THE BUFF ALO, &c. 189 



conftitution is equally adaped to the ardours of 

 the South, and the rigours of the North. It 

 appears to be very ancient in all climates. It is 

 domeftic in civilized nations, and wild in defert 

 countries, or among unpolilhed people. From 

 its own refources, it fupports itfelf in a ftate of 

 nature, and never loles thoie qualities which 

 render it ferviceable to man. The young wild 

 calves which are carried off from their mothers 

 in India and Africa, foon become as gentle as 

 thofe of the domeftic race. This conformity in 

 natural difpofuions is a ftill farther proof of the 

 identity of the fpecies. Mildneis of character in 

 thefe animals indicates a phyfical flexibility in 

 the form of their bodies ; for in every fpecies, 

 whofe difpofrtions are gentle, and who have 

 been fubje&ed to a domeftic ftate, there are more 

 varieties than in thofe who, from an inflexibili- 

 ty of temper, have remained favage. 



If 



rida, the country of the Illionois, Louifiana, &c. ; for, though 

 Hernandez calls it the Mexican bully we learn from a paifage 

 of Antonio de Solis, that this animal was a flranger in Mexi- 

 co, and that it was kept in the menagery of Montezuma 

 with other wild beads which were brought from New Spain. 



* In a fecond court, we faw all the wild beads of New Spain. 

 < They were kept in ltrong wooden cages. But nothing fur- 

 '■ prifed us fo much as the appearance of the Mexican ball, 



* which is a rare animal, and has the camels bunch on its 



* moulders, the narrow and meager flank of the lion, a buihy 



* tail and mane, and the horns and cloven foot of the bull. 



* . . . . This kind of ampitheatre appeared to the Spa- 

 « niards worthy of a great Prince;' Hift. de la a du 

 M&ique, par Antonio de Solis, ^.519. 



