Note 18 — Chapter XXX · The wild ass;—difficulty in breaking it;—the heath-fowl’s nest.

I on my part, however, was soon reconciled to the offence against our pride, since it also insured our safety: and a fresh roar, in sounds unquestionable, raised loud peals of laughter among us; and then followed the usual train of jests and mutual banter at the alarm we had one and all betrayed. Shortly after, we had the satisfaction of seeing among the trees our old friend Grizzle, moving towards us leisurely, and stopping now and then to browse; but to our great joy we perceived in his train one of the same species of very superior beauty, and when it was nearer I knew it to be a fine onagra18 or wild ass, which I conceived a strong desire to possess, though at the same time aware of the extreme difficulty there would be in taming and rendering him subject to the use of man. Some writers who have described it under the name of the Œigitai, (or long-eared horse,) given it by the Tartars, affirm that the taming it has been ever found absolutely impracticable; but my mind furnished an idea on the subject which I was resolved to act on, if I got possession of the handsome creature. Without delay I descended the ladder with Fritz, desiring his brothers to keep still; and I consulted my privy-counsellor on the means of surprising and taking the stranger captive. I got ready, as soon as possible, a long cord with a running knot, one end of which I tied fast to the root of a tree; the noose was kept open with a little stick slightly fixed in the opening so as to fall of itself on the cord being thrown round the neck of the animal, whose efforts to escape would draw the knot closer. I also prepared a piece of bamboo about two feet long, which I split at the bottom, and tied fast at top, to serve as nippers. Fritz attentively examined my contrivance, without seeing the use of it. Prompted by the impatience of youth, he took the ball-sling and proposed aiming at the wild ass with it, which he said was the shortest way of proceeding. I declined adopting this Patagonian method, fearing the attempt might fail, and the beautiful creature avail itself of its natural velocity to evade us beyond recovery: I therefore told him my project of catching it in the noose, which I gave him to manage, as being nimbler and more expert than myself. The two asses drew nearer and nearer to us. Fritz, holding in his hand the open noose, moved softly on from behind the tree where we were concealed, and advanced as far as the length of the rope allowed him: the onagra was extremely startled on perceiving a human figure; it sprung some paces backward, then stopped as if to examine the unknown form; but as Fritz now remained quite still, the animal resumed its composure and continued to browse. Soon after he approached the old ass, hoping that the confidence that would be shown by it, would raise a similar feeling in the stranger: he held out a handful of oats mixed with salt; our ass instantly ran up to take its favourite food, and greedily devoured it; this was quickly perceived by the other. It drew near, raised its head, breathed strongly and came up so close, that Fritz, seizing the opportunity, succeeded in throwing the rope round its neck; but the motion and stroke so affrighted the beast that it instantly sprang off; it was soon checked by the cord, which in compressing the neck almost stopped its breath: it could go no further, and after many exhausting efforts, it sunk panting for breath upon the ground. I hastened to loosen the cord and prevent its being strangled. I then quickly threw our ass’s halter over its head; I fixed the nose in my split cane, which I secured at the bottom with packthread. Thus I succeeded in subduing the first alarm of this wild animal, as farriers shoe a horse for the first time. I wholly removed the noose that seemed to bring the creature into a dangerous situation; I fastened the halter with two long ropes to two roots near us, on the right and left, and let the animal recover itself, noticing its actions, and devising the best way to tame it in the completest manner.