Hunting In Persia

The Sliah is a miglity hunter, agood shot, and an cnthusiastic sportsman. . Big game is his deliglit. The King, likc all the sportsmen of his country, . uses a sniall boro and a bulle t. Of ', course, royal liunta are to a certain oxI tent battiics. A strange incident of Eastern üfc, but a trne onc, occurred some twelvo years ago at ono of these royal ' ings. As usual, a couple of regiments accoinpanicd the Shali on liis hunting party. The men acted as bearers. A ; tiger was vronnded, and was making off under the King's eyes. The royal second barrel was discliargcd, butdidnot. j kill the wounded animal. Foarful of i losing his quarry, the King was reloading (muzzle-loaders are still prefeired I by Persians), when a private soldier [ seized the tiger by the tail and detaincd him long enough for tho Shah to dispatch the animal. His Majesty made tbe soldier a captain on the spot. Wild asses- the favorite chasc of tho old Perslaas, who shoot them f rom tho ; saddle with arrows - are huntcd wilh relays of dogs. The only timo to shoot them is when tho young are at tho mother's heel. So svrift and timid are the3' that it is impossible to get anj' but : a chance shot at them undcr any other circumstances. The young asses are often taken with greyhounds. Tho mother's are shot from the saddle: for a Fenian sportsman, though he never shoots flying for fear of wastincr hls : charge, is a very good shot from tho i saddlo, and will often kill antelope and other game when going at full speed. The secret of success in shooting from the saddle is that tho mavksman's horse should be ging venlre a Ierre. The flesh of the young ass is food for kings. Antclope, save when with yonng at their heel, are seldom seeured by a single dog, but are easily run down by ! relays of greyhounds, or shot from tho saddle by posted horsemen, the lope being driven toward them by : hounds. Hawking isa favorite pastimo in j sia. Every great personage Jias his faleoner and his falcony; cvery little squireen his partridge, hawks and pair of greyhounds. A Persian turnsoutat early dawn and lies in ambush behind a rock for partridgos which come to drink in the morning at some spring. At tho ! right moment he lires both barrels into them, and kills or woundsmany; six or eight brace is not uncommon bag for the two shots of tho shikari. He then runs up and cuts their throats to mako them lawful, (though many are alreaily dead), and walks home, having done a good day's work. For six braco of ; birds he will get about two shillings. Water fowl are got in the samo unsportsman-like manner. The villager, bidden behind a low wall built for tho purpose, fires into a pack of them. Quail- which give splendid sport in tho high wheat, litterally rising in Iiundreds - are usually netted: a bamboo cali being used to attract them. This cali imitates accuratcly enough the cliallcngo of the male bird, and tho cock quail, the most pugnacious of birds, never refuses a challenge. The dorai is shot in the mountains, and, as it only runs, is an easy victim. It weighs oflen four pounds, is gray in color, and exquisito eating. Itis, lio wever, rarely obtaincd, as it affects high and inaccessiblc rocks. Wild geesc are shot either in tho flock at night or in tho daytimc by stalking; for wild gcese, if they do not seo the gun. may be approaohcil with ease. Tho doublé snipo is well known, though not often scen in Europc:; it is aljouttwice the size of pur bird, p.nd makes a most t'elicate dish. Woodcock are numerous. Hares and antolope, patiidges, quail, and pigcons aro hawkud; while the two former are also coursed, and so is the hubara (bustiird). The sand grouse or bagh-a-g hulla, which word fairly represents its cry, is an easy prey. The flock. of from six to a dozen birds is seen in the open plain. The sportsman approaches vcry leisurely (if on horseback he may get lo with-. in thirty yards); he then blaze.s into tlifi middle of the pack; whilo 0:1 tho ground, with both barrels, and often makes a good bag. Food is what he wauts, not