The Persians train their hawks thus. They take the whole skin of a stag, of the head, body, and legs, and stuff it with straw to the shape of the animal. After fixing it in the place where they usually train the bird, they place his food upon the head of the stuffed stag, and chiefly in the two cavities of the eyes, that the Bird may strike there. Having accustomed him for several days to eat in this manner, they fasten the feet of the stag to a plank which runs upon wheels, which is drawn by cords from a distance; and from day to day they draw it faster, insensibly to accustom the Bird not to quit his prey; and at last they draw the stag by a horse at full speed. They do the same with the wild boar, the ass, the fox, the hare, and other beasts of chase.—They are even taught to stop a horseman at full speed, nor will they quit him till the Falconer recalls them and shows them their food.
Tavernier.
As the Persians are very patient and not deterred by difficulty, they delight in training the Crow in the same manner as the Hawk.
Tavernier.
I do not recollect in what history or romance there is a tale of two dogs trained in this manner to destroy a Tyrant. But I believe it is an historical fiction. The farmers in Norway believe that the Eagle will sometimes attack a deer, in this enterprize he makes use of this stratagem; he soaks his wings in water, and then covers them with sand and gravel, with which he flies against the deer’s face, and blinds him for a time; the pain of this sets him running about like a distracted creature, and frequently he tumbles down a rock or some steep place, and breaks his neck; thus he becomes a prey to the eagle.
Pontoppidan.
[147] I saw this appearance of death at a bull-fight—the detestable amusement of the Spaniards and Portugueze. To the honour of our country, few Englishmen visit these spectacles a second time.
[148] They have a beast called an Ounce, spotted like a Tyger, but very gentle and tame. A horseman carries it, and on perceiving the Gazelle lets it loose: and tho’ the Gazelle is incredibly swift, it is so nimble that in three bounds it leaps upon the neck of its prey. The Gazelle is a sort of small antelope, of which the country is full. The Ounce immediately strangles it with its sharp talons, but if unluckily it misses its blow and the Gazelle escapes, it remains upon the spot ashamed and confused, and at that moment a child might take or kill it without its attempting to defend itself.
Tavernier.
The Kings of Persia are very fond of the chase, and it is principally in that, that they display their magnificence. It happened one day that Cha-Sefi wished to entertain all the Ambassadors who were at his court, and there were then ministers there from Tartary, Muscovy and India. He led them to the chase, and having taken in their presence a great number of large animals, stags, does, hinds and wild boars, he had them all dressed and eat the same day, and while they were eating an Architect was ordered to erect a tower in the middle of Ispahan, only with the heads of these animals: the remains of it are yet to be seen. When the Tower was raised to its proper height, the Architect came exultingly to the King who was then at the banquet with the Ambassadors, and informed him that nothing was wanting to finish the work well, but the head of some large beast for the point. The Prince in his drunkenness, and with a design of showing the Ambassadors how absolute he was over his subjects, turned sternly to the Architect—You are right, said he, and I do not know where to find a better head than your own. The unhappy man was obliged to lose his head, and the royal order was immediately executed.