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202 CLAW IN UOA-^S TAIL — HUNTING CHEETA. 



thus picked up, as early as opportunity offered were 

 committed to paper, so it may be imagined what an 

 extraordinary collection of exagcrations he ultimately 

 possessed. One of these is good enough to mention 

 here, and can be taken as a fair sample of many 

 others. 



A ship from Malacca was moored alongside a 

 Deptford pier ; from it landed a jaunty forecastle 

 hand, whose intelligent appearance struck Oliver 

 Goldsmith as indicating exactly the kind of person 

 from whom he might learn something new. After 

 the usual greetings, they retired to an adjoining 

 tavern, where Malacca was discussed, and its in- 

 digenous animal life. Thus thv. babyroussa was 

 brought upon the tapis. Our author could not 

 understand the use made of its upper tusks, as they 

 were neither suitable for rooting in the ground nor 

 for weapons of defence, as they are so preposterously 

 bent down at the points. The " gallant tar " was, 

 however, equal to the occasion, so is reported to have 

 answered : " You see, sir, where the babyroussa lives, 

 tigers as big as bullocks areas plenty as blackberries, 

 and they are uncommon fond of pork ; so you see it 

 would be no way safe for this beast to sleep on the 

 ground at night ; so it picks out a suitable tree, and 

 hangs itself from one of its boughs by its tusks till 

 sun up next morning." 



With regard to the spike on the tip of the lion's 

 tail, there are just the slightest, most flimsy grounds 

 that can possibly be imagined for such a supposition. 

 And they are the following : Aged animals of this 

 species, and of both sexes, have a callous termination 

 to the vertebra, and hidden by the long hair. This 

 maybe designated a callosity. It is doubtless caused 

 by the tail coming in contact with brush and other 

 hard substances when rapidly moved to and fro. 

 The same can frequently be observed on dogs, 

 especially among pointers of the old school, and land- 



