After treating the hawk as described at the end of the last chapter, keep her “mailed”[314] for an hour or two, and furnish her with jesses, leash, and halsband.[315] After two hours or so “un-mail” her, and carry her on the fist for about an hour, gently stroking her breast and wings the while. Then place her on her perch to rest.
Next morning at daybreak take her on the fist, and, as gently as possible stroking her breast and back,[316] carry her till four or five hours after sunrise. Use any device or trick you can to get her to feed; scratch her feet between the digits to induce her to eat. If she will eat, give her a small quantity of meat; but if she won’t, let her remain hungry till the afternoon[317] and then try again: if then she will eat, well and good; give her a full meal that she may remember it, and learn to look to you for food. If she won’t eat, on no account force meat down her throat, or this will become a habit with her. Again in the evening take her on the fist, her eyes being still seeled, and carry her for five or six hours,[318] stroking her and scratching her feet to induce her to eat. If still she won’t eat, it is of no consequence: set her down to rest for the night.
The next morning try her again in the same way: she will probably feed. However, some goshawks will sulk for three days, refusing all food. Don’t be alarmed if your hawk does so, for it is of no consequence;[319] she will eat on the fourth day.
XV
INTERMEWED GOSHAWK ON EASTERN PADDED PERCH (FROM A PERSIAN PAINTING)
A soon as she has learnt to eat freely with seeled eyes, whether on your fist or off it, slightly unseel them, i.e., loosen the seeling thread so that she may see a little out of the tops of her eyes,[320] and feed her well, so. 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 to and fro behind you. This evening she must be on your fist for four or five hours. After that, carry her into a dark spot and place her on her perch to rest.
Early next morning take her up, and sit, back to the wall, in some quiet spot, 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 or three hours before sunset, take her on the fist again and carry her till two hours after nightfall, i.e., much less 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.
On the sixth night you must carry her till midnight, stroking her at frequent intervals. By this time she will have become perfectly quiet. Then carry her to her perch, and set her down to rest.