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But the quote then goes on to say: 'and huntsman' A huntsman has to track in order to hunt, and Aragorn was, as Gandalf states, one of the 'greatest'.
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And? I was correcting the quote. It does not say that Aragorn was "the greatest tracker who ever lived" (or even the greatest traveller and huntsman who ever lived).
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Do you therefore infer that Menfolk/Rangers could never be as skilled as Beleg because he was an Elf?
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No, I just 'infer' that Beleg was superior to Aragorn.
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In the Narn Beleg taught Turin woodcraft, tracking and evasion, and due to both Belegs skill as teacher and Turins as a pupil I feel he was on a par with the Strongbow, if not actually able to surpass him in certain areas of outdoor survival. Isn't this kindof reflected by the fact that it took Beleg so very long to hunt Turin down, despite the fact that Turin was moving at pace with a large band of manfolk outlaws through woodland and other tracker friendly environments?
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Do you imply that the outlaws were perhaps unskilled at evasion and hiding their tracks?
Of course when Beleg set out to find Turin, he was only looking for one man, with no knoweldge that he had joined a group of outlaws, and was following a cold trail. Once he learned that Turin was was with the outlaw band Beleg was able to find them despite Turin's (and the outlaw's) skill.
"With little hope Beleg departed from Amon Rûdh and set out northward, towards the Crossings of Teiglin, following in the track of the Orcs; and he crossed over the Brithiach and journeyed through Dimbar towards the Pass of Anach. And now he was not far behind them, for he went without sleeping, whereas they had tarried on their road, hunting in the lands and fearing no pursuit as they came northward; and not even in the dreadful woods of Taur-nu-Fuin did he swerve from the trail, for the skill of Beleg was greater than any that have been in Middle-earth."
The Silmarillion
[ August 08, 2003: Message edited by: Tar Elenion ]