Part 14 (1/2)

The a.s.s is an animal which seems to be more than ordinarily affected by its surrounding and treatment. In eastern countries where it is well cared for, and employed in the service of the rich, it rises to the occasion and becomes both graceful and spirited in action and elegant and refined in appearance: in the west where it is discarded for the sake of the horse, and used almost solely as a beast of heavy burden, often suffering great cruelty and hards.h.i.+p, it seems to lose spirit and become dull and obstinate, as people do who, crushed by hard circ.u.mstances, lose hope. The a.s.s has an ancient and honourable history which dates back apparently as far as that of the horse. He is mentioned alike by sacred and profane writers, Job and Homer making flattering reference to him. In Syria and Persia, where he is cultivated, he attains to a much larger size than in the west, where he may be described as about two-thirds the size of the horse. In ancient times these animals fetched very large sums, sums which in our day would be considered very large for a horse, a stallion mentioned by Pliny realising a sum exceeding 3000. ”No domestic animal,” says Colonel Smith, ”in proportion to its bulk, can carry a greater weight, or continue to labour longer without sustenance. The a.s.s is emphatically the poor man's horse in every country; and if care were taken of the breed, and well selected animals imported from Arabia, a very useful and handsome race might be reared.” Though the ordinary a.s.s is slow and obstinate, his eastern cousin is both fleet and obedient, and remarkable feats have been performed by half breeds. A half-bred, Spanish and English, of twelve and a half hands high, belonging to Mr. Wilson of Ipswich, drew a light gig from Ipswich to London and back again, a distance of 140 miles, in two days. He is said to have maintained a pace little short of that of a good gig horse and to have performed the whole journey with ease, finis.h.i.+ng it without whip, at the rate of seven miles an hour. Though patient above most animals, the a.s.s will sometimes turn like the proverbial worm, and instances are known in which he has adopted the offensive with effect. Some years ago, a bull dog which had been set on to an a.s.s, was caught by the latter in his teeth, carried to the river Derwent and held under water until he was drowned. Donkeys have often been known after enduring great provocation from boys to turn on their a.s.sailants and put them to speedy and anxious flight.

The Sagacity of the a.s.s.

Dull though he appears to be, the a.s.s show himself on occasion to be possessed of no little invention in matters that concern his liberty and comfort. His apt.i.tude for lifting latches and drawing bolts has often been observed. Mr. Fuller describes the actions of an a.s.s he saw, who put his head sideways between the bars of a gate and turning it into its normal position lifted the gate over the latch and pushed it forward, withdrawing his head after he had opened the gate and proceeding to enjoy the dainties of the field into which he had thus effected an entrance. A still more remarkable instance is given by Mr. East who says: ”While living on the Suss.e.x coast, I had myself a very fine donkey, which was a remarkably docile and knowing animal. He was the constant companion of my children in their rambles on the downs, and on those occasions seemed to think he had a right to share in all the eatables and drinkables, and would do so most readily, whether cakes, apples, oranges, sweetmeats, milk, or even tea; ginger-beer being the only exception. With this he was thoroughly disgusted, in consequence of the cork, which had been expelled from the bottle with the usual loud report, having struck him on the nose. This he never forgot; but would quickly march off whenever a ginger-beer bottle was produced. But his cleverness and cunning were more especially shown in the following incident:--His lodging-place at night was a small, open shed, whence he had free access to a yard; but not, of course, to the kitchen-garden which adjoined it. The latter was separated from the yard by a wall and door, fastened securely, as we imagined, by two bolts and an ordinary latch. We were, however, surprised to find that the door had been unfastened during the night, while the footprints of the donkey on the garden walks and beds too plainly told who had been the trespa.s.ser.

Still we could hardly suppose he could have drawn the bolts and let himself in, especially as the upper bolt was fixed at a considerable height. This, however, proved to have been the case; for my bedroom overlooking the yard and garden, I one night watched at the window, and distinctly saw master donkey, reared on his hind legs, unfastening the upper bolt with his nose or mouth. He then withdrew the lower one, lifted the latch, and walked quietly into the garden. In a few minutes I further observed him returning to his shed with a large bunch of carrots, which he deposited in his shed, and then went back--not, certainly, to bolt, but to latch the door; after which he leisurely set about munching his slily acquired booty. Before putting a final stop to these proceedings, I gave several of my neighbours, who were incredulous upon the subject, an opportunity of witnessing them. And at these times his sagacity was further evinced by the fact that he would never commence his operations until after the light had been extinguished at the bedroom window.”

The Instinct of the a.s.s.

The sense of locality so conspicuous in the dog, the cat and the horse is also possessed in a remarkable degree by the a.s.s, as the following story told by Captain Brown will show. ”In 1816, an a.s.s belonging to Captain Dundas was s.h.i.+pped on board the Ister, bound from Gibraltar to Malta. The vessel struck on a sand-bank off the Point de Gat, and the a.s.s was thrown overboard into a sea which was so stormy that a boat that soon after left the s.h.i.+p was lost. In the course of a few days, when the gates of Gibraltar were opened in the morning, the guard was surprised by the same a.s.s which had so recently been removed, presenting itself for admittance. On entering, it proceeded immediately to the stable which it had formerly occupied. The a.s.s had not only swum to the sh.o.r.e, but found its own way from Point de Gat to Gibraltar, a distance of more than two hundred miles, through a mountainous and intricate country intersected by streams, which it had never pa.s.sed before--but which it had now crossed so expeditiously that it must have gone by a route leading the most directly to Gibraltar.”

The Trained a.s.s.

The a.s.s like many other animals is capable of being trained to perform many tricks, advantage of which seems to have been taken long before our time, as the following quoted by Captain Brown will show. John Leo, in a book printed as early as 1556, says, ”when the Mahometan wors.h.i.+p was over, the common people of Cairo resorted to the foot of the suburbs called Bed-Elloch to see the exhibition of stage-players and mountebanks, who teach camels, a.s.ses, and dogs to dance. The dancing of the a.s.s is diverting enough; for after he has frisked and capered about, his master tells him, that the Soldan, meaning to build a great palace, intends to employ all the a.s.ses in carrying mortar, stones, and other materials; upon which the a.s.s falls down with his heels upwards, closing his eyes, and extending his chest, as if he were dead. This done, the master begs some a.s.sistance of the company, to make up the loss of the dead a.s.s; and having got all he can, he gives them to know that truly his a.s.s is not dead, but only being sensible of his master's necessity, played that trick to procure some provender. He then commands the a.s.s to rise, who still lies in the same posture, notwithstanding all the blows he can give him, till at last he proclaims, by virtue of an edict of the Soldan, all are bound to ride out next day upon the comeliest a.s.ses they can find, in order to see a triumphal show, and to entertain their a.s.ses with oats and Nile water. These words are no sooner p.r.o.nounced, than the a.s.s state up, prances, and leaps for joy. The master then declares, that his a.s.s has been pitched upon by the warden of his street, to carry his deformed and ugly wife; upon which the a.s.s lowers his ears, and limps with one of his legs, as if he were lame. The master, alleging that his a.s.s admires handsome women, commands him to single out the prettiest lady in the company; and accordingly, he makes his choice by going round, and touching one of the prettiest with his head, to the great amus.e.m.e.nt of the company.”

The Mule and the Hinny.

The Mule and the Hinny, are the off-spring of the a.s.s and the horse and combine to some extent the qualities of both. The mule has the sure-footedness of the a.s.s, and the size and appearance of the horse.

His history dates back to cla.s.sical and Biblical times, and mention is made of him both in the Iliad and in the Bible. In the East he is still trained to useful service, and in England he is used in tramways and road cars. The Spanish mules are trained to understand the calls of their driver who directs their course by shouting from the box.

The Zebra.

The Zebra resembles the horse in shape, and in size stands half way between the horse and the a.s.s. He belongs to Central Africa, and hitherto has resisted all attempts to tame him for practical use. He is a beautiful animal, handsomely marked with black and white stripes all over the body, and black and white rings round the legs. Burch.e.l.l's Zebra which belongs to the Cape of Good Hope, is similar, but has white legs. The Quagga of Southern Africa has a brown coat striped with black, a white waistcoat, and white stockings. Zebras have been half tamed, when kept in menageries, but lack the instinctive docility of the horse.

The Tapir.

The next family we have to deal with is the family of the _Tapiridae_, in which there are two genera and six species. The Tapir is a large and powerful animal standing from five to six feet in height and inhabiting the warmer regions of South America. It is nocturnal in its habits and feeds on water-melons, gourds, and other fruits and vegetables. It frequents the water and can remain below the surface for a long time.

Its hide is very thick and its senses of sight, hearing, and smell very acute. Its most characteristic feature is a short mobile proboscis which enables it to seize hold of boughs and fruits when in search of food.

The Rev. J. G. Wood says, ”Its disposition is gentle, but when annoyed, it sometimes rushes at its antagonist, and defends itself vigorously with its powerful teeth. The jaguar frequently springs on it, but it is often dislodged by the activity of the Tapir, who rushes through the bushes immediately that it feels the claws of its enemy, and endeavours to brush him off against the thick branches.” The Tapir is easily tamed and even domesticated, though it must be admitted it makes a somewhat huge pet. It is intelligent and in its own way shows appreciation of kindness and attachment to its owner. This family has sometimes been regarded as a link between the Elephant and the Rhinoceros, but in the cla.s.sification here followed the Elephant forms a separate order; the Tapir and the Rhinoceros complete the sub-order of Perissodactyla or odd-toed, hoofed animals. The Indian Tapir is somewhat larger than his American cousin and is distinguished by the greyish-white colour of his hind quarters, which gives him the appearance of bearing a white horse cloth on his loins.

The Rhinoceros.

The Rhinoceros is found in both Asia and Africa, and is cla.s.sified by Dr. Gray in four genera. Of these the Indian Rhinoceros, the Rhinoceros of Sumatra, and the Mahoohoo of South and Central Africa are representatives. Mr. Gordon c.u.mming says, ”There are four varieties in South Africa, distinguished by the Bechuanas by the names of the Borele or black rhinoceros, the Keitloa or two-horned black rhinoceros, the Muchocho or common white rhinoceros and the Kobaoba or long-horned white rhinoceros. Both varieties of the black rhinoceros are extremely fierce and dangerous, and rush headlong and unprovoked upon any object which attracts their attention. Their horns are much shorter than those of the other varieties, seldom exceeding eighteen inches in length. They are finely polished with constant rubbing against trees. The skull is remarkably formed, its most striking feature being the tremendous thick ossification in which it ends above the nostrils. It is on this ma.s.s that the horn is supported. The horns are not connected with the skull, being attached merely by the skin, and they may thus be separated from the head by a sharp knife. They are hard and perfectly solid throughout.

The eyes of the rhinoceros are small and sparkling and do not readily observe the hunter, provided he keep to leeward of them. The skin is extremely thick, and only to be penetrated by bullets hardened with solder.” ”During the day the rhinoceros will be found lying asleep or standing indolently in some retired part of the forest, or under the base of the mountains, sheltered from the power of the sun by some friendly grove of umbrella-topped mimosas. In the evening they commence their nightly ramble, and wander over a great extent of country.” ”The black rhinoceros is subject to paroxysms of unprovoked fury, often ploughing up the ground for several yards with its horns, and a.s.saulting large bushes in the most violent manner.” ”The rhinoceros is supposed by many, and by myself among the rest, to be the animal alluded to by Job, Chap. x.x.xIX, verses 10 and 11, where it is written: 'Canst thou bind the unicorn with his band in the furrow? or will he harrow the valleys after thee? Wilt thou trust him because his strength is great? or wilt thou leave thy labour to him?'” ”All the four varieties delight to roll and wallow in mud, with which their rugged hides are generally encrusted.

Both varieties of the black rhinoceros are much smaller and more active than the white, and are so swift that a horse with a rider on his back can rarely overtake them. The two varieties of the white rhinoceros are so similar in habits, that the description of one will serve for both; the princ.i.p.al difference consisting in the length and set of the anterior horn; that of the muchocho averaging from two to three feet in length, and pointing backwards; while the horn of the Kobaoba often exceeds four feet in length, and inclines forward from the nose at an angle of 45. The posterior horn of either species seldom exceeds six or seven inches in length. Both these varieties attain an enormous size, being the animals next in magnitude to the elephant. They feed solely on gra.s.s, carry much fat, and their flesh is excellent, being preferable to beef.”

Rhinoceros Hunting.

Mr. Gordon c.u.mming gives several graphic descriptions of his experiences with the rhinoceros, in his ”Hunting Adventures in South Africa”, from which work the foregoing description of the several species is taken. On one occasion after following a huge white rhinoceros, which, however, escaped him, he says, ”I found myself on the banks of the stream beside which my waggons were out-spanned. Following along its margin, I presently beheld a bull of the borele, or black rhinoceros, standing within a hundred yards of me. Dismounting from my horse, I secured him to a tree, and then stalked within twenty yards of the huge beast, under cover of a large strong bush. Borele, hearing me advance, came on to see what it was, and suddenly protruded his h.o.r.n.y nose within twenty yards of me. Knowing well that a front shot would not prove deadly, I sprang to my feet and ran behind the bush. Upon this the villain charged, blowing loudly, and chased me round the bush. Had his activity been equal to his ugliness my wanderings would have terminated here, but by my superiority I had the advantage in the turn. After standing a short time eyeing me through the bush ... he wheeled about, leaving me master of the field.” This was not the only nor even the narrowest escape experienced by Mr. Gordon c.u.mming when hunting this enormous beast. On another occasion he says:--”Having proceeded about two miles with large herds of game on every side, I observed a crusty looking old bull borele or black rhinoceros, c.o.c.king his ears one hundred yards in advance. He had not observed us; and soon after he walked slowly towards us, and stood broadside, eating some wait-a-bit thorns within fifty yards of me. I fired from my saddle, and sent a bullet in behind his shoulder, upon which he rushed forward about one hundred yards in tremendous consternation, blowing like a grampus, and then stood looking about him.

Presently he made off. I followed, but found it hard to come up with him. The chase led through a large herd of wildebeests, zebras, and springboks, which gazed at us in utter amazement. At length I fired my second barrel, but my horse was fidgety, and I missed. I continued riding alongside of him, expecting in my ignorance, that at length he would come to bay, which rhinoceroses never do; when suddenly he fell flat on his broadside on the ground, but, recovering his feet resumed his course as if nothing had happened. Becoming at last annoyed at the length of the chase, as I wished to keep my horse fresh for the elephants, and being indifferent whether I got the rhinoceros or not, I determined to bring matters to a crisis, so spurring my horse, I dashed ahead, and rode right in his path. Upon this the hideous monster instantly charged me in the most resolute manner, blowing loudly through his nostrils; and although I quickly wheeled about to my left, he followed me at such a furious pace for several hundred yards, with his horrid h.o.r.n.y snout within a few yards of my horse's tail, that my little bushman, who was looking on in great alarm, thought his master's destruction inevitable. It was certainly a very near thing; my horse was extremely afraid and exerted his utmost energies on the occasion. The rhinoceros, however, wheeled about and continued his former course, and I, being perfectly satisfied with the interview which I had already enjoyed with him, had no desire to cultivate his acquaintance any further, and accordingly made for the camp.”

The Tame Rhinoceros.