The Ass. 



127 



THE ASS. (Equus Asinus.) 



THE Ass is a beast of burden, and extremely serviceable 

 to man. Of greater strength than most animals of his 

 size, he bears fatigue with patience, and hunger with 

 apparent cheerfulness. A bundle of dried herbs, or a 

 thistle on the road, is sufficient for his daily meal, and 

 he is content with the clear and pure water of a neigh- 

 bouring brook (in the choice of which he is particularly 

 nice) in the absence of better fare. It is probable that 

 the Ass was originally a native of Arabia, and other 

 parts of the East : the deserts of Libya and Numidia, 

 and many parts of the Archipelago, contain vast herds 

 of wild Asses, which run with such amazing swiftness, 

 that even the fleetest horses of ihe country can hardly 

 overtake them. At present, perhaps, the best breed in 

 Europe is the Spanish ; and very valuable Asses are still 

 to be had in the southern continent of America, where, 

 during the existence of the Spanish dominion, the breed 



