THE ASS. 213 



generally follow the direction of the mountain, 

 the road, instead of lying in a level, forms at 

 every little distance steep declivities of several 

 hundred yards downward. These can only be 

 descended by mules ; and the animal itself seems 

 sensible of the danger, and the caution that is to 

 be used in such descents. When they come to 

 the edge of one of these descents, they stop with- 

 out being checked by the rider ; and if he inad- 

 vertently attempts to spur them on, they continue 

 immoveable. They seem all this time ruminating 

 on the danger that lies before them, and prepar- 

 ing themselves for the encounter. They not only 

 attentively view the road, but tremble and snort 

 at the danger. Having prepared for the descent, 

 they place their fore-feet in a posture, as if they 

 were stopping themselves ; they then also put 

 their hinder feet together, but a little forward, as 

 if they were going to lie down. In this attitude, 

 having taken as it were a survey of the road, they 

 slide down with the swiftness of a meteor. In the 

 mean time, all the rider has to do is to keep him- 

 self fast on the saddle without checking the rein, 

 for the least motion is sufficient to disorder the 

 equilibrium of the mule ; in which case they both 

 unavoidably perish. But their address in this rapid 

 descent is truly wonderful ; for in their swiftest 

 motion, when they seem to have lost all govern- 

 ment of themselves, they follow exactly the diffe- 

 rent windings of the road, as if they had previ- 

 ously settled in their minds the route they were 

 to follow, and taken every precaution for their 

 safety. In this journey, the natives, who are 



