THE ESSEX FIELD CLUB.
221
under thy feet, require leave that I may go to the City of Indore, there to
buy medicine that will give them the heart of a lion, and render them swifter than
the swallow." "What's the name of the medicine ?" "Hazur, wuh dawar ke
nam momei hai"—"Your Highness, that medicine's name is Momei." "And
what is Momei, thou son of an owl?" "Hazur Momei—Momei hai."—"Your
Highness, Momei—is Momei," and with this very doubtful explanation I granted
the required leave. The next day I cross-questioned the "Munshi," my Oriental
pedagogue, and after a lot of beating about the bush discovered that to manu-
facture "Momei," the fat of a man who had been hanged for murder was
required. There was going to be an execution the next day in the Indore State,
and this little box, ladies and gentlemen, contains the result of that two days'
leave—this is "Momei !"
Both Mr. Mann's and Captain Thompson's addresses were received with great
applause, and in proposing a vote of thanks to them, Mr. J. E. Harting (himself
one of the best authorities on falconry in England) gave a most interesting account
of the method employed by the Dutch falconers to catch "passage hawks"
on the great heath or plain near the village of Valkenswaard, lying just
in the way of the route of the vast swarms of migratory birds which, as
autumn advances, quit Scandinavia and the north of Holland, to winter
in the south. Mr, Harting's lucid explanations of this complicated but
most effective method of capture need not be reprinted here—the whole story,
with illustrative figures will be found related by him in the "Field" for 1878,
and also in his most entertaining book, "Essays on Sport and Natural History"
(London, 1883). The subject will well reward study by anyone taking an
interest in practical natural history.
The meeting ended, we all sallied forth into the meadow, to see a couple of
eyess falcons taken from the cliffs at St. David's, which were "flying at hack"
until old enough to kill game. Only one of the hawklets could be made to soar,
but she mounted into the air in graceful circles, with outstretched wings, until
almost lost to sight in the blue distance, and in watching her we could realize
some of the pleasures of the ancient sport.
Luncheon was served in a most sumptuous manner in a large marquee specially
erected in the park. Mr. Fitch proposed the toast of the "Health of our Host
and Hostess," which was enthusiastically honoured—and Mr. Mann in the course
of his reply alluded to the pleasures of the "out-of-door" study of natural history,
the taste for which he hoped would never die out in the country of Gilbert White.
He most cordially welcomed the members of the Club and other guests, and
concluded by giving a toast which was always drunk wherever good falconers
assembled—"Hood and Leash "—and so with ringing cheers the feast ended.
Mr. Edward Taylor, F.L.S., then took the leadership of the party, and a move
was made for the point of embarkation on the barge moored in the Stort very
near to Mr. Taylor's residence, "Castle Cottage," which stands on or near the
site of the old "Waytemore Castle," said to have been built by the Conqueror,
and destroyed by King John. Mr. Cussans, however, in his "History of Hert-
fordshire," judging from its position and the nature of the masonry, is inclined
to attribute it to an earlier period. Camden states ("Britannia," 1586) that
Roman coins, great quantities of human bones, and an entire wooden coffin have
been found in the garden. Mr. Brayley, in his "Beauties of England and Wales,"