We had seen it for ages gallantly climbing the
slippery heights of the kingly crown on show boards, carriages,
transparencies, theatres, and the new, matchless, hydropyric, or fiery and
watery fairy palace of Vauxhall. It met us in every material, from the
gilt _confitures_ of Bartholomew fair, to the gold plateau of the "table
laid for sixty," at St. James's. All the dilettanti were immersed in the
great national question of its shape and features. Mr. Barrow, in a
journey of exploration, which extended to three miles beyond the Cape,
believed that he saw it, but strongly doubted its existence. M. Vaillant
never saw it, nor believed that any one ever did, but was as sure of its
existence as if it had slept in his bosom, and been unto him as a daughter.
Mr. Russel had one, which he milked twice a day, and drove in a curricle
to visit the Queen of Madagascar. Doctor Lyall is writing a quarto from
Madagascar, to deny the statement in toto; admitting, however, that there
is a rumour of the being of some nondescript of the kind in the mountains,
somewhat between the size of the elephant and the Shetland pony; but that
he and we think the subject-matter will turn out asinine.
Pages:
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69