MALAYAN PENINSULA. I59 



From the top a most pleasing and extensive view was obtained of the 

 surrounding country, and the bearings of remarkable objects were taken. 

 On a bleak ridge, about two hundred yards from where we were, a wild 

 sheep or goat was observed. This animal's colour is nearly black, and 

 the hair shaggy. Several balls were fired at it without effect. The na- 

 tives said, that this species was only occasionally to be met with ; but as 

 they had never seen a sheep, it could not be ascertained from their ac- 

 counts, whether the animal we saw was of the goat or sheep tribe. I may 

 here observe generally, that the wild animals and birds found in the coun- 

 tries we have just been going over, are chiefly the following : elephants, 

 which are very numerous ; the rhinoceros, which Malays, JBurmans, and 

 Siamese dread more than they do the elephant, owing to its savage tem- 

 per ; the bison, which is found of a very large size in Thedda, the head 

 being of a fawn colour ; the wild ox, of the size of a large buffalo ; and 

 also a species, resembling in every respect the domestic ox ; the buffalo ; 

 the royal tiger ; the leopard ; bears (but very rarely seen) , tiger-cats, 

 about the size of a fox ; leopard-cats, having very beautiful coats, and 

 being about the size of the common cat, but more slimly formed ; the fox- 

 cat, with tiger stripes, and which is destructive to poultry — this animal 

 lives ill dens, but it climbs trees in search of prey. 



The elk and various kinds of deer, are abundant. Baboons, asses, 

 sloths, oppossums, flying and other squirrels, chameleons, and other varie- 

 ties of the lizzard tribe, various species of the tortoise, alligators, and 

 guanas, are very numerous. In Tavoy, the natives keep packs of large 

 dogs, with which they run down deer. These dogs run by sight, and 

 they are regularly kennelled. The breed seems peculiar. I observed a 

 dog at a remote village in that province, equal in size to a Newfoundland 

 dog. 



Wolves, 



