller Sort of Birds, if 30U observe to boil with what Food they delight in, a quantity of this Nux Vomica." Further on, the same writer says that " Lees of Wine," can be substituted for Nux Vomica, and also that the gi-ain may be steeped in the "Juice of Hendoek, adding thereto some Henbane seed or poppy seed, causing them to be infused therein foui- or five days." " How TO RECOVER A FOWL THIS EXTUANCEU If }'OU would restore these a quantity of Sallet-oyle, take entranced Fowl to their former Health, according to the strength and Bigness of the Fowl and drop it down the throat of the Fowl then chafe the Head with a little strong White-wiue1

i.e.,

;

—

;

—

and be as well as ever. From the Gentleman s Recreation, by Richard Blome. s By moulted" (tulaki) the author probably means " intermewed."

vineorar,

and the Fowl '•

will presently recover

194

BAZ-NAMA-YI NASIRI I

wrote

Great Shah's golden

in the

clays,

The King Avhose orders Heaven itself obeys High Rank and Fortune riding rein to rein, With honour and with glory swell his train; The game of couras'e captive in his noose

;

His His His His

strenath

mighty and

his gifts profuse

barbed arrows are God's swift decrees

;

butts the lives of all his enemies.

strength of arm

The curved sl^ When Heaven

What

can Mtis n

This book, by the

the

^le

Mlvzd, and bearer of the

fail,£-i'

,:/;>

was

fin'

of Zf' 'l-Qa'da the ?

Prophet

of the Fli'

Views and Experience

Shah would

verse avail

Mficent King-,

the day of Wednesday, the year 1285

such as angels know, his bow. scs is

Mlrza,

;

and

son

co:

•nor of the Province

Muslddqi, the author's

Corresponding to A.D.

ooetical

nom

de plume.

PEINTED FOR BEENAKD QU.^EITCH, 11, GEAFTON STEEET, LO^EO^^ W., BY G. NORMAN AND SON, FLORAL STEEET, COVENT GAEDEN, LONDON, W.C.

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