The form of the
rhinoceros
is
very bulky; its usual length is about twelve feet, and height seven.
very bulky; its usual length is about twelve feet, and height seven.
Childrens - The Creation
2(JG
THE CREATION.
the warm latitudes; and are full of all kinds of mischief. They are
hunted for amusement; but, my beloved children, I have before
mentioned, that a Christian cannot find pleasure in any thing that
gives even a worm pain,--he delights in mercy; and it is his happi-
ness to make all around him happy.
It is a curious fact, that almost all the monkey family, and this
species among them, employ watchmen. " At the time of the gather-
ing of the sugar cane, a whole herd enters the ground, leaving
a guard at the entrance; who, when he sees an enemy approach,
screams aloud; on which his companions instantly gather up all
the booty they can, and run off on their three legs. "--Bingley,
vol. i. p. 71.
The Chinese Monkey. This is one of the greatest robbers of this
family; and so fearless, that he will often watch till the person who
may have driven him away has gone home; when he will return
again. This animal has a long nose of a whitish colour; the body
is a pale brown.
The Negro Monkey. This creature is about the size of a cat, and
very good tempered. The face is red ; the back and tail black.
The Green Monkey. This is a most beautiful species. Its body is
silvery white; its back a soft downy green. It is found in St. Jago,
Africa, and the East Indies.
The Hare-lipped Monkey. The nostrils of this species are divided as
those of the hare. The body is of a clumsy form. It inhabits.
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? LETTER XI.
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Guinea and Angola. It always carries its tail as an arch. The size
is about that of a small spaniel.
Fair Monkey. The head and ears of this beautiful little creature
are a lively red; the hair white; the tail black. It is little more than
half a foot long; though its tail is nearly double that length. It is
among the most beautiful of this family.
Lemurs. This genus unites the previous branches with the great
family of the quadruped; having its fore feet very much like the
monkey's.
The Ring-tail Macauco. This little creature is about the size of a
cat; with beautifully formed limbs. The tail is twice the length of
the body, and is elegantly marked. The body is covered with a
beautiful soft glossy hair, of reddish colour. This animal is very
easily tamed; and has none of the mischievous propensities of the
monkey. It is a native of Madagascar.
The Ruffled Macauco. This animal is much larger than the Ring-
tailed, and altogether of different habits. Its voice is like that of a
lion; and its ruff, which is of considerable size, round its neck, makes
it look very formidable. However, it is easily domesticated; and then
becomes gentle.
Tailless Macauco. This creature is unlike any of this whole order;
being more like the sloth in its habits. It is found in the woods of
Bengal and Ceylon. It creeps along the ground, and utters a plaintive
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THE CREATION.
noise. Its food is principally fruit and eggs, and small birds, if it can
surprise them.
Bats. This genus seems to be the link in the great chain between
birds and quadrupeds; but though bats fly, their general character-
istics come nearer to those of the latter. Linnaeus placed them in the
order Primates, because he thought they in some things approximated
to the great human family.
The Common Bat. This species is familiar to all, and on a fine
summer's evening it flits by us in our walks. It dozes away a great
part of its existence, never coming abroad in the day; and when winter
arrives, it finds a snug sequestered cavern, hooks its claws to some
substance of a firm character, and sleeps on for months and months,
unmindful of storms or tempests.
The bat is about the size of a mouse; the four exterior toes of the
fore feet are enormously long, and connected by a thin membrane,
which also reaches the hind legs, and from thence to the tail,--this
forms its wings for flight. The bat brings forth its young as the
mouse, and suckles them.
In England they are amusing to see, but not so in Guinea and
Madagascar. They are there of a larger family, and great enemies to
the farmer.
The Great Bat of Madagascar. The expansion of the wings of this
night monster is near four feet. They assemble in such numbers as to
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? LETTER XL 269
darken the air, and come forth by day as well as night, and devour
anything and everything they can find. The ancients, it is said,
borrowed their ideas of harpies from these animals. At night they
make a dreadful noise in the forests.
It is said that this species has a great fondness for human blood.
Vampyre or Spectre Bat. This animal is less than the Madagascar
one. It is an inhabitant of South America, and lodges in the palm-
trees ; and if the testimony of some travellers be correct, it comes
forth at evening, and sucks the blood of whatever it finds asleep. It
is said that it lights softly on its victim, makes a minute orifice with
its teeth, and sucks the blood till it is satiated. All this while, it
gently agitates the air with its wings, which lulls its prey into a more
profound sleep. *
How little, my dear children, do we value our numberless privi-
leges. Here we have no lions, nor tigers, nor wolves, openly to prey
on us; and no vampyre at night to injure us.
SECOND ORDER --BRUTiE.
EIGHT GENERA-MANY SPECIES.
Some of the animals of this order are armed with strong hoofs, and
masticate their food; others have claws, and a few are toothless. The
principal are, the Elephant, the Rhinoceros, the Sloth, the Ant-eater,
the Manis, and Armadillo. Most of this family feed on vegetables.
? For facts confirmatory of this, see Bingley, vol. i. p. 107,
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? 270
THE CREATION.
The Elephant. This is the largest, the noblest, and the most
sagacious of all the quadruped family. Many of the most learned
men think that it is the "Behemoth"* of Job xl. 15. The word
" Behemoth," as a generic term, means cattle, and occurs in Gen.
i. 25, with singular force, distinguishing, as it is supposed, those animals
which feed on vegetables from those fierce beasts which live on prey.
If this passage, then, describes the Elephant, we have its natural history
unerringly brought before us, under these six particulars:--1st. his
means of support; 2nd. his strength ;f 3rd. his excellency; 4th. his
gentleness; 5th. his place of rest; 6th. his enormous draught of water.
Just read over attentively those passages; and if Cruden's Concordance
? Some have thought, and among them Bockhart, that the Hippopotamus is
the animal meant: but there is one passage, (Job xi. 20,) " Surely the mountains
bring him forth food, where all the beasts of the field do play," which I think
strongly leans to the contrary view; for though the Hippopotamus walks in the
valley adjacent to the river, yet I am not aware it is ever said that he is found in
the MOUNTAINS.
t The domestic Elephant performs more work than perhaps six horses, but he
requires from his master much care. He is fed with an abundance of vegetables,
and takes of water, for his daily consumption, forty-five gallons. To give an idea
of the labour which he performs: he is the carrier of all the bales, sacks, &c. from
one part of India to another. When loading boats, he takes up the bales, &c. in
his trunk, and puts them in with exceeding nicety, and then tries if they are firmly
stowed. Sometimes they are left, with a promise of fruit, &c. , for some particular
work; and when their Indian returns, he finds it done : but they cannot bear false-
hoods; and if a promise has been made, and the word broken, instances have been
known of their killing the deceiver, and, as if their character could be heightened,
when this has occurred, and the paroxysm of rage past, they have died of sorrow
for the act. Well, then, for excellency, does the Elephant claim to be the Behe-
moth of Job xl. 19.
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? LETTER XI.
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is by you, read also his remarks on each verse, as they are very
descriptive.
The stature of this noble animal is sometimes near twelve feet,
though ordinarily about eight or nine. Its food is entirely the herb of
the field. The strength of the Elephant is such, that he will carry a
light wooden castle full of armed men upon his expansive back.
There is a striking description in the First Book of Maccabees,
vi. 34--39, of those in the army of the wicked Antiochus, king of Syria,
which carried in a tower thirty-two armed men. The tower was
strongly built of solid wood, and fastened by devices round the belly.
It is also said, that a thousand armed men in mail, and five hundred
horsemen, always followed each elephant. Its gentleness is not only
exhibited in its tame state, but also when wild; for it is seen at times
in the midst of other beasts, that lay about it without fear. "Its place
of rest," says an ancient historian, " is by the waters, and moist places
so that it may be said to lie among the marshes; and its great draughts
is a fact known to all; for by means of his trunk he will take up an
enormous quantity of water. Still, with all its strength, according to
Gen. ix. 2, it is subdued by man; and becomes even more docile than
the horse. When these animals are only taken for the sake of their
tusks, which are ivory, then the method of procuring them is by the
gun; but when to bring them into servitude, the snare is used ; but the
former is very dangerous. I have listened to our valued friend, Capt.
G. 's escape from one, until I profusely perspired at the mere recital.
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THE CREATION.
In the days of his youth he had gone out with a friend, Elephant
shooting. They soon discovered a mother with her calf, feeding at a
distance; and getting near, they mortally wounded the young one.
Instantly, the mother, darting round, pursued them. His friend
escaped in a tree; but in an instant the enraged animal seized him
with her trunk, and, raising it up, was about to dash him to the earth,
and trample him to pieces, when the cry of the wounded calf came to
the mother's ear. In the twinkling of an eye, passion and revenge all
gave place to maternal love,--the trunk fell--the prey dropped from it--
and the mother flew away to the poor wounded one. " Thus our friend
escaped. Years after he was brought to know and love the Lord,
and to bless his hand, who had rescued him when there seemed not
a moment between him and eternity.
The longevity and gentleness of the Elephant are beautifully set
forth by that great poet of nature, Thomson:--
" With gentle might endued,
Though powerful, yet not destructive; here he sees
Revolving ages sweep the changeful earth,
And empires rise and fall;--regardless he
Of what the never-resting race of man
Project: thrice happy! could he 'scape their guile,
Who mine, from cruel avarice, his steps.
Or with his towering grandeur swell their state--
The pride of kings--or else his strength pervert,
And bid him rage amid the mortal fray,
Astonished at the madness of mankind. "
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? LETTER XI.
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The Rhinoceros. This animal also seems among the cattle of the
first of Genesis. It feeds entirely on vegetables. It neither attacks
others, nor suffers himself to be attacked; but then, unlike the ele-
phant, he is perfectly untractable.
The form of the rhinoceros is
very bulky; its usual length is about twelve feet, and height seven.
One species of this family has two horns, one behind the other, on the
snout; but those generally known have only one. This protects the
whole face, and is a most formidable weapon; the tiger dreads it more
even than the trunk of the elephant. Sometimes this horn is four
feet in length, and six inches in diameter at the base. The skin of
the rhinoceros is so impenetrable, that the fiercest and strongest
animals cannot hurt it; but to relieve the animal from the insur-
mountable barrier that this would be to active movement, the skin is
looser, and thinner in some parts, and is folded up into plaits, round
the neck, shoulders, and rump, and thus the motion is easy and pliable.
The feet, which, with all the limbs, are most massive, are furnished
with three toes.
The Ant-Eater. The several species of this singular animal all
agree in one great peculiarity,--a long cylindrical tongue, which sup-
plies its want of teeth. The snout of the Ant-Eater is one-fourth the
length of the whole body. In the Liverian Museum there is one of
this family seven feet long, two feet high, the tongue of which is
thirty inches long. The ant is the common food of this animal,
which it procures by laying its curious tongue over a whole host of
n3
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THE CREATION.
this industrious family, and thus feeds to satiety. They are found in
Guiana and the Brazils.
The Sloth. The name of this animal is descriptive of its character.
The size of the sloth ia about that of the badger. It is a harmless,
inoffensive animal; and feeds entirely on vegetables. It inhabits the
eastern coasts of South America; and is also found in Ceylon and in
India. It lives entirely in trees, about which it travels with great
ease, hanging by its claws.
The Armadillo. This singular creature, in all its species, is entirely
confined to the New World; though, if brought here, it can bear the
cold. It subsists, like most of this Order, on vegetable substances.
The Armadillo is a very peaceable animal. In size, it is between
two and three feet in length; and in shape, it resembles the tortoise,
and is covered with a series of shells, something like those of a lob-
ster. It has a long head and large tail. The rattlesnake and arma-
dillo, it is said, live often in the same cave, some have supposed on
terms of friendship, and others, in a kind of armed neutrality.
THIRD ORDER. --FERiE. "
TEN GENERA. --MANY SPECIES.
In this order we shall find the most ferocious and harmless animals
together; the character of the teeth determining the order. It com-
? Wild beasts,
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? LETTER XI.
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prises principally, the Lion, Tiger, Leopard, Cat, &c. ; the Hyasna,
Wolf, Fox, and Dog; the Bear, Badger, Raccoon, and Glutton; the
Opossum, Kangaroo, &c. ; the Weasel, Ichneumon, and Civet; the
Otter, Pole-cat, Marten, Mole, &c.
The Lion is the head of the genus Felis. The peculiarities of this
family are, that they have six cutting teeth in each jaw, with three
grinders on each side of the upper jaw, and four on each side of the
lower; the tongue furnished with rough sharp prickles, which point
backward, claws sheathed, hooked, and sharp.
The lion is the king of the beasts, and as such is continually
alluded to in the Scriptures. The lion is found chiefly in Africa,
and also the hottest parts of Asia. The form of this noble animal is
truly majestic, and his voice is as the voice of thunder; his head is
Tery large, and is covered with a long shaggy mane; and when en-
raged, his eyes flash terribly. The general length of the lion, when
full grown, is from six to eight feet, and its tail is about four feet
more: this is terminated by a tuft of dark hair. The muscular
power of the paw is tremendous; with one stroke it will knock the
strongest man to the ground.
The lioness is smaller than the lion, and has no mane. Her young,
when first born, are about the size of a small dog. They are suckled
about twelve months. She is not ferocious except when her young
are attacked, but then her fury is unbounded, she will even die in
their defence.
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THE CREATION.
" Roaring, she frights the herd, and shakes the plain,
Mocks the sling stone, and snaps the spear in twain;
Still guards her young; the hunter's motions thwarts,
And wrenches from her side the reeking darts. "
The strength of the lion is such, that one stroke of his paw will
break the back of a horse; and he seldom bites till he has . struck his
prey dead. At the Cape he has been known to take off a heifer as a
cat does a mouse. Some writers, who have seen a good deal of this
animal, do not speak very highly of his courage, excepting when
impelled by hunger; for instance, if he springs upon an enemy, and
misses his leap, he will give up his prey. In this, my dear children,
we see mercy from Him who gave even this formidable animal this
trait, so beneficial to man and beast.
The lion in general springs on his prey; but sometimes follows it.
Dr. Sparrman gives a most interesting account of the deliverance of a
native of the Cape Country. --" A Hottentot perceiving that he was
followed by a lion, and concluding that the animal only waited the
approach of night to make him his prey, began to consider of the best
mode of providing for his safety, and at length adopted the following:
--Seeing a piece of ground with a precipitate descent on one side,
he sat down by the edge of it, and observed to his great joy that the
lion also halted at a distance from him. As soon as it was dark, the
man sliding gently forward, let himself below the steep, and held up
his cloak and hat a few feet, gently moving them backward and
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? LETTER XI.
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forward. The lion, after a while, came creeping forward, and mis-
taking the cloak and hat for the man, he sprang headlong and
precipitated himself over the descent. "
When this king of the forest has become acquainted with man's
power, his courage has been so lost that a shout of the human voice
has been known to drive him away; and the fear of man and the
dread of him has been upon him. Gen. ix. 2.
The lion, with almost all this family, is carnivorous, that is, feeds
on flesh: but this was not his primeval or first state, nor will it be his
last; for the unerring word of prophecy tells of a time when " the
lion shall eat straw like the ox:"* and as this time is a "time of
restitution," it of course implies that at first it did so. Cowper thus
beautifully describes those days of peace:--
" The LioD, the Leopard, and the Bear
Graze with the fearless flock; all bask at noon
Together; or all gambol in the shade
Of the same grove, and drink one common stream.
Antipathies are none. No foe to man
Lurks in the Serpent now; the mother sees
And smiles to see her infant's playful hand
Stretched forth to dally with the crested worm,
To stroke his azure neck, or to receive
The lambent homage of his arrowy tongue. "
* Carnivorous animals, notwithstanding their adapted teeth, claws, intestines,
&c, may be brought up wholly on vegetable produce, just as man can subsist
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THE CREATION.
The Tiger. The Tiger is a native of Asia, and is met with as far
north as Chinese Tartary; but India and the Indian Islands are his
principal home. He is somewhat less than the lion, and decidedly
more ferocious; but of all quadrupeds, he has the most beautiful
skin. --On the face, belly, and throat, it is white; on the back, orange,
marked with long glossy transverse stripes of black.
The disposition of the tiger is most ferocious. It even fears not
the lion ; but will engage with it in single combat, and at times both
die in the struggle.
The strength of this animal will be best illustrated by the following
anecdote. --" A peasant in the East Indies," says Mr. Hamilton,
" had a buffalo fallen into a quagmire; and while he went to call for
assistance, an immense tiger came and immediately drew out the
animal, which the peasant with others to help at first had failed to do.
When the people returned, the first thing they beheld was the tiger
dragging the buffalo away to his den. When he saw the men, he let
fall his prey, and fled to the woods: but he had previously killed the
buffalo, and sucked its blood. "
Among the escapes from this animal, none, perhaps, is more
worthy of record than that which happened, now more than 100
years since, in Bengal. --A party had gone out, and seated them-
wholly on plants, or wholly on flesh, as he chooses. The prophetic writers of the
Old Testament indicate that this destructive anomaly is not to be perpetual. --
Sharon Turner's Sacred History of Creation, vol. i. p. 373.
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? LETTER XI.
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selves by a river under the shade of some trees. Imagine their
terror and dismay, on seeing, couching for his spring, a ferocious
tiger. Instantly a lady of the party, with amazing presence of
mind, (which is doubtless a direct gift from God,) unfurled a large
umbrella. The animal, confounded by this strange appearance,
shrunk away into the forest; and the party, by this gracious inter-
position of God, escaped.
The Leopard. The Leopard in form is like the tiger; but much
smaller. The colour of its skin is also similar to that animal; only
instead of having its back marked with transverse lines of glossy
black, it is dotted with annular, that is, round spote of that colour.
It inhabits most parts of Africa; and generally watches by the river
for its prey.
Like the tiger, the leopard is fierce and cruel. The eye is restless.
They attack almost everything they meet. Similar to most of this
family, their memory is wonderful, recognising old friends after a
long absence. Travellers say that the flesh of the leopard is better
than the finest veal.
The Hwnting Leopard. This is a native of India, and about the
size of a greyhound. It derives its name from being employed by
man to hunt the deer. It is trained like the falcon and pelican; and
returns with its prey to its keeper.
The Wild Cat. From this animal have sprung all our varieties of
the domestic cat. It is still to be found in some parts of England:
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THE CREATION.
and, at times, even the domestic cat has escaped to the woods, and
become wild. In this state, it is a deadly enemy to all kinds of game
and poultry, and even young kids.
The Domestic Cat. This animal, as a watch and guard against rats
and mice, is invaluable. A curious part of Welsh history records
the value of the cat, in that age. It occurs in the statutes of Howell
Dda (that is, the Good,) a. d. 948, in which, statutes were made to
preserve the lives of animals, among which the cat was specially
included, on account of its scarcity and utility. The statute I allude
to runs thus:--
"If any should kill or steal the cat that guards the prince's
granary, the offender is to forfeit a milch ewe, her fleece, and young;
or sufficient grain to cover the cat suspended by the tail. "
From these circumstances, it has been justly inferred that the cat
is not a native of these islands. The current prices then were--a
kitten, Id. ; a young cat, 2d. ; a full grown one, Ad. , which, in those
days, was a great sum.
The cat is very tender over its young; and in some instances,
when her own kittens have been taken away, has nursed even young
hares and squirrels with equal fondness.
Some children have a wicked, cruel tendency to tie pots, &c. , to
the tails of cats; but it is a barbarous sport; and, as I have once
before remarked, the step between cruelty to the brute, and cruelty
to man, our own species, is very short.
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The Angora Cat is a variety of the domestic species, which,
M. Sonnini says, possesses the animal qualities of the dog, with
the beautiful fur of the cat: at least, this was the description he
gave of the one he possessed, and which he had the same attachment
for, as Cowper had for his hares.
The Dog. This valuable animal stands at the head of the genus
Cants. None of this family can climb. The general characters are
--six cutting teeth, and two canines in each jaw: six grinders on
each side in the upper jaw, and seven on each side in the lower.
To no animal are we more variously indebted than to the dog.
His faithfulness, diligence, and obedience, are unwearied. Both in
the Old and New continents, if man were deprived of his services,
the loss would be very great. " Unlike most other animals," says
Mr.
THE CREATION.
the warm latitudes; and are full of all kinds of mischief. They are
hunted for amusement; but, my beloved children, I have before
mentioned, that a Christian cannot find pleasure in any thing that
gives even a worm pain,--he delights in mercy; and it is his happi-
ness to make all around him happy.
It is a curious fact, that almost all the monkey family, and this
species among them, employ watchmen. " At the time of the gather-
ing of the sugar cane, a whole herd enters the ground, leaving
a guard at the entrance; who, when he sees an enemy approach,
screams aloud; on which his companions instantly gather up all
the booty they can, and run off on their three legs. "--Bingley,
vol. i. p. 71.
The Chinese Monkey. This is one of the greatest robbers of this
family; and so fearless, that he will often watch till the person who
may have driven him away has gone home; when he will return
again. This animal has a long nose of a whitish colour; the body
is a pale brown.
The Negro Monkey. This creature is about the size of a cat, and
very good tempered. The face is red ; the back and tail black.
The Green Monkey. This is a most beautiful species. Its body is
silvery white; its back a soft downy green. It is found in St. Jago,
Africa, and the East Indies.
The Hare-lipped Monkey. The nostrils of this species are divided as
those of the hare. The body is of a clumsy form. It inhabits.
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? LETTER XI.
2C7
Guinea and Angola. It always carries its tail as an arch. The size
is about that of a small spaniel.
Fair Monkey. The head and ears of this beautiful little creature
are a lively red; the hair white; the tail black. It is little more than
half a foot long; though its tail is nearly double that length. It is
among the most beautiful of this family.
Lemurs. This genus unites the previous branches with the great
family of the quadruped; having its fore feet very much like the
monkey's.
The Ring-tail Macauco. This little creature is about the size of a
cat; with beautifully formed limbs. The tail is twice the length of
the body, and is elegantly marked. The body is covered with a
beautiful soft glossy hair, of reddish colour. This animal is very
easily tamed; and has none of the mischievous propensities of the
monkey. It is a native of Madagascar.
The Ruffled Macauco. This animal is much larger than the Ring-
tailed, and altogether of different habits. Its voice is like that of a
lion; and its ruff, which is of considerable size, round its neck, makes
it look very formidable. However, it is easily domesticated; and then
becomes gentle.
Tailless Macauco. This creature is unlike any of this whole order;
being more like the sloth in its habits. It is found in the woods of
Bengal and Ceylon. It creeps along the ground, and utters a plaintive
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THE CREATION.
noise. Its food is principally fruit and eggs, and small birds, if it can
surprise them.
Bats. This genus seems to be the link in the great chain between
birds and quadrupeds; but though bats fly, their general character-
istics come nearer to those of the latter. Linnaeus placed them in the
order Primates, because he thought they in some things approximated
to the great human family.
The Common Bat. This species is familiar to all, and on a fine
summer's evening it flits by us in our walks. It dozes away a great
part of its existence, never coming abroad in the day; and when winter
arrives, it finds a snug sequestered cavern, hooks its claws to some
substance of a firm character, and sleeps on for months and months,
unmindful of storms or tempests.
The bat is about the size of a mouse; the four exterior toes of the
fore feet are enormously long, and connected by a thin membrane,
which also reaches the hind legs, and from thence to the tail,--this
forms its wings for flight. The bat brings forth its young as the
mouse, and suckles them.
In England they are amusing to see, but not so in Guinea and
Madagascar. They are there of a larger family, and great enemies to
the farmer.
The Great Bat of Madagascar. The expansion of the wings of this
night monster is near four feet. They assemble in such numbers as to
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? LETTER XL 269
darken the air, and come forth by day as well as night, and devour
anything and everything they can find. The ancients, it is said,
borrowed their ideas of harpies from these animals. At night they
make a dreadful noise in the forests.
It is said that this species has a great fondness for human blood.
Vampyre or Spectre Bat. This animal is less than the Madagascar
one. It is an inhabitant of South America, and lodges in the palm-
trees ; and if the testimony of some travellers be correct, it comes
forth at evening, and sucks the blood of whatever it finds asleep. It
is said that it lights softly on its victim, makes a minute orifice with
its teeth, and sucks the blood till it is satiated. All this while, it
gently agitates the air with its wings, which lulls its prey into a more
profound sleep. *
How little, my dear children, do we value our numberless privi-
leges. Here we have no lions, nor tigers, nor wolves, openly to prey
on us; and no vampyre at night to injure us.
SECOND ORDER --BRUTiE.
EIGHT GENERA-MANY SPECIES.
Some of the animals of this order are armed with strong hoofs, and
masticate their food; others have claws, and a few are toothless. The
principal are, the Elephant, the Rhinoceros, the Sloth, the Ant-eater,
the Manis, and Armadillo. Most of this family feed on vegetables.
? For facts confirmatory of this, see Bingley, vol. i. p. 107,
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THE CREATION.
The Elephant. This is the largest, the noblest, and the most
sagacious of all the quadruped family. Many of the most learned
men think that it is the "Behemoth"* of Job xl. 15. The word
" Behemoth," as a generic term, means cattle, and occurs in Gen.
i. 25, with singular force, distinguishing, as it is supposed, those animals
which feed on vegetables from those fierce beasts which live on prey.
If this passage, then, describes the Elephant, we have its natural history
unerringly brought before us, under these six particulars:--1st. his
means of support; 2nd. his strength ;f 3rd. his excellency; 4th. his
gentleness; 5th. his place of rest; 6th. his enormous draught of water.
Just read over attentively those passages; and if Cruden's Concordance
? Some have thought, and among them Bockhart, that the Hippopotamus is
the animal meant: but there is one passage, (Job xi. 20,) " Surely the mountains
bring him forth food, where all the beasts of the field do play," which I think
strongly leans to the contrary view; for though the Hippopotamus walks in the
valley adjacent to the river, yet I am not aware it is ever said that he is found in
the MOUNTAINS.
t The domestic Elephant performs more work than perhaps six horses, but he
requires from his master much care. He is fed with an abundance of vegetables,
and takes of water, for his daily consumption, forty-five gallons. To give an idea
of the labour which he performs: he is the carrier of all the bales, sacks, &c. from
one part of India to another. When loading boats, he takes up the bales, &c. in
his trunk, and puts them in with exceeding nicety, and then tries if they are firmly
stowed. Sometimes they are left, with a promise of fruit, &c. , for some particular
work; and when their Indian returns, he finds it done : but they cannot bear false-
hoods; and if a promise has been made, and the word broken, instances have been
known of their killing the deceiver, and, as if their character could be heightened,
when this has occurred, and the paroxysm of rage past, they have died of sorrow
for the act. Well, then, for excellency, does the Elephant claim to be the Behe-
moth of Job xl. 19.
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? LETTER XI.
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is by you, read also his remarks on each verse, as they are very
descriptive.
The stature of this noble animal is sometimes near twelve feet,
though ordinarily about eight or nine. Its food is entirely the herb of
the field. The strength of the Elephant is such, that he will carry a
light wooden castle full of armed men upon his expansive back.
There is a striking description in the First Book of Maccabees,
vi. 34--39, of those in the army of the wicked Antiochus, king of Syria,
which carried in a tower thirty-two armed men. The tower was
strongly built of solid wood, and fastened by devices round the belly.
It is also said, that a thousand armed men in mail, and five hundred
horsemen, always followed each elephant. Its gentleness is not only
exhibited in its tame state, but also when wild; for it is seen at times
in the midst of other beasts, that lay about it without fear. "Its place
of rest," says an ancient historian, " is by the waters, and moist places
so that it may be said to lie among the marshes; and its great draughts
is a fact known to all; for by means of his trunk he will take up an
enormous quantity of water. Still, with all its strength, according to
Gen. ix. 2, it is subdued by man; and becomes even more docile than
the horse. When these animals are only taken for the sake of their
tusks, which are ivory, then the method of procuring them is by the
gun; but when to bring them into servitude, the snare is used ; but the
former is very dangerous. I have listened to our valued friend, Capt.
G. 's escape from one, until I profusely perspired at the mere recital.
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? 272
THE CREATION.
In the days of his youth he had gone out with a friend, Elephant
shooting. They soon discovered a mother with her calf, feeding at a
distance; and getting near, they mortally wounded the young one.
Instantly, the mother, darting round, pursued them. His friend
escaped in a tree; but in an instant the enraged animal seized him
with her trunk, and, raising it up, was about to dash him to the earth,
and trample him to pieces, when the cry of the wounded calf came to
the mother's ear. In the twinkling of an eye, passion and revenge all
gave place to maternal love,--the trunk fell--the prey dropped from it--
and the mother flew away to the poor wounded one. " Thus our friend
escaped. Years after he was brought to know and love the Lord,
and to bless his hand, who had rescued him when there seemed not
a moment between him and eternity.
The longevity and gentleness of the Elephant are beautifully set
forth by that great poet of nature, Thomson:--
" With gentle might endued,
Though powerful, yet not destructive; here he sees
Revolving ages sweep the changeful earth,
And empires rise and fall;--regardless he
Of what the never-resting race of man
Project: thrice happy! could he 'scape their guile,
Who mine, from cruel avarice, his steps.
Or with his towering grandeur swell their state--
The pride of kings--or else his strength pervert,
And bid him rage amid the mortal fray,
Astonished at the madness of mankind. "
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? LETTER XI.
273
The Rhinoceros. This animal also seems among the cattle of the
first of Genesis. It feeds entirely on vegetables. It neither attacks
others, nor suffers himself to be attacked; but then, unlike the ele-
phant, he is perfectly untractable.
The form of the rhinoceros is
very bulky; its usual length is about twelve feet, and height seven.
One species of this family has two horns, one behind the other, on the
snout; but those generally known have only one. This protects the
whole face, and is a most formidable weapon; the tiger dreads it more
even than the trunk of the elephant. Sometimes this horn is four
feet in length, and six inches in diameter at the base. The skin of
the rhinoceros is so impenetrable, that the fiercest and strongest
animals cannot hurt it; but to relieve the animal from the insur-
mountable barrier that this would be to active movement, the skin is
looser, and thinner in some parts, and is folded up into plaits, round
the neck, shoulders, and rump, and thus the motion is easy and pliable.
The feet, which, with all the limbs, are most massive, are furnished
with three toes.
The Ant-Eater. The several species of this singular animal all
agree in one great peculiarity,--a long cylindrical tongue, which sup-
plies its want of teeth. The snout of the Ant-Eater is one-fourth the
length of the whole body. In the Liverian Museum there is one of
this family seven feet long, two feet high, the tongue of which is
thirty inches long. The ant is the common food of this animal,
which it procures by laying its curious tongue over a whole host of
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THE CREATION.
this industrious family, and thus feeds to satiety. They are found in
Guiana and the Brazils.
The Sloth. The name of this animal is descriptive of its character.
The size of the sloth ia about that of the badger. It is a harmless,
inoffensive animal; and feeds entirely on vegetables. It inhabits the
eastern coasts of South America; and is also found in Ceylon and in
India. It lives entirely in trees, about which it travels with great
ease, hanging by its claws.
The Armadillo. This singular creature, in all its species, is entirely
confined to the New World; though, if brought here, it can bear the
cold. It subsists, like most of this Order, on vegetable substances.
The Armadillo is a very peaceable animal. In size, it is between
two and three feet in length; and in shape, it resembles the tortoise,
and is covered with a series of shells, something like those of a lob-
ster. It has a long head and large tail. The rattlesnake and arma-
dillo, it is said, live often in the same cave, some have supposed on
terms of friendship, and others, in a kind of armed neutrality.
THIRD ORDER. --FERiE. "
TEN GENERA. --MANY SPECIES.
In this order we shall find the most ferocious and harmless animals
together; the character of the teeth determining the order. It com-
? Wild beasts,
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? LETTER XI.
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prises principally, the Lion, Tiger, Leopard, Cat, &c. ; the Hyasna,
Wolf, Fox, and Dog; the Bear, Badger, Raccoon, and Glutton; the
Opossum, Kangaroo, &c. ; the Weasel, Ichneumon, and Civet; the
Otter, Pole-cat, Marten, Mole, &c.
The Lion is the head of the genus Felis. The peculiarities of this
family are, that they have six cutting teeth in each jaw, with three
grinders on each side of the upper jaw, and four on each side of the
lower; the tongue furnished with rough sharp prickles, which point
backward, claws sheathed, hooked, and sharp.
The lion is the king of the beasts, and as such is continually
alluded to in the Scriptures. The lion is found chiefly in Africa,
and also the hottest parts of Asia. The form of this noble animal is
truly majestic, and his voice is as the voice of thunder; his head is
Tery large, and is covered with a long shaggy mane; and when en-
raged, his eyes flash terribly. The general length of the lion, when
full grown, is from six to eight feet, and its tail is about four feet
more: this is terminated by a tuft of dark hair. The muscular
power of the paw is tremendous; with one stroke it will knock the
strongest man to the ground.
The lioness is smaller than the lion, and has no mane. Her young,
when first born, are about the size of a small dog. They are suckled
about twelve months. She is not ferocious except when her young
are attacked, but then her fury is unbounded, she will even die in
their defence.
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THE CREATION.
" Roaring, she frights the herd, and shakes the plain,
Mocks the sling stone, and snaps the spear in twain;
Still guards her young; the hunter's motions thwarts,
And wrenches from her side the reeking darts. "
The strength of the lion is such, that one stroke of his paw will
break the back of a horse; and he seldom bites till he has . struck his
prey dead. At the Cape he has been known to take off a heifer as a
cat does a mouse. Some writers, who have seen a good deal of this
animal, do not speak very highly of his courage, excepting when
impelled by hunger; for instance, if he springs upon an enemy, and
misses his leap, he will give up his prey. In this, my dear children,
we see mercy from Him who gave even this formidable animal this
trait, so beneficial to man and beast.
The lion in general springs on his prey; but sometimes follows it.
Dr. Sparrman gives a most interesting account of the deliverance of a
native of the Cape Country. --" A Hottentot perceiving that he was
followed by a lion, and concluding that the animal only waited the
approach of night to make him his prey, began to consider of the best
mode of providing for his safety, and at length adopted the following:
--Seeing a piece of ground with a precipitate descent on one side,
he sat down by the edge of it, and observed to his great joy that the
lion also halted at a distance from him. As soon as it was dark, the
man sliding gently forward, let himself below the steep, and held up
his cloak and hat a few feet, gently moving them backward and
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? LETTER XI.
277
forward. The lion, after a while, came creeping forward, and mis-
taking the cloak and hat for the man, he sprang headlong and
precipitated himself over the descent. "
When this king of the forest has become acquainted with man's
power, his courage has been so lost that a shout of the human voice
has been known to drive him away; and the fear of man and the
dread of him has been upon him. Gen. ix. 2.
The lion, with almost all this family, is carnivorous, that is, feeds
on flesh: but this was not his primeval or first state, nor will it be his
last; for the unerring word of prophecy tells of a time when " the
lion shall eat straw like the ox:"* and as this time is a "time of
restitution," it of course implies that at first it did so. Cowper thus
beautifully describes those days of peace:--
" The LioD, the Leopard, and the Bear
Graze with the fearless flock; all bask at noon
Together; or all gambol in the shade
Of the same grove, and drink one common stream.
Antipathies are none. No foe to man
Lurks in the Serpent now; the mother sees
And smiles to see her infant's playful hand
Stretched forth to dally with the crested worm,
To stroke his azure neck, or to receive
The lambent homage of his arrowy tongue. "
* Carnivorous animals, notwithstanding their adapted teeth, claws, intestines,
&c, may be brought up wholly on vegetable produce, just as man can subsist
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THE CREATION.
The Tiger. The Tiger is a native of Asia, and is met with as far
north as Chinese Tartary; but India and the Indian Islands are his
principal home. He is somewhat less than the lion, and decidedly
more ferocious; but of all quadrupeds, he has the most beautiful
skin. --On the face, belly, and throat, it is white; on the back, orange,
marked with long glossy transverse stripes of black.
The disposition of the tiger is most ferocious. It even fears not
the lion ; but will engage with it in single combat, and at times both
die in the struggle.
The strength of this animal will be best illustrated by the following
anecdote. --" A peasant in the East Indies," says Mr. Hamilton,
" had a buffalo fallen into a quagmire; and while he went to call for
assistance, an immense tiger came and immediately drew out the
animal, which the peasant with others to help at first had failed to do.
When the people returned, the first thing they beheld was the tiger
dragging the buffalo away to his den. When he saw the men, he let
fall his prey, and fled to the woods: but he had previously killed the
buffalo, and sucked its blood. "
Among the escapes from this animal, none, perhaps, is more
worthy of record than that which happened, now more than 100
years since, in Bengal. --A party had gone out, and seated them-
wholly on plants, or wholly on flesh, as he chooses. The prophetic writers of the
Old Testament indicate that this destructive anomaly is not to be perpetual. --
Sharon Turner's Sacred History of Creation, vol. i. p. 373.
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? LETTER XI.
279
selves by a river under the shade of some trees. Imagine their
terror and dismay, on seeing, couching for his spring, a ferocious
tiger. Instantly a lady of the party, with amazing presence of
mind, (which is doubtless a direct gift from God,) unfurled a large
umbrella. The animal, confounded by this strange appearance,
shrunk away into the forest; and the party, by this gracious inter-
position of God, escaped.
The Leopard. The Leopard in form is like the tiger; but much
smaller. The colour of its skin is also similar to that animal; only
instead of having its back marked with transverse lines of glossy
black, it is dotted with annular, that is, round spote of that colour.
It inhabits most parts of Africa; and generally watches by the river
for its prey.
Like the tiger, the leopard is fierce and cruel. The eye is restless.
They attack almost everything they meet. Similar to most of this
family, their memory is wonderful, recognising old friends after a
long absence. Travellers say that the flesh of the leopard is better
than the finest veal.
The Hwnting Leopard. This is a native of India, and about the
size of a greyhound. It derives its name from being employed by
man to hunt the deer. It is trained like the falcon and pelican; and
returns with its prey to its keeper.
The Wild Cat. From this animal have sprung all our varieties of
the domestic cat. It is still to be found in some parts of England:
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THE CREATION.
and, at times, even the domestic cat has escaped to the woods, and
become wild. In this state, it is a deadly enemy to all kinds of game
and poultry, and even young kids.
The Domestic Cat. This animal, as a watch and guard against rats
and mice, is invaluable. A curious part of Welsh history records
the value of the cat, in that age. It occurs in the statutes of Howell
Dda (that is, the Good,) a. d. 948, in which, statutes were made to
preserve the lives of animals, among which the cat was specially
included, on account of its scarcity and utility. The statute I allude
to runs thus:--
"If any should kill or steal the cat that guards the prince's
granary, the offender is to forfeit a milch ewe, her fleece, and young;
or sufficient grain to cover the cat suspended by the tail. "
From these circumstances, it has been justly inferred that the cat
is not a native of these islands. The current prices then were--a
kitten, Id. ; a young cat, 2d. ; a full grown one, Ad. , which, in those
days, was a great sum.
The cat is very tender over its young; and in some instances,
when her own kittens have been taken away, has nursed even young
hares and squirrels with equal fondness.
Some children have a wicked, cruel tendency to tie pots, &c. , to
the tails of cats; but it is a barbarous sport; and, as I have once
before remarked, the step between cruelty to the brute, and cruelty
to man, our own species, is very short.
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The Angora Cat is a variety of the domestic species, which,
M. Sonnini says, possesses the animal qualities of the dog, with
the beautiful fur of the cat: at least, this was the description he
gave of the one he possessed, and which he had the same attachment
for, as Cowper had for his hares.
The Dog. This valuable animal stands at the head of the genus
Cants. None of this family can climb. The general characters are
--six cutting teeth, and two canines in each jaw: six grinders on
each side in the upper jaw, and seven on each side in the lower.
To no animal are we more variously indebted than to the dog.
His faithfulness, diligence, and obedience, are unwearied. Both in
the Old and New continents, if man were deprived of his services,
the loss would be very great. " Unlike most other animals," says
Mr.
