220 HISTORY OF 



The zebra, as was said, is chiefly a native of 

 the Cape of Good Hope. It is also found in the 

 kingdom of Angola ; and, as we are assured by 

 Lopez, in several provinces also of Barbary. In 

 those boundless forests it has nothing to restrain 

 its liberty ; it is too shy to be caught in traps, 

 and therefore seldom taken alive. It would seem, 

 therefore, that none of them have ever been 

 brought into Europe that were caught sufficiently 

 young, so as to be untinctured by their original 

 state of wildness. The Portuguese, indeed, pre- 

 tend that they have been able to tame them, and 

 that they have sent four from Africa to Lisbon, 

 which were so far brought under as to draw the 

 king's coach j* they add, that the person who 

 sent them over had the office of notary conferred 

 upon him for his reward, which was to remain to 

 him and his posterity for ever : but I do not 

 find this confirmed by any person who says he 

 saw them. Of those which were sent to Brasil, 

 not one could be tamed ; they would permit one 

 man only to approach them ; they were tied up 

 very short ; and one of them, which had by some 

 means got loose, actually killed his groom, having 

 bitten him to death. t Notwithstanding this, I 

 believe, were the zebra taken up very young, and 

 properly treated, it might be rendered as tame as 

 any other animal ; and Merolla, who saw many 

 of them, asserts, that when tamed, which he 

 speaks of as being common enough, they are not 

 less estimable for their swiftness than their beauty. 



* Dapper. f Pyrard. torn. ii. p. 376. 



