Chapter 21

Although far from equaling the horse in grace or beauty, the ass, in his wild condition, is a handsome, swift, and powerful animal, so different to the degenerated, ill-used, and scrubby creatures of this country, that they would scarcely be recognized as belonging to the same stock, if placed side by side. In Spain, and other parts of Southern Europe, and the Cape de Verde Islands, they are very superior; but they are even surpassed by those of the East. All acquainted with Scripture know the importance formerly attached to them, when the wisest and best of the land rode in state upon white asses. It will also be recollected, that the Israelites were at first forbidden to use horses, and the places of the latter were then supplied by asses. From the time, however, that the finer animals became common, asses seem to have fallen into disrepute; and we read that the greatest of all beings, when performing His Divine Mission upon earth, and was about to give himself up as a sacrifice for us, rode into Jerusalem upon an ass, thereby shewing his humility.

Asses are eminently creatures of a warm climate, where they have a smooth, sleek coat, well-made legs, and elevated carriage of the head. They were introduced into Great Britain at an early period; for we hear of twelve shillings being paid for one in the time of Ethelred; but they are supposed to have become extinct, and to have been re-introduced in the reign of Queen Mary, in consequence of our then intercourse with Spain. They are still in great perfection in Persia, where there are two varieties, one kept for riding, and the other for carrying burthens. The former are very strong, lift their legs well, and are broken in as horses are; but the best are said to be natives of Arabia. They are not all larger than ours, a smaller variety being frequently met with, nor have they all the dark streak across the shoulders. They are of a pale yellow, silvery grey, brown and reddish colors. The celebrated white asses are Albinos. All have a short black mane, a dark streak upon the back; and their tail, which so particularly distinguishes them from horses, is covered with short hair, except at the tip, which is adorned with a tuft, generally dark in color. Their peculiar cry or bray, is produced by two small cavities in their windpipes; their hoofs are, in Damascus, made into rings, which the lower classes wear under their armpits, or round their thumbs, to save them from the rheumatism; their flesh is much esteemed as food among the Persians and Tartars. They are fond of congregating near Lake Aral in the summer, but go further to the south in winter. Vast hordes exist in Tartary, each headed by a chief. They are also numerous in America, having probably been left there by the Spaniards.

Mr. Bell describes an ass which belonged to his grandfather, who was so swift, that matches were made against him by the possessors of the fastest asses which could be found; but he beat them all, and even followed the hounds, coming up in gallant style, at the death of the fox.

The well-known antipathy between the horse and the ass is scarcely to be explained, and has been often overcome; nevertheless, it always more or less exists, and many instances are on record in which it has caused inconvenience. One of these I can supply, which occurred when I was in Portugal. I started on a donkey to make a drawing of the great aqueduct which supplies Lisbon with its delicious water, and just as I had chosen my position, and established myself, my husband rode up on a beautiful and valuable horse, belonging to a friend. He wished to procure some specimens of the neighbouring rocks, and not liking to take a borrowed animal among them, he desired my donkey guide to hold his steed as well as mine. The boy obeyed; and Mr. Bowdich soon disappeared among the hollows. For a few minutes the horse stood quietly enough; but from the beginning he gave very significant glances at the companion forced upon him. At last he worked himself into a complete passion; snorted, pranced, reared, tossed his head, dilated his nostrils, and tried to reach the ass with his fore feet. He was prevented from doing this by the boy, who opposed him with much temper and courage; he then tried to turn round and kick the object of his indignation, who was by no means disposed to take the insult quietly. The boy let go the ass, who gave one fling at the horse, and then went very quietly to nibble the grass, lying in patches on the rough ground. The horse, however, now tried to get at the donkey; broke his bridle, pursued him, and both scampered off, the former doing just the very thing Mr. Bowdich wished to avoid. I was obliged to start up suddenly to get out of their way; my pencils and paper all made independent excursions, and the only thing to be done, was for me to catch the donkey, and the boy to catch the horse. Mine was much the easiest task; but both being accomplished, we kept them apart, the ass standing quietly enough, but the horse refusing to behave himself unless the boy mounted on his back, and rode him up and down on the smoothest path he could find. At length Mr. Bowdich returned, and thought all that had passed a good joke, in which I could not agree with him. He rode away; and I quietly finished my sketch.

Bishop Heber gives the following description of an ass which he saw in a paddock, near Bombay, and which portrays a different disposition. He says, "it was a noble wild ass from Cutch, as high as a well grown Galloway, a beautiful animal, admirably formed for fleetness and power, apparently very gentle and fond of horses, and by no means disliked by them; in which respect the asses of India differ from all others of which I have heard. The same fact has been told me of the wild ass in Rajpootana."

Of the power of the ass to bear fatigue, the history of Mr. Wilson is an instance. He drove one which was his own property, in a light gig, from Ipswich to London, and back again, a distance of 140 miles, in two days. The ass went at a pace little short of that of a good gig horse, and fed well at different stages. On his return, he came in without the aid of a whip, at the rate of seven miles an hour, and performed the whole journey with ease; he was twelve hands and a half high, and half bred Spanish and English.

Asses, although they do credit to good feeding, can live on very little, and that little of inferior quality. They have a decided manner of refusing to move when they are overloaded; and they are often seized with an immovable fit without having any apparent reason for it. In steep places they are invaluable, and their feet more sure than those of men would be. I have seen them put both their fore feet out together, and let them slip, then drag their hind feet up to them, and repeat this process on descending the vitrified, and almost perpendicular roads of Madeira, taking a zigzag direction across the road each time. Mules do the same, and perhaps derive the faculty from their asinine blood.

There cannot be a better proof of the intellect of asses, than by shewing them to be fond of the fine arts; therefore the account of one at Chartres, must enter into this work. "He used to go to the Chateau d'Ouarville, to hear the music that was often performed there. The owner of the Chateau was a lady, who had an excellent voice; and whenever she began to sing, he never failed to draw nearer the window, and listen very attentively. Once, when a piece was performed, which no doubt pleased him better than any he had heard before, he left his ordinary post, walked without ceremony into the music-room; and in order to add to the concert, what he thought perhaps might be an improvement, he began to bray with all his might."

CAMELS.--DROMEDARIES.

A peculiarity in the digestive organs of some animals causes all those who possess it to be thrown together into one large order, by naturalists. They have no front teeth, except in the lower jaw, and in place of them, the upper jaw is provided with a bony pad. A very few have canine teeth, and their grinders are marked with double crescents. They have two hoofs, but as the inside edge of these is flattened, they look as if they had only one cleft down the middle, the foot underneath is provided with elastic pads, connecting the toes together, and extruding beyond them at the sides. These cushions at each step expand, support the animal in yielding sand, and protect it on harder ground.

After they have taken their food, these Ruminantia, as they are called, lie down, and remain in a state of complete repose, in order to chew it a second time; and the process is thus accomplished: they have four stomachs, the first is called the paunch, and is the largest of all; into it descend the grass, herbs, and leaves, when first cropped and imperfectly masticated. Thence the mass goes into the second stomach, or honeycomb, so named, because its structure gives it the appearance of that substance: it is small and globular, and by means of its cells, squeezes the food into little balls, which are thrown up into the mouth of the animal, to receive a second mastication, called "chewing the cud." After this has been effected, it descends into the third stomach, or the feck, which looks something like the several leaves of a book; lastly it goes into the fourth stomach, which is merely wrinkled. It is in this that real digestion takes place; all the previous labour having been but a mere preparation for it, and indicated by the name of the order, taken from a Latin word, signifying "to chew over."

It would seem impossible for any animals to be more useful to man than the dog or the horse, yet these Ruminantia are still more precious to him, for while they serve him as beasts of burden, or transport, they perform agricultural labours and supply him generally with a variety of food. Milk, butter, cheese, the very best meat, the strongest yet most delicate leather, that most valuable commodity wool, hair, horn, and a long list of utilities, all proceeding from them; while the extreme beauty of many of the genera, and the sport they afford, contribute to his mere pleasure, as well as his comfort.

The Camels and Dromedaries, which come first before me, are confined but to a small portion of the earth's surface; they, however, in their more confined sphere afford incalculable benefits. Without them we should not be able to traverse those large plains of sand, which lie between the different countries of Africa, and also of south-western Asia. Their gaunt and angular form does not class them among the beauties to which I have alluded; and the only pretensions which their outward appearance can present for praise, is their admirable adaptation for the offices which they have to perform. Their full, upper lip is cleft, their neck is long, their eyes prominent and shaded with eye-lashes, their nostrils are like slits, which they can close at pleasure; their body has one or two humps on it, their legs have callous pads upon them, their feet are large and spreading, and their hair hangs loosely upon them in patches. That long, upper lip, however, when the hot blast of the desert almost dries their mouth, plunges into the sand and finds momentary relief by getting below the surface; that long ungainly neck raises the head so that the prominent eyes may see objects in the far distance; those nostrils are apertures to the most acute organs of smell, by which they can even ascertain that water is near; those callous pads enable them to kneel when they are to be laden, or mounted, and those ugly humps are provisions of fat, which supply them with nourishment, if, during their long journeys, there is a scarcity of provisions. One of their most invaluable properties is the length of time which they can go without drinking, owing to the large secretion of water in their honeycomb stomach, while in times of intolerable privation, they may be killed, and so save their masters from starvation.

The camel has two humps, the dromedary one; the last is the lightest and the swiftest, and is generally chosen for riding, while the former carries the burdens. High saddles are placed on their backs; and it requires either to be used to them, or to be particularly careful not to be half killed at starting. The rider places himself in the saddle while the animals are kneeling; and, when they raise their hind legs, which they do first of all, they send the unprepared traveller forwards, and his breath is almost taken out of him by the blow which he receives upon his chest; then as they get upon their fore legs they throw him back, so as to endanger his spine. Their pace is at first very disagreeable, being so long and slouching; but, generally speaking, they are extremely docile and affectionate; they, however, will not stir if they think they are overloaded, and if they are made angry, they are furious, especially against each other, quarreling much more frequently with their own species than they do with man. Their owners are always very careful to see that their humps are in good condition before they set off on a journey, and some varieties are preferred to others on account of their being able to bear a longer period of drought. They are generally decorated with bells, the sounds of which, in their desert journeys, are said to be very agreeable to them. If once they fall from fatigue or sickness they seldom rise again; but, as a whole party, particularly when every day's provision of water is measured, cannot be stopped for one, they are left alone to die; their eyes following the masters who are obliged to abandon them, and whom they have served so faithfully; the vultures, already hovering over them, ready to pick their bones as soon as they have sent forth their last breath. Their spine, when again found, is often raised upon a pole, as a charm against the withering spell of the evil eye.

The load of a camel is about 800 lbs., and their usual pace nearly three miles an hour; but at this rate they continue for nine or ten hours. Their colour is chiefly a reddish brown, or grey, rarely black; and occasionally white. They are natives of the countries which they inhabit; the dromedary coming from Arabia and Africa, the camel from the middle of Asia, to the north of the Himalaya mountains. They are said to harbour revenge; but, if this be once gratified, they soon return to good humour.

LLAMAS, ETC.

Llamas are called the camels of the New World, and under this common name are included more than one species. They exist in large herds, and are much more sightly than the animals to which they are compared; their backs are straighter, their heads very handsome, and their fleeces are thick and equal. They will carry a load of 150 lbs., and were the only beasts of burthen found among the Peruvians, when these people were conquered by the Spaniards. Their feet differ from those of the camel, but are equally adapted to the soil which they have to traverse; they are formed of two springy toes, each of which has a rough cushion underneath, and a strong, short hoof on the tip, pointed and hooked, like a claw. These take firm hold of the rapid and precipitous ascents and descents, which they encounter in travelling to and from the mines; in which journeys they carry 100 lbs. of metal over the rugged mountain passes, and perform a distance of about twelve miles during the day. At one time 300,000 were employed by the Potosi mines alone. In one respect they imitate camels by lying down, and refusing to stir when they are overloaded, and they never go beyond their usual pace. They spit in the face of their riders when tied up, or made to lie down; which is particularly disagreeable, from the nature of their saliva.

The different species are not clearly defined, and we require a more intimate knowledge of them before we can separate them from each other: the domestic animals are certainly Llamas; then there are the Guanacos, which are also called Huanacos. They live on mountains, but frequently pasture in the plains; and when the females do this, the males watch from a more elevated position; and if they see men approaching, neigh something like a horse, to warn them of their danger, then descend into the valley, and drive their charge before them.

Besides these two, are the Vicuñas (spelt also Vicunhas), and Vicugnas, who are of a tawny red colour, and live in the bleak, cold parts of mountains, preferring frost and snow. They are remarkably swift and timid, and their wool is very fine and silky.

To these must be added the Paco, or Alpaca, and the Taruga, who are larger, and even swifter than the Vicuñas, and wander about singly, among steep and rocky places. M. Frederic Cuvier thinks there are but three species; the Guanaco, which, in a domestic state, is the Llama; the Paco, or Alpaca; and the Vicuña. I am desirous of dwelling thus much upon these divisions, because the readers of South American travels are often much puzzled by the manner in which they are mentioned.

The Guanacos, when they have plenty of the rushy grass, on which they love to feed, never require any drink, but they have no cells in their stomach for the secretion of water: they are particularly active in throwing out their saliva at the least offence. They give very severe blows with their fore feet: and I have often, with the above gentleman, watched them fight with a fury which was at first laughable, tearing large mouthfuls of hair from each other, and at last obliged to be separated, from the injuries they were likely to give and receive.

The great enemy of these animals is the Puma, and they fly from him; but Mr. Darwin says he has often known them not only neigh and squeak when men approach, but dance and leap about in the most absurd manner. They are easily caught, for they get quite bewildered, when pursued; but they are much bolder when in captivity. They appear to have favourite spots to which they go to die, and which are perfectly white with their bones; this has been observed close to the river Gallego, and elsewhere.

Manufactures from their hair more resemble silk than woolen stuffs, and some of those made of the Alpaca fleece, are quite black, without having been dyed. It has been a matter of surprise to many, that they are not naturalized in this country, as the climate would not be an obstacle to success. The demand, however, for their produce so much, increases, that it is very probable they may at some future time become denizens of our mountainous districts.

DEER.

The elegant animals included under the name of Deer, afford the highest sport to the hunter, the most precious skins, and delicious food. Considering their size, they are matchless in speed and vigour, and are as beautiful as they are swift. They are spread all over the globe, except Australia, and Central and Southern Africa; their place in the latter continent being supplied by giraffes and antelopes. They leave the higher mountains to goats, live on moderate elevations, but delight most in wide, open countries. The fissures, or what are called lachrymals, exist in most of them; they are clefts below the eyes, which bear the name of tear-ducts, but their use is not yet understood. They would not be so much developed as they are in many, unless they bore strongly upon the animal's economy; but they do not communicate with the nose, nor are they, in any way, connected with respiration. They are certainly in relation with glands, because they secrete a greasy fluid, more abundant at some times than at others, when the edges are much swollen; and the animals often touch objects with them, stretching them wide open, doing so, when they are under excitement of any kind.

The muzzles of some deer are nearly flat, and destitute of hair; in others, they are covered with hair, and the upper lip is prehensile.

Only the male deer have horns, or antlers, as they are called, which they shed every year; and, up to a certain age, at every renewal, they increase in size and number of branches. They are placed on a bony pad upon the forehead, which is covered with skin; and in the second year of their age, this skin swells; blood rushes towards the pads, their arteries increase, and rapidly deposit bony matter, the antlers begin to form, the skin increases with them, and continues to cover them, and the large arteries which it carries with it make furrows upon the bony matter, which always remain. So thick and soft is the pile of hair which protects the skin, that it deserves, and has received, the name of velvet. When the antlers have attained their yearly size, the arteries begin to deposit a rough ring of bone round the edges of the pad, which increases till it stops their passage; so that, deprived of its natural nourishment, the velvet shrivels up, dries, and peels off; a process which the deer hastens by rubbing his antlers against trees. The latter are then hard and serviceable, for had they been used and wounded, when their covering was so full of blood, the shock would have sent a rush of it back to the brain, and probably have killed the deer. Before I understood this arrangement, I have seen these animals with wounded horns, and have wondered much at the large flow of blood which issued from them, and others have probably done the same. When the skin is gone, the antlers remain, as it were mechanically, and as it is one of the great laws of life to throw off every thing which is no longer a part of itself, they obey the rule. Absorption takes place beneath the bony ring, particle after particle disappears, and down go the antlers, either from their own weight, or some accidental touch; the part where they stood is quickly covered with skin till spring returns, when a new growth commences, and a larger pair ensues. The common stag loses his antlers early in the spring; and they sprout forth again very soon after.

There is no part of the game laws of various countries more stringent, than that which relates to the killing of deer, or their management. Whatever concerned Venerie, as it was called, was a necessary part of a nobleman's or gentleman's education. The private histories of kings are very much mixed up with the deer laws, and also some of the public transactions; for many a fine has been paid, many a worthy person sent into exile, and many a life lost, in consequence of their infringement; and the technicalities with which the science and the laws were loaded, appear in the present times most absurd and tiresome.

Deer are still to be found wild in Scotland, but most rarely in England; in the north of Europe and America they are common, and those which frequent cold countries have the antlers much flattened, as if to shovel away the snow; they will sometimes weigh 60 lbs. These animals are every where tenacious of life, and will run a long way after being hit in a mortal part.