[Illustration:  The Burgut Eagle. (After Atkinson) “Il a encore aiglies qe sunt afaites a prendre leus et voupes et dain et chavrion, et en prennent assez.”]

The Chinese pilgrim, Sung-Yun (A.D. 518), saw two young lions at the Court of Gandhara.  He remarks that the pictures of these animals common in China, were not at all good likenesses. (Beal, p. 200.)

We do not hear in modern times of Tigers trained to the chase, but Chardin says of Persia:  “In hunting the larger animals they make use of beasts of prey trained for the purpose, lions, leopards, tigers, panthers, ounces.”

NOTE 4.—­This is perfectly correct.  In Eastern Turkestan, and among the Kirghiz to this day, eagles termed Burgut (now well known to be the Golden Eagle) are tamed and trained to fly at wolves, foxes, deer, wild goats, etc.  A Kirghiz will give a good horse for an eagle in which he recognises capacity for training.  Mr. Atkinson gives vivid descriptions and illustrations of this eagle (which he calls “Bear coote"), attacking both deer and wolves.  He represents the bird as striking one claw into the neck, and the other into the back of its large prey, and then tearing out the liver with its beak.  In justice both to Marco Polo and to Mr. Atkinson, I have pleasure in adding a vivid account of the exploits of this bird, as witnessed by one of my kind correspondents, the Governor-General’s late envoy to Kashgar.  And I trust Sir Douglas Forsyth will pardon my quoting his own letter just as it stands[1]:—­“Now for a story of the Burgoot—­Atkinson’s ‘Bearcoote.’  I think I told you it was the Golden Eagle and supposed to attack wolves and even bears.  One day we came across a wild hog of enormous size, far bigger than any that gave sport to the Tent Club in Bengal.  The Burgoot was immediately let loose, and went straight at the hog, which it kicked, and flapped with its wings, and utterly flabbergasted, whilst our Kashgaree companions attacked him with sticks and brought him to the ground.  As Friar Odoric would say, I, T. D. F., have seen this with mine own eyes.”—­Shaw describes the rough treatment with which the Burgut is tamed.  Baber, when in the Bajaur Hills, notices in his memoirs:  “This day Burgut took a deer.” (Timkowski, I. 414; Levchine, p. 77; Pallas, Voyages, I. 421; J.  R. A. S. VII. 305; Atkinson’s Siberia, 493; and Amoor, 146-147; Shaw, p. 157; Baber, p. 249.)

[The Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetus) is called at Peking Hoy tiao (black eagle). (David et Oustalet, Oiseaux de la Chine, p. 8.)—­H.  C.]

[1] Dated Yangi Hissar, 10th April, 1874.

CHAPTER XIX.

CONCERNING THE TWO BROTHERS WHO HAVE CHARGE OF THE KAAN’S HOUNDS.