University of Virginia Library

OF THE DONKEYS OF THE COSTERMONGERS.

The costermongers almost universally treat
their donkeys with kindness. Many a coster-
monger will resent the ill-treatment of a
donkey, as he would a personal indignity.
These animals are often not only favourites, but
pets, having their share of the costermonger's
dinner when bread forms a portion of it, or
pudding, or anything suited to the palate of the
brute. Those well-used, manifest fondness for
their masters, and are easily manageable; it is,
however, difficult to get an ass, whose master
goes regular rounds, away from its stable for
any second labour during the day, unless it has
fed and slept in the interval. The usual fare
of a donkey is a peck of chaff, which costs 1d., a quart of oats and a quart of beans, each
averaging 1½d., and sometimes a pennyworth
of hay, being an expenditure of 4d. or 5d. a day; but some give double this quantity in a
prosperous time. Only one meal a day is given.
Many costermongers told me, that their donkeys
lived well when they themselves lived well.

"It's all nonsense to call donkeys stupid,"
said one costermonger to me; "them's stupid that
calls them so: they're sensible. Not long since
I worked Guildford with my donkey-cart and a
boy. Jack (the donkey) was slow and heavy in
coming back, until we got in sight of the lights
at Vauxhall-gate, and then he trotted on like
one o'clock, he did indeed! just as if he smelt
it was London besides seeing it, and knew he
was at home. He had a famous appetite in the
country, and the fresh grass did him good. I
gave a country lad 2d. to mind him in a green
lane there. I wanted my own boy to do so, but
he said, `I'll see you further first.' A London
boy hates being by himself in a lone country
part. He's afraid of being burked; he is
indeed. One can't quarrel with a lad when
he's away with one in the country; he's very
useful. I feed my donkey well. I sometimes
give him a carrot for a luxury, but carrots are
dear now. He's fond of mashed potatoes, and
has many a good mash when I can buy them at
4lb. a penny."

"There was a friend of mine," said another
man, "had great trouble about his donkey a
few months back. I saw part of it, and knew
all about it. He was doing a little work on a
Sunday morning at Wandsworth, and the poor
thing fell down dead. He was very fond of his
donkey and kind to it, and the donkey was very
fond of him. He thought he wouldn't leave
the poor creature he'd had a good while, and
had been out with in all weathers, by the road
side; so he dropped all notion of doing business,
and with help got the poor dead thing into his
cart; its head lolloping over the end of the
cart, and its poor eyes staring at nothing.
He thought he'd drag it home and bury it
somewheres. It wasn't for the value he dragged
it, for what's a dead donkey worth? There
was a few persons about him, and they was all
quiet and seemed sorry for the poor fellow and
for his donkey; but the church-bells struck up,
and up came a `crusher,' and took the man up,
and next day he was fined 10s., I can't exactly
say for what. He never saw no more of the
animal, and lost his stock as well as his
donkey."