17* 



There are but three animals of the horse kind. 

 The Horse, which is the most stately and courageous, 

 the Ass which is the most patient,and the Zebra which 

 is the most beautiful, but at the same time the wildest 

 animal in nature. Nothing can exceed the delicate 

 regularity of this creature's colour or the smoothness 

 of its skin; but on the other hand nothing can be 

 more timid, or more untamtfablc* 



The Zebra, or wild ass, is chiefly a native of the 

 southern pans of Africa, and there are whole herds 

 .of them often seen feeding in the extensive plains near 

 the Cape of Good Hope. However, their watchful- 

 ness is such, that they suffer nothing to come near 

 them; and thtir swiftness so great, that they readily 

 leave every pursuer far behind. The zebra, in shape, 

 rather resembles the mule than the ass. Its ears are 

 Dot so long as those of the ass, and yet not so small 

 as in the horse-kind. Like the ass its head is Jarge ; 

 its back straight, and its tail tufted at the end ; like 

 the horse, its skin is smooth and close, and its hind 

 quarters round and fleshy. But its great beauty lies 

 in the amazing elegance of its colours. In the male, 

 they are white and brown ; in the female white and 

 black. These colours are disposed in alternate stripes 

 ov.er the whole body, and with such exactness and 

 symmetry, that one would think nature had employed 

 the rule and compass to paint them. These stripes 

 which, like so many ribbons are laid all over its 

 body, are narrow, parallel; and exactly separated 

 from each other. 



It is now not known, what were the pains and the 

 dangers which were first undergone to reclaim the 

 breed of horses from savage ferocity, these no doubt 

 made an equal opposition ; but by bung opposed by 

 an industrious and enterprising race of mankind, their 

 spirit was at last subdued, and their freedom re. 

 strained. 



It is otherwise with regard to the zebra ; it is the 



