THE ZEBRA. 



was fo gentle as to fuffer a child, fix years old, to fit quietly on its back, without 

 fliewing the leaft fign of difpleafure ; it was familiar even with ftrangers, 

 and received the carelTes ufually given to the Horfe with evident fatisfaclion. 

 This rare and beautiful creature was unfortunately burnt to death, the ftraw 

 on which he lay being mifchievoully fet fire to by an unlucky Monkey, 

 which was kept in the fame room. This conjecture is rendered ftill more 

 probable by what Dr. Sparrman fays, when fpeaking of the Quagga, an 

 animal fo much refembling the Zebra in its form and habits as to have been 

 miftaken by Edwards for the fame Ipecies, as has been already obferved. 

 " I have not the leail doubt," fays he, " but that thefe Quaggas might be 

 broken in for the faddle or harnefs ; and I am the more confirmed in this 

 opinion, as, immediately before my departure for Europe, I faw one driven 

 through the flreets in a team of five horfes : but with the Zebra no one has 

 as yet made a fair trial." The Doctor farther obferves, that " if both the 

 Zebra and Quagga could be tamed by the colonifis, about the Cape of Good 

 Hope, and ufed infiead of Horfes, the advantages arifing from fuch a practice 

 would be very confiderable. In the firfi: place, they are much more eafily 

 procured in that country than Horfes are, and, being naturally accuftomed 

 to the harih pafiure which grows there, they would be eafier maintained 

 than Horfes, whofe appetite is more delicate : they are alfo furer footed than 

 the Horfe, and, being in their native country, are not liable to the difeafes to 

 which Horfes are fubjecl:, from change of climate and food. They would 

 likewife run no rifk of being devoured by Wolves, as the Zebra and 

 Quagga will not only refill the attacks of thofe voracious animals, but even 

 drive them off, and defend other cattle from them (a)." This arrangement 

 would likewife prove very advantageous to the farmers who refide at a 

 diftance from the Cape, who might ufe them, inftead of Oxen, to draw their 

 waggons, laden with timber and provifions, to market ; by which means, they 

 need not breed fo many Oxen, and confequently might bring up more Cows, 

 and make more butter to fapply the market at the Cape : this would likewife 

 encourage the breed of Hogs, as they could be half fed on the wafte butter 



(a) Sparrman's Voyage to the Cape of Good Hope. 



