THE ASS. 



The Afs does not arrive at maturity till four years old, and lives to the 

 age of twenty, or twenty-five years. He fleeps but little, and never lies 

 down to take that refrelhment, unlefs very much fatigued. 



The female goes with young eleven months, and produces but one at a 

 time, to which me is fo much attached, that fhe will go through fire and 

 water to defend it. 



Mention is made of the Afs being found in thefe kingdoms as early as the 

 reign of King Ethelred, about the year 870, and again in the reign of 

 Henry III. notwithstanding which, the breed appears to have been entirely 

 loft among us in the reign of Elizabeth, Holinglhead informing us, that in his 

 time * our lande did yeelde no AlTes." It is uncertain at what period the breed 

 was again introduced; but it was probably in the fucceeding reign, during 

 our intercourfe with Spain. 



The breed of the Afs is capable of fo much improvement, by means of the 

 importation of Spanim Jack-AlTes, and the ufual methods ufed with Horfes, 

 that it is furely an object well worthy the attention of this country, to which 

 the animal feems now to be fo well naturalized. They are found by experience 

 to be well adapted to the purpofe of working mines, the fituation of which 

 renders them almoft inaccellible to Horfes : and as the Englilh Horfe is now 

 become fo valuable an article of commerce, and brings annually confiderable 

 fums into thefe kingdoms, it is certainly well worth while, to encourage the 

 breed of an animal, fo capable, in many inllances, of fupplying the place of 

 it, and enabling us thereby to increafe our exports. 



At a time, when the demand for labour in London, feems to be fo great, 

 that even Dogs are not exempt from the general drudgery of life, being daily 

 yoked to the trucks of cheefernongers, butchers, &c. this patient, though 

 much abufed animal, readily prefents itfelf as worthy the notice and adoption 

 of the public, for the purpofes of light carriage and moderate draught; more 

 particularly, • as the expence of his keep is very inconliderable, when 

 compared with that of mod other animals, being generally fatisfied with 

 their leavings. 



Much has been faid of the tlupid and ftubborn difpofition of the Afs, but 

 we are greatly inclined to fufpecl: that the afperfion is ill-founded; whatever 



