at breakfast, he came up to them, and I
saw his fore feet slip: he drew back immediately, and seemed for a
moment at a loss how to get on. Close to these planks a cart load of
sand had been placed: he put his fore feet on this, and looked wistfully
to the other side of the drain."

The boy who attended this horse, and who had gone round by another path,
seeing him stand there, called him. The horse immediately turned round,
and set about scraping the sand most vigorously, first with one hind
foot, then with the other. The boy, perhaps wondering what he was going
to do, waited to see. When the planks were completely covered with sand,
the horse turned round again, unhesitatingly walked over, and trotted up
to his stable and driver.

[7] This seems to confirm the opinion of the Indians concerning the
solitary elephants.

THE ASS.

Although far from equaling the horse in grace or beauty, the ass, in
his wild condition, is a handsome, swift, and powerful animal, so
different to the degenerated, ill-used, and scrubby creatures of this
country, that they would scarcely be recognized as belonging to the same
stock, if placed side by side. In Spain, and other parts of Southern
Europe, and the Cape de Verde Islands, they are very superior; but they
are even surpassed by those of the East. All acquainted with Scripture
know the importance formerly attached to them, when the wisest and best
of the land rode in state upon white asses. It will also be recollected,
that the Israelites were at first forbidden to use horses, and the
places of the latter were then supplied by asses. From the time,
however, that the finer animals became common, asses seem to have fallen
into disrepute; and we read that the greatest of all beings, when
performing His Divine Mission upon earth, and was about to give himself
up as a sacrifice for us, rode into Jerusalem upon an ass, thereby
shewing his humility.

Asses are eminently creatures of a warm climate, where they have a
smooth, sleek coat, well-made legs, and elevated carriage of the head.
They were introduced into Great Britain at an early period; for we hear
of twelve shillings being paid for one in the time of Ethelred; but they
are supposed to have become extinct, and to have been re-introduced in
the reign of Queen Mary, in consequence of our then intercourse with
Spain. They are still in great perfection in Persia, where there are two
varieties, one kept for riding, and the oth