•iygi. LITERARY INTELLIGENCER. ^3 



Defcriptlon of the NifferWerk, or Golden Eagle, from 

 Bruce. 



Among other benefits tiiat fociety will derive from the pub- 

 lication of Mr. Erucf's travels, raurt be ranked the enlarge- 

 ment of our knowledge in natural hiflory. Various obje6ts 

 in the animal and Vcgitable kingdom, that were entirely 

 unknown in Europe, are here delcribed and illuftrated by 

 drawings of uncommon elegnnce. 



The bird which form.s the fubjeft of this article, if not 

 the large.T; in the known world, is at leaft the largeft of the 

 eagle kind. " From wing to wing he was eight feet four 

 inches. From the top of his tail to the point of his beak, 

 when dead, four fset feven inches. He weighed twenty- 

 two pounds." 



This noble bird had ftrength and courage proportioned 

 to his fize. Living in the uninhabited defert, he knows 

 not the power, nor has he learnt to dread the arts of man. 

 Ignorant of danger, therefore, he fliuns not man, but pur- 

 fues his prey without regarding the efforts he may make to 

 deter him. " Upon the higheft top of the mountain Lamal- 

 mon,'" fays Mr. Bruce, " while my fervants were rcfreHi- 

 ing themfelves from that toilfcme and rugged afcent, and 

 enjoying the pleafure of a mofl delightful climate, eating 

 their dinner in the outer air, with feveral large diflies cf 

 boiled goat's flefh before them, this enemy, as he turned out 

 to be to them, appeared fuddenly : he did not i^oop rapid- 

 ly from a height, but came flying flowly along the ground, 

 and fat down clofe to the meat, within the ring the men 

 had made round it. A great (hout, or rather cry of dif- 

 trefs, called me to the place. I faw the eagle fland for a 

 minute, as if to recoUeft himfelf, while the fervants ran for 

 their lances and fliield. I walked up as near to him as I 

 had time to do. His attention was fully fixed upon the 

 fledi. I faw him put his foot into the pan, where was a 

 large piece in the water, prepared for boiling ; but finding 

 the- fmart, which he had not expe(Sled, he withdrew it, and 

 forfook the piece which he held. 



Vol. I. f ■ K. 



