THE WATER-FOWL 195 



hung over them. By these means they were all three become so familiar, 

 that, they suffered themselves to be handled ; and the young ones very 

 kindly accepted whatever fish he offered them. These they always put 

 first into their bag, and then swallowed at their leisure. 



It seems, however, that they are but disagreeable and useless do. 

 mestics ; their gluttony can scarcely be satisfied ; their flesh smells 

 very rancid ; and tastes a thousand times worse than it smells. The 

 native Americans kill vast numbers; not to eat, for they are not fit 

 even for the banquet of a savage ; but to convert their large bags into 

 purses and tobacco-pouches. They bestow no small pains in dressing 

 the skin with salt and ashes, rubbing it well with oil, and then forming 

 it to their purpose. It thus becomes so soft and pliant, that the Spanish 

 women sometimes adorn it with gold and embroidery to make work, 

 bags of. 



Yet, with all the seeming hebetude of this bird, it is not entirely in. 

 capable of instruction in a domestic state. Father Raymond assures 

 us, that he has seen one so tame and well educated among the native 

 Americans, that it would go off'in the morning at the word of command, 

 and return before night to its master, with its great paunch distended 

 with plunder; a part of which the savages would make it disgorge, and 

 a part they would permit it to reserve for itself. 



" The Pelican," as Faber relates, " is not destitute of other qualifi- 

 cations. One of those which was brought alive to the Duke of Bava- 

 ria's court, where it lived forty years, seemed to be possessed of very un- 

 common sensations. It was much delighted in the company and con. 

 versation of men, and in music both vocal and instrumental : for it 

 would willingly stand," says he, " by those that sung or sounded the 

 trumpet ; and stretching out its head, and turning its ear to the music, 

 listened very attentively to its harmony, though its own voice was little 

 pleasanter than the braying of an ass. Gesner tells us that the Em. 

 peror Maximilian had a tame pelican, which lived about eighty years, 

 and that always attended his army on their march. It was one of the 

 largest of the kind, and had a daily allowance by the Emperor's orders. 

 As another proof of the great age to which the pelican lives, Aldrovan. 

 dus makes mention of one of these birds that was kept several years at 

 Mechlin, and was verily believed to be fifty years old. We often soe 

 these birds at our shows about town. 



CHAPTER III. 



OF THE ALBATROSS, THE FIRST OF THE GUJLt KINO. 



THOUGH this is one of the largest and most formidable birds ol 

 Africa and America, yet we have but few accounts to enlighten us 

 in its history. The figure of the bird is thus described by Edwards : 



