of the Malayan Peninsula. 40S 



little or no danger, hunting being totally impracticable from the 

 nature of the country, and its flesh is remarkably tender and 

 delicious. 



The Rhinoceros sumatrensis, or Sumatran Rhinoceros, is also 

 an inhabitant of the peninsula. 



Tapirus malayanus, Raffles. The Malayan Tapir is to be found 

 in the interior, but it is a very scarce animal. The nose of this 

 singular quadruped is elongated into a moveable proboscis, which, 

 unlike that of the elephant, is unfurnished with a digital process. 

 The fur is black, with a broad white patch on the posterior part. 

 The tapir is gentle and easily tamed. Sleeps during the day, 

 and feeds at night on water-melons, gourds, pasture, &c. 



Neither the horse nor the ass are indigenous to the peninsula, 

 and those of the former to be met with are either Java or Achin 

 ponies imported annually for the use of the wealthier class of 

 inhabitants. 



Of the Deer species there is the Moschus javanicus of M. 

 Desmarest, or the Kantchil, which is a beautiful little animal, 

 not larger than a rabbit, and having legs about the thickness of 

 a tobacco-pipe. The fur is a deep red-brown on the back and 

 white on the belly ; three white streaks under the throat. It is 

 veiy abundant, and the flesh strongly resembles that of a rabbit. 



The Cervus muntjac of M. Desmarest is also an inhabitant of 

 the peninsula. 



Neither goats nor sheep, although both have been introduced, 

 can be said to be indigenous to the soil, nor do the latter thrive 

 as well in this part of the world as they do in continental India. 



Bos arnee, Shaw. The Buffalo, Karbau in Malayese. Great 

 numbers of buffaloes are domesticated in the peninsula, but I 

 have never met with any wild ones. They are not nearly so 

 savage as those of the Burman empire. 



This is the most useful animal possessed by the Malays, and 

 is employed by them for every purpose of draught and agricul- 

 ture. The young afford them a very good substitute for beef, 

 and the flock is maintained at a very little expense. From the 

 extreme harshness and dryness of the skin, the buffalo suffers 

 much during the heat of the day, and is consequently hardly ever 

 worked at that time, but allowed to luxuriate, immersed all but 

 the head, in a stagnant pool. It is extremely sluggish, not 

 moving much above a mile an hour. 



The domestic ox is unknown as an original inhabitant of the 

 Malayan peninsula. A few bullocks and cows have been intro- 

 duced, but they do not thrive very well on the main. Those on 

 the island of Pinang appear to fatten better. Having in the 

 few foregoing pages • given a summary of the mammalia of the 

 Straits, as far as they have passed under my own observation, I 



