VOYAGE tù SÉNÉGAL. 
panther, leopard, stag, hind, and common deer are equally tiU 
merous. 
The elephant is celebrated for its sagacity, docility, courage^ 
strength, and size, and particularly for its attachment to its own- 
er. The Africans have been mistaken in, or they despise thè 
benevolent disposition of this animal ; and instead of endeavour- 
ing to tame it, and apply it to useful purposes, théy hunt it, kill 
it, eat its flesh, and sell its teeth. 
The country also contains a va^t number of âpes of a smaJi 
species: those of Galam are larger; t^e people ofteiY go into 
the woods to amuse themselves M ith their tricksr When they 
wish for young ones in order t6 tame them, they hunt thé dams, 
which always carry their young in their arms : they fire at them, 
and the dam generally falls either dead or mortally wounded; 
pressing her young to her bosom. The hunter then takes it 
from the mother, which, if not dead, expires through de- 
spair. 
After the accounts of BufFon and Daiibenton, nothing remain^ 
for me to èay of the lion, tiger, &c. The river horse which I 
have already described, is common in the Senegal. 
The birds of Africa have likewise been described by several 
naturalists. The paroqwets of the Senegal are not esteemed: 
they speak with difficulty, and pronounce badly ; in fact this is 
a heavy, melancholy, and stupid bird. A species, however/ 
unknown either at Senegal or in Europe, was discovered by 
chance during my governorship, in the isle of Sor : it was a young 
bird, and as yellow as a lemon. A Negro made me a present 
of it ; 1 reared it with care, and in a short time it began to 
speak, but its voice was broken and harsh. As it grew iipy 
it acquired a few green feathers ; but the yellow colour was al- 
ways predominant. In the course of time it spoke much better 
than at first. This extraordinary bird which I wished to pre-' 
sent to c ur naturalists, came to an unfortunate end. Being saved 
Xvith me at the time of my shripw reck on the coast of Wales; 
it was seized and eaten by a cat on the very night of my 
toding. 
CHAP, 
