LECTURE II. 41 



those who took daily care of it, of which 'it seemed 

 to be very sensible. Often, when they retired, it 

 would throw itself on the ground as if in despair, 

 uttering lamentable cries. Its keeper having been 

 accustomed sometimes to sit near it on the ground, 

 it would take the hay of its bed, and spread it in. 

 the form of a cushion or a seat, and by every de- 

 monstration invite its keeper to sit with it. Its 

 tisual manner of walking was on all fours, but it 

 could also walk on its two hind feet. One morn- 

 ing it got unchained, and we beheld it, with won- 

 derful agility, ascend the beams and rafters of the 

 building : it was not without some trouble that it 

 was taken, and we then remarked the prodigious 

 strength of the animal; the assistance of four men 

 being necessary, in order to hold it in such a man- 

 ner as to be properly secured. During its stat^ 

 of liberty, it had, among other things^ taken the 

 cork from a bottle of Malaga wine, which it drank 

 to the last drop, and had set the bottle in its place 

 again. When presented with strawberries on a 

 plate, of which it was extremely fond, it was very 

 amusing to see it take them up one by one with 

 a fork, and put them into its mouth. Its common^ 

 drink was water, but it also willingly drank all 



