Part 22

I had marked out a selection of quotations as proofs of the high qualities of the noble horse; but I must now be as brief as possible, and not profit too much by the interesting labours of others. I therefore continue my own observations. When staying on the borders of the river Gambia, I saw two of the native horses which belonged to the stud of the Commandant there; they had been brought from the interior, and taken from a wild herd; but they were totally unlike the races hitherto described. The mare, of a reddish brown, had been some time domesticated, and was docile and well behaved; neither of them possessing sufficient character to be referred to the Barb, the Dongola, or the Nubian breeds. They were undersized, and not handsome; the male, who had not been long from his native forests, was the best looking; carried his head well, was strongly and compactly made, especially about the shoulders, and there was much fire about the head, which, however, was far from handsome; his legs were slender and well-shaped. The peculiar circumstances in which I was placed, rendered it necessary that I should, for the sake of health, take horse-exercise. There was nothing which could carry me except this little grey horse; for I could not persuade those around me to let me mount Cora, because they said she had so hard a mouth: so a side-saddle was put on, and a man with a skirt tried the grey once or twice; he was tolerably quiet, and without much disturbance, he went pretty well for a few weeks; the only trouble being to get upon his back. He, however, had one great peculiarity, which manifested itself rather awkwardly, when a party of us started to go to a distance. He could not endure strangers, and would not suffer any of his own kind to approach him who did not live in the same stable as himself. This was great affectation in a horse just wild from the woods, but so it was; the instant my companions approached me, he made a bolt, his heels went into the air, and it was in vain to resist his fancy. We returned the next day, and while fording a creek, which we had crossed in a canoe the day before, one of our party forgot my horse's peculiarity and came up to me; he darted fairly out to sea, and not till he found himself off his legs was he frightened; fortunately alarm made him tractable, and I easily turned his head and landed in safety. Wishing however, to punish him, I galloped him home, four miles through loose sand, which was over his fetlocks; far, however, from being subdued, when I had dismounted and went to pat his check, he tried to bite me.

The beauty and excellence of English horses, taken as a whole, have been acknowledged to surpass those of the rest of the world; their speed, their enormous leaps, their long journeys, their strength, have been frequent themes of admiration; and I regret that I cannot fill more pages, with the histories that are recorded of them; but there are many excellent books on that subject alone, which may be read with great advantage; and I pass on to a very clever hunter, called Nannie, who belonged to my father, and who performed a feat, thought, in my childhood, to be unique, but which I have of late seen mentioned in the papers, as accomplished by other horses. In those days, gentlemen seldom retired from the dinner table, without being at least elated; and, on an occasion of this sort, my father, by way of summing up his favourite's wonderful abilities, said, "he was sure she would, at his bidding, jump over the supper table," which was then set out for about twenty persons. Being an only daughter, I was often allowed to exceed the hours at which children are usually sent to bed; and I was therefore present during the whole scene. Doubts were expressed, bets were laid, the parties became excited; and Nannie was ordered from her stable, bridled and saddled, as if for her master's riding. She was led into the room; the gentlemen were all assembled, the table was glittering with lights, glass, and silver; the room was also brilliant; and at first, Nannie was a little surprised. The chairs were set on each side of the room; but, as the seats were pushed under, they only added to the height; my father mounted, and said, "Over, Nannie": the docile creature poised herself on her hind legs, stretched out her neck, as if to measure the distance, and cleared the whole; the only ill effect arising from which, was, that the marks of her hoofs were left in the carpet. This clever mare constantly opened the door of her stable, and went to warm herself at the fire in the harness-room; but her affection for her master had more than once preserved his life. On one occasion, it is supposed, he had slipped off her, and been unable to get on again; when, overcome with sleep, he folded his arms, rested them against her side, and laying his head upon them, remained there in a sound slumber. It was presumed they had been in this posture a long time; and, had she moved, his life would probably have been endangered by the fall, for they were close to a steep declivity. On another occasion she came home, neighed at the door of the dwelling, and did not offer to go to the stable; the family were aroused, servants rose, she trotted back, and stood by her master, who was lying senseless by the side of the road. They must have fallen together, as on his chest was the mark of one of her feet, probably made in getting up again. He was only stunned, and in a few days recovered from his fall, while she was more than ever loved. She was a chestnut mare, with a white star; and very like her, was another, called Peggy, which, from having belonged especially to our mother, we, as children, claimed as ours also; and I have always, when recollecting her, been able to picture to myself the intimacy between horses and human beings in an Arab family. We crawled over her, we seated ourselves upon her without bridle or saddle, we clung to her neck when she had no room for us on her back, and we sat upon her as she herself lay in her stall. When she was ill, we administered the medicine, almost quarreling as to who should take the gruel to her; when she heard our voices, whatever pain she was in, she saluted us with a neigh; she was patient under every infliction, accommodated herself to every fancy, and, with her prudence and good temper, was often instrumental to our safety. Although she had been a hunter, and was a lady's horse, she went well in harness, and used to run in a curricle, with all the fiery spirits whom my father chose to drive; and we must have been dashed to pieces more than once, but for her steadiness and forbearance. At last, we were obliged to part with her; that is, we were going to live where we could not keep her; and a friend took her into his park, where she was to remain free all the rest of her life. Five years after, I was sitting at an open window, in the neighbourhood of the metropolis, and a sound met my ear. "If ever I heard Peggy's step," I exclaimed, "that is it; she is now coming along the road." I was disbelieved; but in one minute after, the still beautiful creature, though thirty-three years old, was at the gate: we rushed to her; we called her; she answered us; she danced about; she rubbed her face against ours; she looked for the same caresses, the same niceties which she used to get from us--and half an hour quickly passed in mutual caresses. The gentleman in whose park she had been living, had found her so fresh, that he had ridden her by easy journeys, to London, and during his few days' visit, sent her to see us--she lived two years after that, and died of old age, without a struggle.

[Illustration: WILD HORSES AND WOLVES.--Page 330.]

A friend told me the other day, that a horse had been in the habit of going with his master a certain road, and stopping at the same inn, where those who fed him always threw some beans into the corn put before him. After a time, he and his master went from that part of the country, and remained away for two years, then the same habits were resumed, and the same inn frequented; the latter, however, had changed its owners. While enjoying his dinner, the rider was informed, that his horse would not eat, that he appeared to be perfectly well, but there was something wrong about the corn, which they knew not how to rectify, for it was the very best. The gentleman went to the stable, the horse neighed, looked at him, and then at the manger, and it struck him suddenly, that the animal missed the food he had been accustomed to receive there, and no where else. "Throw some beans in," he said to the hostler; he was obeyed; and the horse looked at him as if to express his thanks, and took his meal contentedly.

I terminate these anecdotes with one concerning a cart horse, which I never saw in print, but once. He had frequently given proofs of great sagacity; but the chief was the following:--"During the winter, a large wide drain had been made, and over this, strong planks had been placed for our friend, the cart horse, to pass over to his stable. It had snowed during the night, and had frozen very hard in the morning. How he passed over the planks on going out to work, I know not; but, on being turned loose from the cart at breakfast, he came up to them, and I saw his fore feet slip: he drew back immediately, and seemed for a moment at a loss how to get on. Close to these planks a cart load of sand had been placed: he put his fore feet on this, and looked wistfully to the other side of the drain."

The boy who attended this horse, and who had gone round by another path, seeing him stand there, called him. The horse immediately turned round, and set about scraping the sand most vigorously, first with one hind foot, then with the other. The boy, perhaps wondering what he was going to do, waited to see. When the planks were completely covered with sand, the horse turned round again, unhesitatingly walked over, and trotted up to his stable and driver.

[7] This seems to confirm the opinion of the Indians concerning the solitary elephants.

THE ASS.

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.