harness. Some of the eastern princes attach them to their artillery; but
generally they employ the finest to draw their light carriages, which in
form are very similar to those of the ancients. In mountainous
countries, they have them shod. Their pace is a kind of amble, and they
are able to sustain a journey of about twenty leagues a day. Guided by a
cord which passes through the nasal cartilage, they obey the hand with
as much precision as a horse.
In the same provinces are seen a race of dwarf Bisons, which are
scarcely as tall as our calves of two months old, generally described
under the name of _Zebu_. They are lively, well proportioned, and
trained to be mounted by children, or to draw a light car. In both cases
their pace is a sort of amble, the same as that of the larger species.
[Illustration: Zebus (_Var. gamma_) and Car.]
The curious Hindoo customs in relation to this animal have been recorded
by almost every traveller.
Neither the horse, the sheep, nor the goat, have any peculiar sanctity
annexed to them by the Braminical superstition; it is otherwise with the
cow, which in India is everywhere regarded with veneration, and is an
object of peculiar worship. Representations of objects are made upon the
walls with cow-dung, and these enter deeply into their routine of daily
observances. The same materials are also dried, and used as fuel for
dressing their victuals; for this purpose the women collect it, and bake
it into cakes, which are placed in a position where they soon become dry
and fit for use. The sacred character of the cow probably gives this
fuel a preference to every other in the imagination of a Hindoo, for it
is used in Calcutta, where wood is in abundance.
On certain occasions it is customary for the Hindoos to consecrate a
bull as an offering to their deities; particular ceremonies are then
performed, and a mark is impressed upon the animal, expressive of his
future condition to all the inhabitants. No consideration will induce
the pious Bengalee to hurt or even control one of these consecrated
animals. You may see them every day roaming at large through the streets
of Calcutta, and tasting rice, grain, or flour in the Bazar, according
to their pleasure. The utmost a native will do, when he observes the
animal doing too much honour to his goods, is to urge him, by the
gentlest hints, to taste of the vegetables or grain of his neighbour's
stall. (_Tennant's 'Indian Recreations.'_)
One of the doctrines of the Brahmins is to believe that kine have in
them somewhat of sacred and divine; that happy is the man who can be
sprinkled over with the ashes of a cow, burnt by the hand of a Brahmin;
but thrice happy is he who, in dying, lays hold of a cow's tail and
expires with it between his hands; for thus assisted, the soul departs
out of the body purified, and sometimes returns into the body of a cow.
That such a favour, notwithstanding, is not conferred but on heroic
souls, who contemn life, and die generously, either by casting
themselves headlong from a precipice, or leaping into a kindled pile, or
throwing themselves under the holy chariot wheels, to be crushed to
death by the Pagods, when they are carried in triumph about the
town.--(_Life of St. Francis Xavier, translated by Dryden, 1688._)
AFRICAN AND OTHER VARIETIES.
In Shaw's Zoology, the following species or varieties are noticed:--
LOOSE-HORNED OX.
This is said to be found in Abyssinia and in Madagascar, and is
distinguished by pendulous ears, and horns _attached only to the skin,
so as to hang down on each side_!
THE BOURY.
Of the size of a camel, and of a snowy whiteness, with a protuberance on
the back, is a native of Madagascar and some other islands.
THE TINIAN OX.
Of a white colour, with black ears. Inhabits the island of Tinian.
Bewick mentions that in Persia there are many oxen entirely white, with
small blunt horns and humps on their backs. They are very strong, and
carry heavy burdens. When about to be loaded, they drop down on their
knees like the Camel, and rise again when their burdens are properly
fastened.
THE BORNOU OX,
which Col. Smith considers a distinct species, is likewise white, of a
very large size, with hunched back, and very large horns, which are
couched outwards and downwards, like those of the African Buffalo, with
the tip forming a small half-spiral revolution. The corneous external
coat is very soft, distinctly fibrous, and at the base not much thicker
than a human nail; the osseous core full of vascular grooves, and inside
very cellular, the pair scarcely weighing four pounds. The skin passes
insensibly to the horny state, so that there is no exact demarcation
where the one commences or the other ends. The dimension of a horn
are:--length measured on the curve, three feet seven inches;
circumference at base, two feet; circumference midway, one foot six
inches; circumference two thirds up the horn, one foot; length in a
straight line, from base to tip, one foot five inches and a half. The
species has a small neck, and is the common domestic breed of Bornou,
where the Buffalo is said to have small horns.
Leguat, in his 'Voyages in 1720,' states that the oxen are of three
sorts at the Cape of Good Hope, all of a large size, and very active;
some have a hump on the back, others have the horns long and pendent,
while others have them turned up and well shaped, as in English cattle.
[Illustration: Zebu.--(_Var. delta._)]
THE DOMESTIC OXEN OF THE HOTTENTOTS, CALLED BACKELEYS, BACKELEYERS, OR
BAKELY-OSSE.
_Bos ----?_
The following particulars relating to these Oxen are taken from the
highly interesting work '_The Present State of the Cape of Good Hope_,'
by Peter Kolben, who visited that colony in 1705, and remained there
during a period of eight years.
"The Hottentots have a sort of oxen they call Backeleyers, or fighting
oxen; they use them in their wars, as some nations do elephants; of the
taming and farming of which last creatures upon the like discipline the
Hottentots as yet know nothing. They are of great use to them, too, in
the government of their herds at pasture; for, upon a signal from their
commanders, they will fetch in stragglers, and bring the herds within
compass. They will likewise run very furiously at strangers, and
therefore are of good defence against the Buschies, or robbers who steal
cattle. They are the stateliest oxen of the herd: every Kraal has
half-a-dozen of these oxen at the least. When one of them dies, or grows
so old, that, being unfit for business, his owner kills him, a young one
is chosen out of the herd to succeed him, by an ancient Hottentot, who
is judged best able to discern his capacity for instruction. This young
ox is associated with an old Backeleyer, and taught, by blows and other
means, to follow him. At night they tie them together by the horns; and
for some part of the day they fasten them together in the same manner,
till at length, by this and I know not what other means, the young ox
is fully instructed, and becomes a watchful guardian of the herds, and
an able auxiliary in war.
"The Backeleyers (so called from the Hottentot word Backeley for war)
know every inhabitant of the Kraal they belong to, men, women, and
children, and pay them all just the same respect that is paid by a dog
to every person who dwells in his master's house. Any of the inhabitants
may, therefore, at any time present themselves very safely on any side
of the herds; the Backeleyers will in nowise offend them. But if a
stranger, especially a European, shall approach the herds, without the
company of a Hottentot of the Kraal they belong to, he must look sharp
to himself; for these Backeleyers, which generally feed at the skirts of
the herds, quickly discover him, and make at him upon a full gallop. And
if he is not within hearing of any of the Hottentots who keep the herds,
or has not a fire-arm, or a light pair of heels, or there is not a tree
at hand which he can immediately climb, he is certainly demolished. The
Backeleyers mind not sticks or the throwing of stones at them. This is
one great reason why the Europeans always travel the Hottentot countries
with fire-arms. But the first thing a European does, upon the appearance
of such an enemy, is to shout and call to the Hottentots that look to
the herds. The Hottentot that hears him hastens to his assistance,
making all the way a very shrill whistling through his fingers. The
Backeleyers no sooner hear the whistling of their keepers, which they
very well know, than they stop, turn about, and return leisurely to the
herds.
"But if a European, in such a case, does not (upon his shouting and
calling to the keepers), hear the whistle, before the Backeleyers come
up with him, he discharges his fire-arm,--frightened with the report of
which, the Backeleyers run away.
"I have been often run at by the Backeleyers myself. As soon as I saw
them sallying out upon me, I shouted and called to the keepers. But I
could not often make them hear before the Backeleyers came up with me,
when I have been obliged to discharge my fire-arm (for I always carried
one about with me), upon which they always turned about and left me.
"In the wars of the Hottentots with one another, these Backeleyers make
very terrible impressions. They gore, and kick, and trample to death,
with incredible fury. Each army has a drove of them, which they take
their opportunity to turn upon the enemy. And if an army, against which
the Backeleyers are sent, is not alert and upon all its guard, these
creatures quickly force their way through it, tearing, shattering, and
confounding all the troops that oppose them, and paving for their
masters an easy way to victory. The courage of these creatures is
amazing; and the discipline upon which they are formed does not a little
honour to the Hottentot genius and dexterity.
"The Hottentots have likewise great numbers of oxen for carriage. These,
too, are very strong and stately creatures, chosen out of the herds, at
about the age of two years, by old men, well skilled in cattle. When
they have destined an ox to carry burdens, they take and throw him on
his back on the ground; and fastening his head and feet with strong
ropes to stakes firmly fixed in the ground, they make a hole with a
sharp knife through his upper lip, between his nostrils. Into this hole
they put a stick, about half an inch thick, and a foot and a half long,
with a hook at top to prevent its falling through. By this hooked stick
they break him to obedience and good behaviour; for if he refuses to be
governed, or to carry the burdens they lay upon him, they fix his nose
by this hooked stick to the ground, and there hold it till he comes to a
better temper.
"It is an exquisite torture to an Ox to be fastened to the ground by the
nose in this manner. He is not, therefore, long exercised this way,
before he gets a notion of his duty, and becomes tractable. After which,
the very sight alone of the stick, when he is wanton or refractory, will
humble and reduce him to the will of his driver. The terror of this
stick, likewise makes the carriage oxen so attentive to the words of
command the Hottentots use to them, that they quickly conceive and, ever
while they live, afterwards retain the intention of them. I have a
thousand times been surprised at the ready obedience the carriage oxen
have paid to a Hottentot's bare words. They are as quick at
apprehending, and as exact in performing the orders of their driver, as
is any taught dog in Europe at conceiving and accomplishing the orders
of his master. The stick--the terrible stick--makes them all attention
and diligence."
AFRICAN BULL.
The following notice, which will explain itself, appeared in Loudon's
'Magazine of Natural History,' for July, 1828.
"Some Account of a particular Variety of Bull (_Bos Taurus_), now
exhibiting in London. By Mrs. Harvey.
"Sir,--Agreeably to your request, Mr. Harvey has taken a portrait of
this animal; and as he has made the drawing on the wood himself, the
engraving will be a very perfect resemblance.[C] I have, on my part,
drawn up the following particulars, from what my husband told me, and I
shall be happy if they prove of any interest to you or your readers:--
[Illustration]
"This animal belongs to a French woman, who says he was brought from
Africa to Bordeaux when a calf; and, after having been shown in
different parts of the Continent, was taken to London, and exhibited at
the Grand Bazaar in King's Street, Portman Square, last autumn. He is
at present five years old, four feet high at the shoulder and seven feet
in length, from the horns to the insertion of the tail. The length of
his face is one foot eight inches, and the girth round the collar seven
feet six inches. His hair is short and silky, and the colour a cream or
yellowish white, except two black tufts which appear on each foot. On
the back of the neck there is a hump or swelling, which seems confined
to this variety. The general aspect of the animal is mild and docile;
but, when irritated, his expression is very remarkable, exhibiting
itself principally in the eye. This, in its ordinary state, is very
peculiar, (fig. 1, _a_,) rising more than one-half above the orbit, and
bearing a resemblance to a cup and ball, thus enabling the animal to see
on all sides with equal ease. The iris is naturally of a pale blue
colour; but, when the animal is irritated, it varies from a very pale
blue or lilac to a deep crimson. Its form is also very remarkable, being
a small oval, or rather a parallelogram, with the ends cut off, and
lying transversely across the ball, (fig. 1, _b_.)
[Illustration: Fig. 1. Eyes of African Bull.]
[Illustration: Fig. 2.]
"The black tufts, mentioned above, are the lateral hoofs (fig. 2), which
the animal sheds annually, and which grow to the length of five or six
inches. They are not shed together, or at stated periods; for those of
the fore-feet, (_a_, _b_,) in this example, are at present of different
ages, and, consequently, of different lengths; the difference between
them being exactly that represented in the sketch.
"On the hump or collar, the hair grows much longer than on the other
parts of the body, forming a sort of curled mane, resembling, I should
imagine, that of the Bison. It is perfectly white, growing to the length
of one foot six inches, and adding greatly to the height of the rising
part behind the horns. At present the hair is only beginning to grow;
but it will be in full beauty at the approach of the winter months, and
will fall off gradually again in the early part of the succeeding spring.
[Illustration: Fig. 3. Dewlap of African Bull.]
"The keeper pointed out to Mr. Harvey, as a remarkable peculiarity, that
the dewlap (fig. 3), in passing between the fore-legs (_a_), and under
the body (_b_), seemed to divide itself into three parts, which they
called the three stomachs, (1, 2, 3,) from their being very much acted
on in the progress of digestion."
I remain. Sir, &c.
M. HARVEY.
FOOTNOTES:
[C] The engraving here given as well as those of the eyes, hoofs, and
dewlap, have been carefully copied from Mr. Harvey's originals.
CHILLINGHAM WHITE CATTLE.
_Bos Taurus.--Restricted Variety._
[Illustration]
Considerable interest has always been connected with the history of
those herds of white cattle which have been kept secluded, apparently
from time immemorial, in the parks of some of our aristocracy.[D] It has
been, and still is, a matter of lordly pride to their noble owners,
that these cattle are held to be of a distinct and untameable race.
Feeling a full share of the interest attached to them, and anxious to
gain the most accurate and circumstantial information, I was induced to
pay a visit, during the summer of 1845, to the beautifully wooded and
undulating Park of Chillingham, in which a herd of these cattle is
preserved; and, although I have not been able to gather material for a
perfect history of these animals, I think it will not be difficult to
show that matters respecting them have been set forth as facts which are
fictions; and that from some points of their history which have been
correctly detailed, inferences have been drawn, which are by no means
warranted by the facts.
In endeavouring to point out these errors and false reasonings, it will
be necessary to make quotations from the old history of the white
cattle, in Culley's 'Observations on Live Stock,' which has been so
often repeated in works on natural history, and is, moreover, so
thoroughly accredited, that it may now appear something like presumption
to call it in question. To what extent it is called in question on the
present occasion, and the reasons for so doing, will be seen in the
running commentary which accompanies these quotations.
Culley says: "The Wild Breed, from being untameable, can only be kept
within walls or good fences; consequently very few of them are now to be
met with, except in the parks of some gentlemen, who keep them for
ornament, and as a curiosity: those I have seen are at Chillingham
Castle, in Northumberland, a seat belonging to the Earl of Tankerville."
The statement of their being untameable is a mere assertion, founded
upon no evidence whatever. But so far is it from being the fact, that,
notwithstanding every means are used to preserve their wildness, such as
allowing them to range in an extensive park--seldom intruding upon
them--hunting and shooting them now and then--notwithstanding these
means are taken to preserve their wildness, they are even now so far
domesticated as voluntarily to present themselves every winter, at a
place prepared for them, for the purpose of being fed. From which it may
reasonably be concluded, that were they restricted in their pasture,
gradually familiarised with the presence of human beings, and in every
other respect treated as ordinary cattle, they would, in the course of
two or three generations, be equally tame and tractable.
Whilst writing the foregoing I was not aware that any attempt had been
made to domesticate these so-called untameable oxen; but on reading an
account of these cattle by Mr. Hindmarsh, of Newcastle-upon-Tyne,
(bearing date about 1837,) I find the following paragraph.
"By taking the calves at a very early age, and treating them gently, the
present keeper succeeded in domesticating an ox and a cow. _They became
as tame as domestic animals_, and the ox fed as rapidly as a
short-horned steer. He lived eighteen years, and when at his best was
computed at 8 cwt. 14 lbs. The cow only lived five or six years. She
gave little milk, but the quality was rich. She was crossed by a country
bull, but her progeny very closely resembled herself, being entirely
white, excepting the ears, which were brown, and the legs, which were
mottled." These facts speak for themselves.
Culley, in giving their distinguishing characteristics, says: "Their
colour is invariably of a creamy white; muzzle black; the whole of the
inside of the ear, and about one third of the outside, from the tips
downwards, red; horns white, with black tips, very fine, and bent
upwards; some of the bulls have a thin upright mane, about an inch and a
half, or two inches long."
That their colour is invariably white is simply owing to the care that
is taken to destroy all the calves that are born of a different
description. It is pretty well known to the farmers about Chillingham
(although pains are taken to conceal the fact,) that the wild cows in
the park not unfrequently drop calves variously spotted. With respect to
the redness of the ears, this is by no means an invariable character,
many young ones having been produced without that distinctive mark; and
Bewick records, that about twenty years before he wrote, there existed a
few in the herd with _black_ ears, but they were destroyed. So far from
the character here given of the horns being confined to those white
cattle, it is precisely the description of the horns of the Kyloe oxen,
or black cattle. The investiture of some of the bulls with a mane is
equally gratuitous; Cole, who was park-keeper for more than forty years,
and of course had ample means of observation, distinctly informed me
that they had no mane, but only some curly hair, about the neck, which
is likewise an attribute of the Kyloe Oxen.
Culley goes on to say: "From the nature of their pasture, and the
frequent agitation they are put into by the curiosity of strangers, it
is scarce to be expected that they should get very fat; yet the six
years old oxen are generally very good beef, from whence it may be
fairly supposed, that in proper situations they would feed well."
It would naturally be inferred from this, that the park in which they
are kept is visited by strangers every day, who are allowed to drive
them about, and disturb them in their feeding and ruminating, as boys
hunt geese or donkeys on a common. This, however, is so far from being
the case, that it frequently happens that the park is not visited for
many weeks in succession, and certainly on an average it is not visited
once a week. What is here meant by "the nature of their pasture," and
"in proper situations they would feed well," it is difficult to say. The
fact is, their pasture is both good and extensive, and they feed as well
as animals always do who are left to themselves with plenty of food.
Their behaviour to strangers is thus described: "At the first appearance
of any person, they set off at full speed, and gallop a considerable
distance, when they make a wheel round, and come boldly up again,
tossing their heads in a menacing manner; on a sudden, they make a full
stop, at a distance of forty or fifty yards, looking wildly at the
object of their surprise; but upon the least motion being made, they
turn round again, and gallop off with equal speed; but forming a shorter
circle, and, returning with a bolder and more threatening aspect, they
approach much nearer, when they make another stand, and again gallop
off. This they do several times, shortening their distance, and
approaching nearer, till they come within a few yards, when most people
think it prudent to leave them."
In the instance in which I had an opportunity of witnessing their method
of receiving visitors, the fashion was somewhat different. The
park-keeper who accompanied me described, as we rode through the park in
quest of them, what would be their mode of procedure on our approach.
This he did from observations so repeatedly made, as to warrant him in
saying that it was their invariable mode. It was perfectly simple, and I
found it precisely as he had described it. When we came in sight of
them, they were tranquilly ruminating under a clump of shady trees, some
of the herd standing, others lying. On their first observing us, those
that were lying rose up, and they all then began to move _slowly_ away,
not exactly to a greater distance from us, but in the direction of a
thickly wooded part of the park, which was as distant on our left as the
herd was on our right. To reach this wooded part they had to pass over
some elevated ground. They continued to walk at a gradually accelerating
pace, till they gained the most elevated part, when they broke out into
a trot, then into a canter, which at last gave way to a full gallop, a
sort of "devil-take-the-hindmost" race, by which they speedily buried
themselves in the thickest recesses of the wood. What they may have done
in Mr. Culley's time, we must take upon that gentleman's word; but at
present, and for so long as the present park-keeper can recollect, they
have never been in the habit of describing those curious concentric
circles of which Mr. Culley makes mention in the last quotation.