MULES. 1 69 



cures, may, I believe, be ranked as another distinct 

 race. Adanson, a French naturalist, who visited the 

 river Senegal, more than half a century ago, describes 

 those brought from the interior by the Moors, as so 

 essentially different from any he had seen in Europe, 

 (probably those of Spain, Savoy, or parts of France 

 adjoining,) it was with difficulty he could recognise 

 them to be the same species neither do they answer 

 the description of the wild ass of Asia, of which we 

 have been speaking. But his account of them corres- 

 ponds with the diminutive domestic race introduced 

 from Africa, particularly those from Senegal and the 

 Cape de Verd Islands ; and from which the small race 

 now in Europe and in this country, may with great 

 probability claim their origin. 



The Arabian ass, like the horse of that country, is 

 considered as the most estimable of his species and 

 there are strong reasons for concluding that he is 

 descended from the Hebrew Aton, so highly valued 

 by Abraham and by the patriarchs, judges, and kings, 

 at subsequent periods of sacred history ; and that the 

 same race has been preserved in the ancient land of 

 Qz, in some degree of purity to the present time. 

 Indeed, there can be but little doubt on the subject, 

 if we admit the fact, that the habits, manners, and pur- 

 suits of the descendants of Ishrnael have continued, 

 with scarcely an iota of variation, from the day they 

 took rank among the nations of the earth. The 

 position is greatly strengthened by the information I 



distinct from the ass; and Buffon asserts that none were ever dis. 

 covered out of Africa, and there only in the southern hemisphere. 

 It is therefore highly probable, that those alluded to were the hemi- 

 onus, which are described as much larger than the wild ass, and 

 nearer the size and form of the zebra. See Beloe's Herodotus, 

 Polymnia, chap. 86. 



