Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1877-03-07
Do Animals Understand Human
Speech ?

take the following extract
Animals have much more capacity
to understand human speech than is
generally supposed. The Hindoos in
variably talk to their elephants, and it
is amazing how much the latter COM
prehend. The Arabs govern their
camels with few cries, and my as
sociates in the African desert were
always amused whenever | addressed
q remark to the big dromedary who
was my property for two months ;
vet at the end of that time, the beast
evidently knew the meaning of a
number OF simple sentences. Some
years ago, seeing the hippopotamus in
Barnums Museum looking very stoid
and detected, spoke to him in Eng
lish, but he did not even move his
eyes. Then went to the opposite
corner of the carge, aud said in Ara
bic, 81 know you come here to met"
He instantly turned his head towards
me l repeated the words, and there
upon he came to the corner where |
was standing, pressed his huge, un-
gainly head against the bars of the
cage, and looked up in my face with
touching delight while I stroked his
muzzle. [ have two or three times
found a lion who recognized the same
language, and the expression of his
eyes for an instant, seemed positively
human.
know of nothing more moving,
indeed semi-tragic, than the yearning
helplessness in the face of a dog
who understands what is said to him
and cannot answer. We often hear
it said that no animal can endure
the steady gaze Of the human eye
but this is q superstition. An in
telllgent dog or horse not only en-
dures, but loves it. The eye of a beast
is restless from natural habit, but
hardly more so than that OF savage
. , ~ o,. ''.JS &c; "a and ANY other
friendly human eye. 1t is possible
that tigers may have been turned
away by an unhlnching gaze, but |
suspect the secret lay in the surprise
of the beast at so unusual an expert
cnce, rather than in direct intimida-
ton. Thieve are said to have the
belief that dog, for the same reason,
will not attack naked man, but |
do not remember any account of a
burglary where they have tried the
experiment.
Cattle, however, are easily surprs-
ed. Once, in 1S49 on the Salinas
Plains in California, I escaped exactly
the same onset of vast herd of wild
cattle as Mr.. Harte describes in his
"Gabriel Conroy," by sitting down
upon the ground They were so un'
accustomed to seeing man, except
on horseback, that the position was
an absolute bewildermen to them
The foremost halted within \ hundred
feet, formed line as regular as file
of soldiers, and stared stupidity, until
team, luckily approaching at the
right time, released me from my
hazardous position.
Few persons are aware of the great
effect which quiet speech exercises up.
on the most savage dog. A distingu-
ished English poet told me that he
was once walking in the country with
Canon Kingsley, when they passed a
lodge where an immense and fierce
mastitf, confined by a long chain,
rushed out upon them. They were
just beyond his reach, but the chain
did not seem secure the poet would
have hurried past, but Kingsley, lay
ing hand upon his arm, said, 'Wait
Il moment, and see me subdue him y
Thereupon he walked up to the dog,
who, erect upon his hind feet, with
open jaws and glanng eyes, was the
embodiment of animal fury. Kingsly
lifted his hand, aud quietly said, You
are wrong! You have made mis-.
take you must go back to your ken
mel J! The dog sank down upon MS
fore fee', but still growled angrily
the canon repeated his words in a firm
voice. advancing step by step as the
dog gave way. He continued speak
ing grave reproot, as to \ human be
inc, until he had forced the mastif
back into his kennel, where the latter
silently, and perhaps remorseinlll
layed down.
I scannot now tell whether | re-
membered this story, or acted simply
, from sudden instinct, in YER!