*775- refident there, and was then chained up,' was find never- d thelefs to be fllent in the day time, but very frequently m the night (being then probably hungry) was heard to emit the yelling noife peculiar to its kind. Near fome o f the larger farms, where there is a great deal of cattle, this ravenous beaft is to be found almoftevery night; and at the fame time frequently from one hour to another betraying itfelf by its bowlings, gives the dogs the alarm. The peafants allured me, that the cunning of the wolves was fo great, (adding, that the trick had now and then even fucceed- -ed with fome of them) that a party of them, half flying and half defending themfelves, would decoy the whole pack ■of dogs to follow them to the diftance of a gun-ihot or two from the farm, with a view to give an opportunity to the reft of the wolves to come out from their ambufcade, an , without meeting with the leaft refinance, carry off .booty ffufficient for themfelves and their fugitive brethren. As the tiger-wolf, though a much larger and ftronger animal, does not venture without being driven to the utmoft ne- ceifity, to meafure its ftrength with the common dog, this is certainly an evident proof of its cowardice. Neither does this fame voracious beaft dare openly to attack oxen, cows, horfes, or any of the larger animals, while they m a k e the leaft appearance as if they would defend them- felves, or even as long as they do not betray any figns o f fear. On the other hand, it has art enough to rulh in upon them fuddenly and unexpeitedly, at the fame time fetting up a horrid and ftrange cry, fo as to fet them a running in confequerice o f the fright, that it may afterwards keep clofe to their heels with fafety, till it has an opporopportunity with one bite or ftroke to rip up the belly of its prey, (even though it ihould be fo large an animal as a s^-v-'v draught-ox) or elfe give it fome dangerous bite, and fo at one fingle bout make itfelf mafter of its antagonift. On this account the peafants are obliged to drive their cattle' home every evening before it is dark, excepting the more ednfiderable. droves of draught-oxen, which they let roam about day and night to feek their food unattended, by reafon that they are ufed both to the country and the artifices of the wolves, and can therefore the eafier depend upon and defend each other. Travellers, on the other hand, who are obliged to keep on in their journey, frequently fuffer great Ioffes by turning their cattle out at night; efpecially of the young ones, which are eafieft feared. I, who had only one team o f oxen, and thofe, to my forrow, of that degenerate fort as to be apt to ftray and wander afar off, feldom ventured to let them graze in the night, however neceffary it might’ otherwife b e ; for my botanizing feldom allowed me to travel on nights, as the peafants do, and bait my cattle in' the day-time : ib that, as I could only travel in the mornings and evenings, the heat o f the day was neither a proper nor a fufficient time for baiting them. I had befides not unfrequently the difagreeable accident happen to me, that the leader of my team, whofe duty it was to go to pafture with the cattle, often negledted his duty. By this means we wafted not only many hours, but eVen fometimes a couple of days together, in anxious endeavours to recover our loft cattle; and at the fame time were obliged to* go over hills and dales, on horfeback as well as on foot, V o l . I. Y to
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