1 10 OBSERVATIONS ON THE WILD ASS. 



deer will now. They have great strength and are remarkably 

 active, which renders them very useful in a sledge. They go 

 very wide behind, are fearless of their road, and will swim 

 with most extraordinary swiftness, and to a prodigious di- 

 stance : I am certain they will swim more than five miles in 

 an hour, and I verily believe six. The stags have a deal 

 more courage than the hinds, and those hinds which have 

 calves have less than the dry ones. When they hear a noise, 

 or if they see a man standing perfectly still, their curiosity 

 will often tempt them to make out the object; a curiosity 

 which I have known prove fatal to them ; for they will fre- 

 quently gallop or trot down within sixty or a hundred yards, 

 and there stand and gaze for the space of a minute or two. 

 When they are satisfied, they run off, and generally sink the 

 wind to be informed of a pursuit. In the winter they most 

 commonly go several miles before they rest. If pursued by 

 a dog, they husband their speed and wind surprisingly ; for 

 they will suffer their pursuer to come by degrees within a few 

 yards of them, but no nearer if they can prevent it ; they 

 will then continue to run at his rate until he is tired ; and as 

 soon as he stops, they will do so to, and turn about and look 

 at him ; after which they will go leisurely on, but often stop 

 to look back. If they are upon ice where there is much snow, 

 they will not quit it for the barren hills. When pursued in 

 the summer time they always make for the nearest water, in 

 which no land animal has the least chance with them. If 

 their enemy comes up with them, they defend themselves 

 with their horns and hind feet, and are so strong and active 

 that a fair stroke with either generally proves fatal to wolf or 

 dog, if the deer be an old one. I have often eaten of various 

 kinds of venison, and in different countries, but I think none 

 equal to that of the rein-deer when in proper season. From 

 the observations which mine has given me opportunities to 

 make, I am fully of opinion, that there are many parts of 

 England where they would live and thrive well ; but I do not 

 think they would exist in such parks as produce nothing but 

 fine grass." — Vol. ii. page 472. 



OBSERVATIONS ON THE WILD ASS. 



[From Sir Robert Ker Porter's Travels in Georgia, Persia, &c.] 



u The sun was just rising over the summits of the eastern 

 mountains, when my greyhound, Cooley, suddenly darted off 

 in pursuit of an animal, which my Persians said, from the 



