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fixed in the axle-tree, which serves the double pur^ 
pose of musick to the driver and notice to the tra¬ 
veller* 
Asses are much used between Nantz and Paris, 
and I am convinced in this particular our prejudices 
have deprived us of an extremely useful animal* They 
are in general very small, even less than those brf)ught 
from the Cape de Verd Islands ; but their size bears 
no proportion to their strength. You meet num¬ 
bers of them on the road at the same time carrying 
two large loaded paniers and a stout fat woman, whose 
feet nearly touch the ground as she'rides. Some¬ 
times you see them loaded with hay, or rather you 
see a walking hay cock, for the ass is so complete¬ 
ly covered by the load as to be invisible ; even the 
wood is carried upon their backs by fixing crotchet 
sticks upon their pack saddles. They also carry 
light loads in small carts ; a great part of the wa¬ 
ter dealt out to the inhabitants of Paris is brought 
in this manner. I am satisfied that poor tradesmen 
ifi our country, and especially in the small villages, 
would derive great use from them, at half the ex- 
pense that it costs them to keep a horse for draw¬ 
ing their wood, going to mill, &c. since they sub¬ 
sist upon almost nothing, and are satisfied to be 
perpetually employed. 
Sheep.— The common sheep of France, I think 
very much resemble the sheep of New-England. 
The best are rather inferior to the best of New- 
