



SECTION III. 

 WILD INOFFENSIVE ANIMALS. 



THE WILD ASS. 



THIS is a much handsomer and more dignified animal than the 

 common or domestic ass. Oppian describes it as ' handsome, large, 

 vigorous, of stately gait, his coat of a silvery color, having a black 

 band along the spine of his back, and on his flanks, patches as 

 white as snow.' It is an animal adapted for running, and of such 

 swiftness that the best horses cannot equal it. From this quality it 

 is that it derives its Hebrew name ; and, as it prefers the most crng- 

 gy mountains, it runs with ease on the most difficult ground. All 

 the ancient writers, who mention it, notice its fleetness, especially 

 Xenophon, who says that it has long legs ; is very rapid in run- 

 ning ; swift as a whirlwind, having strong and stout hoofs. 



Sir R. K. Porter's account of a wild ass, to which he gave chase, 

 will help the reader to appreciate the fidelity with which the writer 

 of the book of Job delineates its character. 



'The sun was just rising over the summits of the Eastern moun- 

 tains, when my greyhound, Cooley, suddenly darted off in pursuit 

 of an animal which my Persians said, from the glimpse they had 

 of it, was an antelope. I instantly put spurs to my horse, and, with 

 my attendants, gave chase. After an unrelaxed gallop of full three 

 miles, we came up with the dog, who was then within a short 

 stretch of the creature he pursued ; and to my surprise, and at first, 

 vexation, I saw it to be an ass. But, on a moment's reflection, 

 judging from its fleetness it must be a wild one, a species little 

 known in Europe, but which the Persians prize above all other 

 animals, as an object of chase, I determined to approach as near lo 

 it as the very swift Arab 1 was on would carry me. But the sin- 

 gle instant of checking my horse to consider, had given our game 

 such a head of us, that notwithstanding all our speed we could not 

 recover our ground on him, I, however, happened to be consider- 

 ably before my companions, when, at a certain distance, the animal 

 in its turn made a pause, and allowed me to approach within a pis- 

 tol-shot of him He then darted off again with the quickness of 

 thought; capering, kicking, and sporting in his flight, as if he were 

 not blown in the least, and the chase were his pastime. 

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