HISTORY OF MAURITIUS. 
144 
The Droute, Dodo , &c. 
There is found also in this island, the Dronte, Raphus (Brisson, Mochr; Dodo, 
Edwards,) which is a species of itself, though some have supposed it to belong to 
that of the ostrich. 
It commonly inhabits the Island of Mauritius, so celebrated for the beautiful 
ebony wood which it produces. It is a very stupid animal: its size and figure is 
between that of the turkey and the ostrich ; it is taller than the swan ; its head is 
long, large, and shapeless; its feathers rise to a point on the forehead, and grow 
around the beak and on the face, in the form of an hood, from whence it has ob¬ 
tained the name of the hooded swan ; its eyes are black and large; its beak, which 
is strong, and of a considerable size and length, is both pointed and hooked, and 
of a pale blue colour; the neck is long, fat, and curved; the body is large and 
round, and covered with gray feathers, which are as soft as those of an ostrich ; its 
wings are short; its legs are thick, long, and of a yellow colour; it has four claws, 
three before and one behind ; it does not fly, and is very slow in its progress when 
it walks: the flesh is covered with fat, and is at the same time so nutritious, that 
three or four of these birds are sufficient to glut an hundred people. Stones are gene¬ 
rally found in the stomach of this animal. Lightness and activity, says M. Buffon, 
are attributes common to birds, but the Dronte has no claim to these characters; 
on the contrary, it appears to be expressly formed to give an idea of the heaviest 
of organized beings. 
Size, which, in animals, generally pre-supposes strength, in this particular instance 
produces nothing but weight. The ostrich, the tomjou, and the casoar, are not 
more capable of flying than the Dronte; but they are very swift of foot; whereas, 
the Dronte appears to be borne down by its own weight, which it can scarce bear 
along. It answers, amongst the birds, says M. Buffon, to the sloth among the 
quadrupeds. It may be said, indeed, to be composed of brute inactive matter, in 
which the vivyfying particles have been omitted: it has wings, but they are too 
weak, and too short, to lift it into the air; it has a tail, but it is both dispropor- 
tioned and out of its place. It may be actually taken for a tortoise, covered with 
feathers; and nature, by furnishing it with these useless ornaments, seems as if she 
wished to acid the embarrassment to its natural weight, the awkwardness of its 
