A S I 



ftation themfelves near the ponds to which they refort to 

 dn:;k. Their manners greatly rcfcmble thole of the wild 

 horfe. They aFemble in troops under the conduit of a 

 leader, or centine! ; and are extremely (hy and vij^ilaiit. 

 They will however itop in die n>id(l of their courfe, ai.d 

 even ftfer the approach of man at that inftant, and then 

 dart off with the utmoil rapidity. They have been at all 

 times celebratid for their fwiftnefs. Their voice refembles 

 that of thr c-.mmon afs, but is fhrilltr. 



The Pcrlians catch thefe animals alive for the fake of 

 domeflicatin^ them, or in'pi-oving the breed of tame aflTei : 

 they fiuk, for this piirpofe, pits of a co;wcnient fizc and 

 depth, which they halt fill with plants, both as a temp- 

 tation to the creature, and to break its fall. The breed of 

 aflfes in fuch high edeem in the eaft, is produced by crofling 

 the tame kind with the afs reclaimed trom a ftate of wildncfs. 

 Tiiefc animals were anciently found in the Holy Land, 

 Syria, Arabia Dcferta, Mefopotaniia, Phrygia, and Lycao- 

 nia ; but they rarely occur in tlioft parts at this time ; and 

 fcem to be almoft entirely confined to Tartar)', fome parts 

 of India, and Africa. 



It is faid that neither affes mr horfes were found iu 

 America, although the climate of South America is per- 

 feftly adapted for them. Th^fe which che Spaniards 

 transported from Europe, and left in various parts of the 

 New. Continent have greatly multiplied, and are found in 

 troops in a ftate of nature at this period. 



The excellencies and dcfccls of the common or domeftic 

 afs, have amply engaged the lively pens of feveral dcfcriptive 

 •writers on the hiftory of animals ; and of none with more 

 happy efTccl than thoie of the eloquent BufFon, and the in- 

 genious abbe la Pluche ; of the latter we fhall fpeak here- 

 after : the former after entering minutely into a comparifon 

 between the horfe and the afs, and endeavouring to prove 

 that the two fpecies are dillinft (a fact which cannot well be 

 doubted), concludes in a Ityle of language fo beautiful, fo 

 animated, and well calculated to enforce the tenor of his 

 preceding arguments, that wc cannot refrain iiiferting fome 

 few extrafts from it. 



" The afs is then an afs," fays Buffon, " and not a horfe 

 degenerated, a horfe ith a raked tail. The afs is neither a 

 ftranger, an intruder, nor a bailard ; he ha?, like other animals, 

 his family, his fpecies, and his rank ; his blood is pure and 

 untainted, and although his race is Itfs noble, yet it i? equally 

 good, equally ancient, with that of the horfe. Why then 

 it there fo much contempt for an animal fo good, fo patient, 

 fo ftcady, and fo ufcful ? do men dtfpife, even among ani- 

 mals, thofe wiiich fer\e them bell, and at the fmalleft ex- 

 pcnce ? We educate the horfe, take care of, inftruft, and 

 exercife Mm, whilft the afs is abandoned to the power of 

 the lowed fei-vant, or the tricks of children ; lo that inftead 

 of improving, he mud !o!e by his education, and if he had 

 not a fund of good qualities, he would certainly lofe them 

 by the manner in which he is treated. He is the fpo: t of 

 the ruftics, who beat him with ftaves, abufe him, overload 

 him, and work him beyond his ftrenirth. Wc do not con- 

 fider that the afs would be in himfelf, and, whh rcfpeft to 

 u<!, the moll beautiful, beft formed, and moft dlllinguiflied 

 of auimaU, if there were no horfis in the world; he, how- 

 ever, holds the fecond, inftead of the firft rank, and it is 

 from that oidy that he appear? to be of. no value. It is 

 comparllon alone degrades him ; we look at, and give our 

 op'nions, not of hinifelf, but coirpar.itively with the horfe. 

 We forget that he is an af;, that he has k11 the qualities of 

 his nature, alt the gift? attached to h:s fpecies, and only 

 think of the figure and qualities of the horfe, which are 

 wanting in btm, and which be ought aut tu h»\e. 



A S I., 



" He is naturallyas humble, patient, and quiet, as the horfe 

 is proud, ardent, and impetuous ; he fufiers with conftar.cy, 

 and perhaps with courage, chaftifement and blows ; he is 

 moderate both as to the quantity and quality of his food • 

 he is contented with the hardeft and molt difagreeable herbs 

 which the horfe, or other animals, will leave with difdain ; 

 he is very delicjte with refpecl to his water, for he will 

 drink none but the cleareft, and from rivulets which he ii 

 acquainted with ; he drinks as moderately as he cats, and 

 does not put his nofc in the w ater through fear, as fom.e fay, 

 of the Ihadow of his ears ; as care is not taken to comb 

 him, lie frequently rolls on the grafs, thiftJes, and in the 

 durt ; witiiout regarding his road, he lies down and roll* 

 as often as he can, and fteminglv to reproach his mafter for 

 the httle care he takes of him, for he never wallows in the 

 mud or in the water ; he even fears to wet his feet, and will 

 turn out of his road to avoid it ; his legs are alfo drier and 

 cleaner than thofe of the horfe ; he is fufceptible of educa- 

 tion, and fome have been feen fufEciently diicipUned for a 

 public Ihow." 



" When young, they are fprightly, handfome, light, and even 

 graceful ; but they foon lofe thofe qualities, either from age 

 or badtreatmtnt, and become flow, ftubborn, and headftrong. 

 The afs is ardent in nothing but love ; or rather when 

 under the influence of that paflion, he is fo furious that no- 

 thing can reftrain him : he has been known to exhauft himfelf 

 by excefiive indulgence, and die fom«: moments afterwards. 

 As he loves with a kind of madnefs, he has alfo the llrong- 

 eft attachment to his progeny. Pliny afTures us, that 

 when they feparate the mother from her young, fhe will go 

 through fire to recover it. The afs is alfo ftrongly attached 

 to his matter, notwithftanding he is ufually ill-treated ; he 

 will fcent him at a diftance, and diftinguidi him from all 

 other men. He alfo knows the places where be has lived, 

 and the ways which he hao frequented. His eyes are good, 

 and hisfmell acute, cfpecially with legard to females ; hisears 

 are alio excellent, which has contributed to his being num- 

 bered among timid animals, who it is pretended have all 

 long ears, and the hearing extremely delicate. When he ig 

 overioaded, he dicws it by lowering his head, and bending 

 down his ears : when greatly abufcd, he opens his mouth, 

 and draws back his lips in a moft difagreeable manner, which 

 gives him an air of dcrifion and fcorn. If his eyes are cover- 

 ed, be remains motionlefs ; and when he is laid down, and 

 his head fo fixed, that one eye refts-on the ground, and the 

 other being covered with a piece of wood, he will remain in 

 that fituation without endeavouring to get up. He walks, 

 trots, and gallops like the iiorfe, but all his motions are 

 fmaller and much flower. He can however run with tole» 

 rable fwiftnefs, but he can hold it only for a fmall fpace, 

 and whatever pace he ufts, if hard prelTed, he is foon fa, 

 tigucd." 



" The horfe ncitrhs, but the afs brays ; which he do«i 

 by a long, difngreeable, and difcordant cry, by alternative 

 difcords of diarps and flats. He feldom cries but when he 

 is prelTid by love or appetite. The flie-afs has her voice 

 clearer and more flirill." Buff. 



" I confels" favs the abbe la Pluche " that the afs is not 

 mafter of very fliining qualities; but then he eiijoyg 

 thofe which are very folid. If we refort to other animals 

 for diilinguilhcd fervices, this at lead furniflies us with 

 fuch as arc moft necefliar)-. His voice is not altogether 

 melodious, cor his air majeftic, nor his manners very lively ; 

 but then a tine voice has very little merit with people 

 of lolidity. With him the want of a noble air hath 

 its compenfatlon in a mild and modeft: countenance ; and 

 iullead of the boillerous and irregular qualities of the horfe, 

 **! 2 whi&h 



