romping, and yet the horse can be gentle in its friendships and
considerate in its dealings with weaker animals, and with children to a
remarkable degree. White in his "Natural History of Selborne", tells of
a curious friendship between a horse and a hen. "These two incongruous
animals spent much of their time together in a lonely orchard, where
they saw no creature but each other. By degrees an apparent regard began
to take place between the two sequestered individuals; the fowl would
approach the horse with notes of complacency, rubbing herself quietly
against his legs, while the horse would look down with satisfaction, and
move with the greatest caution and circumspection, lest he should
trample on his diminutive companion." A similar friendship is recorded
as between a horse and a sheep, whom circumstances threw much in
company. Both gregarious animals and both failing of companionships of
their own kind, they found solace in their loneliness in a beautiful if
curious friendship. The gentleness of horses in dealing with children
has often been remarked, even when within the confined limits of a
stable they will use the utmost circumspection as to movements lest they
should inadvertently tread upon their playfellows. Mr. Morris tells of a
plough horse who was too tall for his little master to mount and who
used to put his head down to the ground and allow the boy to bestride
his neck and then by gently elevating his head help him to slide on to
his back. Horses have been known to allow liberties to children that
they would not allow to their elders, a remarkable illustration of which
is given by Captain Brown. A hunter who always violently resented any
attempt on the part of his grooms to trim his fetlocks, was once the
subject of conversation in his master's house, when the master defied
any man "to perform the operation singly." On the following day when
passing through the stable-yard he was astonished and alarmed at seeing
his youngest child, who had been an unnoticed listener to the
conversation the night before, with a pair of scissors, clipping the
fetlocks of the horse's hind legs, the horse watching the operation with
evident satisfaction. It is, however, as between horses and dogs that
the truest affinity appears to exist of animals of different families,
and numerous anecdotes are told in illustration of these friendships.
Captain Brown gives the following: "Doctor Smith, a practising physician
in Dublin, had no other servant to take charge of his horse while at a
patient's door, than a large Newfoundland dog; and between the two
animals, a very good understanding subsisted. When he wished to pass to
another patient without remounting, he needed but to give a signal to
the pair, who followed him in the most perfect good order. The dog also
led the horse to the water, and would give him a signal to leap over a
stream. While performing this on one occasion, the dog lost hold of the
reins, when the horse, having cleared the leap, trotted back to the dog,
who resumed the reins."
"A gentleman in Bristol had a greyhound which slept in the same stable,
and contracted a very great intimacy with a fine hunter. When the dog
was taken out the horse neighed wistfully after him; he welcomed him
home with a neigh; the greyhound ran up to the horse and licked him;
the horse, in return, scratched the greyhound's back with his teeth. On
one occasion, when the groom had the pair out for exercise, a large dog
attacked the greyhound, bore him to the ground, and seemed likely to
worry him, when the horse threw back his ears, rushed forward, seized
the strange dog by the back and flung him to a distance which the animal
did not deem it prudent to make less."
The horse's sympathy with his own kind must, however, not pass without
mention. Horses have been known to masticate food for their toothless
companions, an instance being recorded by M. de Boussanelle, a cavalry
officer, of a horse belonging to his company who was fed for two months
in this way by the horses stationed on either side of him. Whether the
horses in the following case were actuated by sympathy or fear, the
story deserves to be retold for its extreme pathos. When Sir John
Moore's soldiers embarked after the battle of Corunna, orders were given
that the troop horses should be shot, rather than that they should fall
into the hands of the enemy. "These horses," says Colonel Smith,
"witnessing their companions fall one after another, stood trembling
with fear, and by their piteous looks seemed to implore mercy from the
men who had been their riders, until the duty imposed upon the dragoons
who had been intrusted with the execution of the order became
unbearable, and the men turned away from the task with scalding tears:
hence the French obtained a considerable number unhurt, and among them
several belonging to officers who, rather than destroy them, had left
their faithful chargers with billets attached recommending them to the
kindness of the enemy."
The Ass.
The ass is an animal which seems to be more than ordinarily affected by
its surrounding and treatment. In eastern countries where it is well
cared for, and employed in the service of the rich, it rises to the
occasion and becomes both graceful and spirited in action and elegant
and refined in appearance: in the west where it is discarded for the
sake of the horse, and used almost solely as a beast of heavy burden,
often suffering great cruelty and hardship, it seems to lose spirit and
become dull and obstinate, as people do who, crushed by hard
circumstances, lose hope. The ass has an ancient and honourable history
which dates back apparently as far as that of the horse. He is mentioned
alike by sacred and profane writers, Job and Homer making flattering
reference to him. In Syria and Persia, where he is cultivated, he
attains to a much larger size than in the west, where he may be
described as about two-thirds the size of the horse. In ancient times
these animals fetched very large sums, sums which in our day would be
considered very large for a horse, a stallion mentioned by Pliny
realising a sum exceeding £3000. "No domestic animal," says Colonel
Smith, "in proportion to its bulk, can carry a greater weight, or
continue to labour longer without sustenance. The ass is emphatically
the poor man's horse in every country; and if care were taken of the
breed, and well selected animals imported from Arabia, a very useful and
handsome race might be reared." Though the ordinary ass is slow and
obstinate, his eastern cousin is both fleet and obedient, and remarkable
feats have been performed by half breeds. A half-bred, Spanish and
English, of twelve and a half hands high, belonging to Mr. Wilson of
Ipswich, drew a light gig from Ipswich to London and back again, a
distance of 140 miles, in two days. He is said to have maintained a pace
little short of that of a good gig horse and to have performed the whole
journey with ease, finishing it without whip, at the rate of seven miles
an hour. Though patient above most animals, the ass will sometimes turn
like the proverbial worm, and instances are known in which he has
adopted the offensive with effect. Some years ago, a bull dog which had
been set on to an ass, was caught by the latter in his teeth, carried to
the river Derwent and held under water until he was drowned. Donkeys
have often been known after enduring great provocation from boys to
turn on their assailants and put them to speedy and anxious flight.
The Sagacity of the Ass.
Dull though he appears to be, the ass show himself on occasion to be
possessed of no little invention in matters that concern his liberty and
comfort. His aptitude for lifting latches and drawing bolts has often
been observed. Mr. Fuller describes the actions of an ass he saw, who
put his head sideways between the bars of a gate and turning it into its
normal position lifted the gate over the latch and pushed it forward,
withdrawing his head after he had opened the gate and proceeding to
enjoy the dainties of the field into which he had thus effected an
entrance. A still more remarkable instance is given by Mr. East who
says: "While living on the Sussex coast, I had myself a very fine
donkey, which was a remarkably docile and knowing animal. He was the
constant companion of my children in their rambles on the downs, and on
those occasions seemed to think he had a right to share in all the
eatables and drinkables, and would do so most readily, whether cakes,
apples, oranges, sweetmeats, milk, or even tea; ginger-beer being the
only exception. With this he was thoroughly disgusted, in consequence of
the cork, which had been expelled from the bottle with the usual loud
report, having struck him on the nose. This he never forgot; but would
quickly march off whenever a ginger-beer bottle was produced. But his
cleverness and cunning were more especially shown in the following
incident:--His lodging-place at night was a small, open shed, whence he
had free access to a yard; but not, of course, to the kitchen-garden
which adjoined it. The latter was separated from the yard by a wall and
door, fastened securely, as we imagined, by two bolts and an ordinary
latch. We were, however, surprised to find that the door had been
unfastened during the night, while the footprints of the donkey on the
garden walks and beds too plainly told who had been the trespasser.
Still we could hardly suppose he could have drawn the bolts and let
himself in, especially as the upper bolt was fixed at a considerable
height. This, however, proved to have been the case; for my bedroom
overlooking the yard and garden, I one night watched at the window, and
distinctly saw master donkey, reared on his hind legs, unfastening the
upper bolt with his nose or mouth. He then withdrew the lower one,
lifted the latch, and walked quietly into the garden. In a few minutes I
further observed him returning to his shed with a large bunch of
carrots, which he deposited in his shed, and then went back--not,
certainly, to bolt, but to latch the door; after which he leisurely set
about munching his slily acquired booty. Before putting a final stop to
these proceedings, I gave several of my neighbours, who were incredulous
upon the subject, an opportunity of witnessing them. And at these times
his sagacity was further evinced by the fact that he would never
commence his operations until after the light had been extinguished at
the bedroom window."
The Instinct of the Ass.
The sense of locality so conspicuous in the dog, the cat and the horse
is also possessed in a remarkable degree by the ass, as the following
story told by Captain Brown will show. "In 1816, an ass belonging to
Captain Dundas was shipped on board the Ister, bound from Gibraltar to
Malta. The vessel struck on a sand-bank off the Point de Gat, and the
ass was thrown overboard into a sea which was so stormy that a boat that
soon after left the ship was lost. In the course of a few days, when the
gates of Gibraltar were opened in the morning, the guard was surprised
by the same ass which had so recently been removed, presenting itself
for admittance. On entering, it proceeded immediately to the stable
which it had formerly occupied. The ass had not only swum to the shore,
but found its own way from Point de Gat to Gibraltar, a distance of more
than two hundred miles, through a mountainous and intricate country
intersected by streams, which it had never passed before--but which it
had now crossed so expeditiously that it must have gone by a route
leading the most directly to Gibraltar."
The Trained Ass.
The ass like many other animals is capable of being trained to perform
many tricks, advantage of which seems to have been taken long before our
time, as the following quoted by Captain Brown will show. John Leo, in a
book printed as early as 1556, says, "when the Mahometan worship was
over, the common people of Cairo resorted to the foot of the suburbs
called Bed-Elloch to see the exhibition of stage-players and
mountebanks, who teach camels, asses, and dogs to dance. The dancing of
the ass is diverting enough; for after he has frisked and capered about,
his master tells him, that the Soldan, meaning to build a great palace,
intends to employ all the asses in carrying mortar, stones, and other
materials; upon which the ass falls down with his heels upwards, closing
his eyes, and extending his chest, as if he were dead. This done, the
master begs some assistance of the company, to make up the loss of the
dead ass; and having got all he can, he gives them to know that truly
his ass is not dead, but only being sensible of his master's necessity,
played that trick to procure some provender. He then commands the ass to
rise, who still lies in the same posture, notwithstanding all the blows
he can give him, till at last he proclaims, by virtue of an edict of the
Soldan, all are bound to ride out next day upon the comeliest asses they
can find, in order to see a triumphal show, and to entertain their asses
with oats and Nile water. These words are no sooner pronounced, than the
ass state up, prances, and leaps for joy. The master then declares, that
his ass has been pitched upon by the warden of his street, to carry his
deformed and ugly wife; upon which the ass lowers his ears, and limps
with one of his legs, as if he were lame. The master, alleging that his
ass admires handsome women, commands him to single out the prettiest
lady in the company; and accordingly, he makes his choice by going
round, and touching one of the prettiest with his head, to the great
amusement of the company."
The Mule and the Hinny.
The Mule and the Hinny, are the off-spring of the ass and the horse and
combine to some extent the qualities of both. The mule has the
sure-footedness of the ass, and the size and appearance of the horse.
His history dates back to classical and Biblical times, and mention is
made of him both in the Iliad and in the Bible. In the East he is still
trained to useful service, and in England he is used in tramways and
road cars. The Spanish mules are trained to understand the calls of
their driver who directs their course by shouting from the box.
The Zebra.
The Zebra resembles the horse in shape, and in size stands half way
between the horse and the ass. He belongs to Central Africa, and
hitherto has resisted all attempts to tame him for practical use. He is
a beautiful animal, handsomely marked with black and white stripes all
over the body, and black and white rings round the legs. Burchell's
Zebra which belongs to the Cape of Good Hope, is similar, but has white
legs. The Quagga of Southern Africa has a brown coat striped with black,
a white waistcoat, and white stockings. Zebras have been half tamed,
when kept in menageries, but lack the instinctive docility of the horse.
The Tapir.
The next family we have to deal with is the family of the _Tapiridæ_, in
which there are two genera and six species. The Tapir is a large and
powerful animal standing from five to six feet in height and inhabiting
the warmer regions of South America. It is nocturnal in its habits and
feeds on water-melons, gourds, and other fruits and vegetables. It
frequents the water and can remain below the surface for a long time.
Its hide is very thick and its senses of sight, hearing, and smell very
acute. Its most characteristic feature is a short mobile proboscis which
enables it to seize hold of boughs and fruits when in search of food.
The Rev. J. G. Wood says, "Its disposition is gentle, but when annoyed,
it sometimes rushes at its antagonist, and defends itself vigorously
with its powerful teeth. The jaguar frequently springs on it, but it is
often dislodged by the activity of the Tapir, who rushes through the
bushes immediately that it feels the claws of its enemy, and endeavours
to brush him off against the thick branches." The Tapir is easily tamed
and even domesticated, though it must be admitted it makes a somewhat
huge pet. It is intelligent and in its own way shows appreciation of
kindness and attachment to its owner. This family has sometimes been
regarded as a link between the Elephant and the Rhinoceros, but in the
classification here followed the Elephant forms a separate order; the
Tapir and the Rhinoceros complete the sub-order of Perissodactyla or
odd-toed, hoofed animals. The Indian Tapir is somewhat larger than his
American cousin and is distinguished by the greyish-white colour of his
hind quarters, which gives him the appearance of bearing a white horse
cloth on his loins.
The Rhinoceros.
The Rhinoceros is found in both Asia and Africa, and is classified by
Dr. Gray in four genera. Of these the Indian Rhinoceros, the Rhinoceros
of Sumatra, and the Mahoohoo of South and Central Africa are
representatives. Mr. Gordon Cumming says, "There are four varieties in
South Africa, distinguished by the Bechuanas by the names of the Borèlé
or black rhinoceros, the Keitloa or two-horned black rhinoceros, the
Muchocho or common white rhinoceros and the Kobaoba or long-horned white
rhinoceros. Both varieties of the black rhinoceros are extremely fierce
and dangerous, and rush headlong and unprovoked upon any object which
attracts their attention. Their horns are much shorter than those of the
other varieties, seldom exceeding eighteen inches in length. They are
finely polished with constant rubbing against trees. The skull is
remarkably formed, its most striking feature being the tremendous thick
ossification in which it ends above the nostrils. It is on this mass
that the horn is supported. The horns are not connected with the skull,
being attached merely by the skin, and they may thus be separated from
the head by a sharp knife. They are hard and perfectly solid throughout.
The eyes of the rhinoceros are small and sparkling and do not readily
observe the hunter, provided he keep to leeward of them. The skin is
extremely thick, and only to be penetrated by bullets hardened with
solder." "During the day the rhinoceros will be found lying asleep or
standing indolently in some retired part of the forest, or under the
base of the mountains, sheltered from the power of the sun by some
friendly grove of umbrella-topped mimosas. In the evening they commence
their nightly ramble, and wander over a great extent of country." "The
black rhinoceros is subject to paroxysms of unprovoked fury, often
ploughing up the ground for several yards with its horns, and assaulting
large bushes in the most violent manner." "The rhinoceros is supposed by
many, and by myself among the rest, to be the animal alluded to by Job,
Chap. XXXIX, verses 10 and 11, where it is written: 'Canst thou bind the
unicorn with his band in the furrow? or will he harrow the valleys after
thee? Wilt thou trust him because his strength is great? or wilt thou
leave thy labour to him?'" "All the four varieties delight to roll and
wallow in mud, with which their rugged hides are generally encrusted.
Both varieties of the black rhinoceros are much smaller and more active
than the white, and are so swift that a horse with a rider on his back
can rarely overtake them. The two varieties of the white rhinoceros are
so similar in habits, that the description of one will serve for both;
the principal difference consisting in the length and set of the
anterior horn; that of the muchocho averaging from two to three feet in
length, and pointing backwards; while the horn of the Kobaoba often
exceeds four feet in length, and inclines forward from the nose at an
angle of 45°. The posterior horn of either species seldom exceeds six or
seven inches in length. Both these varieties attain an enormous size,
being the animals next in magnitude to the elephant. They feed solely on
grass, carry much fat, and their flesh is excellent, being preferable to
beef."
Rhinoceros Hunting.
Mr. Gordon Cumming gives several graphic descriptions of his experiences
with the rhinoceros, in his "Hunting Adventures in South Africa", from
which work the foregoing description of the several species is taken. On
one occasion after following a huge white rhinoceros, which, however,
escaped him, he says, "I found myself on the banks of the stream beside
which my waggons were out-spanned. Following along its margin, I
presently beheld a bull of the borèlé, or black rhinoceros, standing
within a hundred yards of me. Dismounting from my horse, I secured him
to a tree, and then stalked within twenty yards of the huge beast, under
cover of a large strong bush. Borèlé, hearing me advance, came on to see
what it was, and suddenly protruded his horny nose within twenty yards
of me. Knowing well that a front shot would not prove deadly, I sprang
to my feet and ran behind the bush. Upon this the villain charged,
blowing loudly, and chased me round the bush. Had his activity been
equal to his ugliness my wanderings would have terminated here, but by
my superiority I had the advantage in the turn. After standing a short
time eyeing me through the bush ... he wheeled about, leaving me master
of the field." This was not the only nor even the narrowest escape
experienced by Mr. Gordon Cumming when hunting this enormous beast. On
another occasion he says:--"Having proceeded about two miles with large
herds of game on every side, I observed a crusty looking old bull borèlé
or black rhinoceros, cocking his ears one hundred yards in advance. He
had not observed us; and soon after he walked slowly towards us, and
stood broadside, eating some wait-a-bit thorns within fifty yards of
me. I fired from my saddle, and sent a bullet in behind his shoulder,
upon which he rushed forward about one hundred yards in tremendous
consternation, blowing like a grampus, and then stood looking about him.
Presently he made off. I followed, but found it hard to come up with
him. The chase led through a large herd of wildebeests, zebras, and
springboks, which gazed at us in utter amazement. At length I fired my
second barrel, but my horse was fidgety, and I missed. I continued
riding alongside of him, expecting in my ignorance, that at length he
would come to bay, which rhinoceroses never do; when suddenly he fell
flat on his broadside on the ground, but, recovering his feet resumed
his course as if nothing had happened. Becoming at last annoyed at the
length of the chase, as I wished to keep my horse fresh for the
elephants, and being indifferent whether I got the rhinoceros or not, I
determined to bring matters to a crisis, so spurring my horse, I dashed
ahead, and rode right in his path. Upon this the hideous monster
instantly charged me in the most resolute manner, blowing loudly through
his nostrils; and although I quickly wheeled about to my left, he
followed me at such a furious pace for several hundred yards, with his
horrid horny snout within a few yards of my horse's tail, that my little
bushman, who was looking on in great alarm, thought his master's
destruction inevitable. It was certainly a very near thing; my horse was
extremely afraid and exerted his utmost energies on the occasion. The
rhinoceros, however, wheeled about and continued his former course, and
I, being perfectly satisfied with the interview which I had already
enjoyed with him, had no desire to cultivate his acquaintance any
further, and accordingly made for the camp."
The Tame Rhinoceros.