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tions above; and it is a crime to have undertaken and performed too much! As my mifery makes my life a burthen to myself, fo far the empty title of vice-roy and admiral render me obnoxious to the hatred of the Spanih nation. It is vifible that all methods are adopted to cut the thread that is breaking; for I am in my old age oppreffed with infupportable pains of the gout, and am now languithing and expiring with that and other infirmities, among favages, where I have neither medicines nor provifions for the body-priest nor facrament for the foul. My men in a state of revolt-my brother, my fon, and thofe that are faithful, fick, ftarving, and dying; the Indians have abandoned us, and the governor of St. Domingo has fent rather to see if I am dead, than to fuccour us, or carry me alive hence; for his boat neither delivered a letter nor fpoke with us, nor would receive any letter from us, fo I conclude your Highness's officers intend that here my voyages and life thould terminate. O bleffed Mother of God! that compaffionates the miferable and oppreffed, why did not cruel Bovadilla kill me, when he robbed me and my brother of our dearly purchafed gold, and fent us to Spain, without trial, crime, or thadow of mifconduct? Thefe chains are all the treasures I have, and they shall be buried with me, if I chance to have a coffin or grave'; for i would have the remembrance of fo unjust an action perish with me, and, for the glory of the Spanish name, be eternally forgotten. Let it not bring a farther infamy on the Caftilian name; nor let ages to come, know there were any wretches fo vile in this, that think to recommend themselves to your Majefty, by destroying the unfortunate and miferable CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS, not for his crimes, but for his fervices in difcovering and giving Spain a NEW WORLD! As it was heaven itself that infpired and conducted me to it! the heavens will weep for me, and fhew pity! Let the earth, and every foul in it, that loves juftice and mercy, weep for me! And you, O glo.

O glorified faints of God, that know my innocence and fee my fufferings here, have mercy! for though this prefent age is envious and obdurate, furely thofe that are to come will pity me, when they are told that CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS, with his own fortune, ran the hazard of his own and brother's life and with little or no expence to the crown of Spain, in ten years and four voyages, rendered greater fervices than ever mortal man did to prince or kingdom, yet was left to perifh, without being charged with the leaft crime, in poverty and mifery-all but his chains being taken from him, fo that he who gave Spain another world, had neither fafety in it, nor yet a cottage for himfelf nor his wretched family. But fhould heaven ftill perfecute me, and feem displeased with what I have done, as if the difcovery of this new world may be fatal to the old; and, as a punishment, bring my life to a period in this miferable place; yet do you, good angels, you that fuccour the oppreffed and innocent, bring this paper to my great miftrefs. She knows how much I have done, and will believe what I have fuffered for her glory and fervice; and will be so just and pious as not to let the " children of him that has brought to Spain fuch immenfe riches, and added to it vaft and unknown kingdoms and empire, want bread, or fubfift only on alms. She, if the lives, will confider that cruelty and ingratitude will bring down the wrath of heaven; fo that the wealth I have difcovered fhall be the means of stirring up all mankind to revenge and rapine, and the Spanish nation fuffer hereafter for what envious, malicious, ungrateful people do now

*COLUMBUS was cleared from the above accufation, of which he fo bitterly and justly complains. He died in Spain 1506.-Edit.

THE

THE ASSES OF EGYPT.

[From Sonnini's Travels.]

claim diftinction

I beauty and valuable qualities, the affes of the fame country are not lefs remarkable. It is indifputable,

that the hottest and drieft climates are moft favourable to horses, fince thofe of Arabia, Perfia, Egypt, Barbary, and Spain, ftand foremost in beauty and vigour. Affes, likewife, of a fpecies nearly related to them, attain the greatest excellence of figure and qualities in the fame climates, which appear to be natural to them. In proportion to their diftance from thefe they degenerate, fo that thofe of northern countries lofe all refemblance to thofe of the fouth. If this degeneration be not fo perceptible with regard to horfes, very fine ones being to be found in the north, it is becaufe Europeans have changed the nature of these animals in their country, by procuring mares and ftallions from abroad, forming ftuds, croffing breeds, and lavishing the minuteft attentions upon them, while they have not only been careless refpecting the breed of their affes, but have degraded it by almoft total neglect and unmerited contempt. Badly fed, ftill worfe attended, oppreffed by heavy burdens, and ill-treated by blows, the afs of our country is unqueftionably a wretched flave. Degraded as low as poffible, he ferves only the meaneft of men, for whom he performs every thing his impaired condition will allow. His name is become that of dullness and stupidity. Yet he is docile, gentle, patient, and temperate to excefs. Did neither the horfe nor the ox exift in our country, he would be held there in the highest eftimaBut this is not the only inftance where modeft and useful fimplicity, placed by the fide of more bril. liant and active qualities, has been rewarded by ingratitude, and excited derifion.

tion.

How

How different this forry and degraded animal from the affes of Egypt and Arabia, which, as well as the horfes of thofe countries, are fuperior to any in the univerfe! Some are to be found there of great height; and these are most valued and efteemed, occafionally felling at a higher price than even horfes themfelves. Still, whatever be their height, their head is well placed, their eyes are brifk, and their body is plump. They have elegance in their attitudes, gracefulness in their movements, and noblenefs and almoft haughtiness in their carriage. Their foot is fure, their step is light, and their paces quick, brisk, and easy. In fhort, they are very pleafing to ride. All travellers have praifed this fine fpecies of animal. Peter della Vale, who paraded his pride a long time in the East, relates, that the people there do not fcruple to ride upon affes, that they trot wonderfully, and that he has been ready to die with laughing at the fight. For my part I was greatly furprised at it. In Egypt, people not only ride on affes without hefitation, but, as I have already obferved, they were the only animals on which Chriftians of any country were allowed to appear in the capital. The Mahometan merchants, and the moft opulent of the inhabitants, ufed them likewife and carriages being unknown in this country, ladies of the highest rank, even the wives of the beys themselves, had no other equipages.

I once happened to meet the whole haram of a bey, taking an airing in the environs of Cairo. An equivocal figure, an eunuch with a mean and ferocious countenance, preceded the ladies on a fine horfe, covered with gold, filver, and embroidery. The ladies were mounted on affes of the highest price. The bridles of thefe animals glittered with filver and gold, and a magnificent piece of tapestry covering the faddle and crupper reached down to the ground. It is to be prefumed, *Voyages, tome i. p. 142. H h

VOL. VIII.

that

that the ladies were not deficient in charms: but they were masqued with thick veils, and bundled up, as it were, in pieces of stuffs, which did not allow either the face or even figure to be feen, and exhibited nothing but a fhapeless mafs. Such meetings had nothing in them very pleasant to an European: he was not only obliged to alight in token of respect, but he must also take care to avoid, I will not fay looking the ladies in the face, for this was invifible, but even looking at them; the moft he could do being to eye them askance as they paffed. If he ventured beyond this, it would have afforded a pretence for an avanie, or been attended with confequences ftill worfe.

The affes of Egypt have at leaft as much vigour as beauty. They readily perform the longeft journeys. More hardy than the horses, and lefs difficult with regard to the quality or quantity of their food, they are preferred for long journeys acrofs the defert. Moft of the Muffulman pilgrims ufe them for the long and laborious journey to Mecca; and the chiefs of the Nubian caravans, which are fixty days in passing immense folitudes, ride upon affes, that do not appear fatigued when they arrive in Egypt.

The cruft of their hoofs is defended by thin and light fhoes. The faddles they wear are fhaped like packfaddles, rounded, and heightened by a pad foftly stuffed, on which the rider fits much farther back than on a horfe. The ftirrups, which are fhaped nearly like ours, have only a fingle flat bar at bottom, the breadth of three fingers. Men ride without any houfings; but for women a piece of tapestry, more or lefs rich, and fometimes reaching to the ground, is laid over this faddle. The affes are bridled in the fame manner as the horfes. In the principal ftreets of Cairo, and in the fquares, they ftand for hire ready bridled and faddled, being the hackney coaches of this city. The perfon who lets them accompanies his afs, running behind to goad him on, and cry out to those who walk on foot to

make

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