274 ANECDOTES OF ANIMALS. 



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 soft 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, l 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 



