ORDER PACHYDERMATA. 



461 



other nations who border on the Great Desert, hunt these 

 animals for the purpose of eating their flesh, which" they 

 consider no small delicacy. 



These nations, however, have not yet succeeded in tam- 

 ing the Dziggtai, not even when they have taken it very 

 young. These animals would assuredly make the best 

 ponies in the world, were it possible to subjugate and 

 domesticate them. Their character seems absolutely 

 untameable, and those individuals, with whom the experi- 

 ment has been tried, have killed themselves in their 

 shackles, rather than endure them. Pallas, however, is 

 of opinion that the thing might be done, if proper means 

 were adopted, and we perfectly agree with him. 



There is no animal we believe, but what may be tamed 

 to a certain point. All that is wanting is the proper method. 

 We cannot therefore conclude with Sonnini, that this 

 species will be utterly annihilated before any of its indivi- 

 duals shall be reduced to the service of man. But the art 

 of taming animals is one that, generally speaking, is very 

 unscientifically exercised. 



The Ass. (Equus Asinus.) Until latter times the Ass 

 was known to the moderns only in a domestic state. The 

 ancients indeed speak of Wild Asses under the name Onager, 

 but, as usual, give us no description of them, contenting 

 themselves with relating a few particulars, from which, 

 nothing can be gathered. Modern travellers also speak of 

 Wild Asses, but trouble themselves with details just as little 

 as the ancients. Dapper mentions some seen in the islands 

 of the Archipelago, and Leo Africanus and Marmolle, men- 

 tion others in Africa. The existence of such animals in 

 Asia, is indubitably confirmed by Olearius, Pietro della 

 Valle, and others; but these writers favour us with no de- 

 scription. Pallas, in his travels in the southern parts of 

 Russia, has given us a tolerably exact account of the Wild 



Vol III. 2 J 



