A voyage to Senegal : $b or, Historical, philosophical, and political memoirs, relative to the discoveries, establishments and commerce of Europeans in the Atlantic Ocean, from Cape Blanco to the river of Sierra LeoneDurand, Jean Baptiste Léonard
History
A voyage to Senegal : $b or, Historical, philosophical, and political memoirs, relative to the discoveries, establishments and commerce of Europeans in the Atlantic Ocean, from Cape Blanco to the river of Sierra Leone
Durand, Jean Baptiste Léonard
Africa, Northwest; Senegal -- Description and travel
The most remarkable of these is _guiamala_, which is nearly as high
as the elephant, but much less stout: it is a kind of camel; it has a
long neck; the same sort of head; and two protuberances, which form a
kind of natural saddle on its back; it has also extraordinarily long
legs. The horny substance of its foot is black and cleft like that
of an ox; it walks fast, and runs well during a great distance. It
eats little, and is not delicate, but feeds on thistles, reeds,
leaves, and shoots of trees. It is always in a half-starved state;
but the Negroes eat its flesh, which they find very good.
The natives have never attempted to tame this animal, or to make
use of it for carrying burdens; they do not therefore know whether
it is docile, or capable of bearing a load. They do not approach it
without difficulty, and never without alarm. Nature has furnished it
with seven horns, which are straight, black, strong, and pointed; and
in those which are of full age, they are above two feet in length,
but when the animal is young, they are not more than six inches:
they are then enveloped in a rough kind of hair to within two or
three inches of their extremity; but this hair drops off when the
horn has attained a certain length. It resides in the woods and on
the highest mountains.
There is also in this part of the country a species of white
apes, whose colour is as beautiful as that of our finest white
rabbits. They have fine red eyes, are of a small stature, and
are very gentle and docile when young; but as they grow up, their
natural cunning and malignity are developed. They are so delicate,
and so much attached to their native country, that they refuse food,
and starve themselves to death when taken out of it. The French
residents at Galam had several of them; but they were never able
to bring any alive to Isle St. Louis. It cannot surely be said
that it is the loss of liberty which causes them to pine to death:
for they care little about being chained in their own country;
and while in this state, they eat and thrive abundantly; but they
will not leave the territory. This is a great pity, as they are the
most beautiful animals in the world; and setting aside their malice,
nothing is more agreeable or diverting.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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