486 
FOAL OF A ZEBRA. 
28, 29 Nov. 
was at my new servant ; whose liveliness of manners and conversation 
appeared to much advantage, by the side of the slow phlegmatic 
movements and apparent apathy of the generality of Hottentots. 
A spirited tone of voice, and animated gestures while talking, were 
what I had been long unused to, during the journey : but there were 
certain things which at this moment contributed greatly to his 
animation ; tobacco and meat in abundance. He brought with him 
two of his countrymen, who also passed the night at our fire, and 
partook of the conviviality. With them, he kept up an almost in- 
cessant, vociferous conversation, till a late hour of the night, varying 
it, however, at intervals with a more moderate tone, while speaking in 
Dutch to Philip, who, having formerly been in Briqualand, as it is 
sometimes called, appeared pleased at the opportunity of talking 
with him about places with which they were both acquainted. 
29t]u As one of the people was returning home on horseback, 
a young Quakka (Zebra) foal, whose mother had probably just died, 
or been shot, ran towards the horse, and -followed it to Klaarwater ; 
where I saw it in a cattle-pound, standing very quietly, allowing 
itself to be touched with the hand, and, to all appearance, quite as 
tame as a common foal ; the presence of men, seemingly, giving it 
not the least uneasiness. It being a handsome animal, it was in- 
tended to bring it up tame ; with which view it was put to a mare 
to be suckled. However, it unfortunately died in about ten days 
afterwards, and thus exceedingly disappointed my expectation of 
witnessing the success of the experiment. From the Hottentots 
who had the management of it, I could not learn the real cause of 
the failure, as one said it pined away for the loss of its mother ; the 
other that the mare would not let it suck enough ; and another that 
her milk did not agree with it. Notwithstanding all this, I am 
much inclined to believe, and in fact have since seen sufficient to 
confirm my belief, that many of the wild animals, if taken very 
young, may be reared by sn'*^ ^ • them under such domestic animals 
as belong to the same ger o' even to the same order. And 
although the natural wildness, ">! ferocity, of their nature, cannot be 
subdued by such nurture ; yet they would be thus accustomed to 
