l$d9L] Scientific Intelligence. 391 



carpets, rugs, butter, cheese, &c. Their flocks during this time 

 are spread over the low country to graze ; every Eliaat that I 

 have spoken to on this head, of at least six or seven different 

 tribes, has uniformly told me, that the people who are employed 

 to milk the cattle caught a disease, which, after once having 

 had, they were perfectly safe from the small-pox ; that this 

 disease was prevalent among the cows, and showed itself parti- 

 cularly on the teats : but that it was more prevalent, and more 

 frequently caught from the sheep. Now this is a circumstance 

 that has never, I believe, before been known ; and of the truth 

 of it I have not the smallest doubt, as the persons of whom I 

 inquired could have no interest in telling me a falsehood, and it 

 is not likely that every one whom I spoke to should agree in 

 deceiving ; for I have asked at least some 40 or 50 persons. 

 To be more sure on the subject, I made most particular inquiries 

 of a very respectable farmer, who lives about 14 miles from this, 

 by name Mallilla (whom Mr. Babington knows very well), and 

 who is under some obligations to me. This man confirmed every 

 thing that the Eliaats had told me ; and further said, that the 

 disease was very common all over the country, and that his own 

 sheep often had it. There may be one reason for the Eliaats 

 saying that they caught the infection oftener from the sheep 

 than the cow, which is, that most of the butter, ghee, cheese, 

 &c. is made from sheep's milk, and that the black-cattle yield 

 very little, being more used for draught than any thing else. If 

 you think this information worthy of being communicated to the 

 Society of which I have the honour of being a member, I beg 

 you will do it in any way you think proper." — (Transactions of 

 the Literary Society of Bombay.) 



XVII. Further Observations by S. in Answer to X. 



SIR, London, Aug. 9, 1819. 



In the number of the Annals for the present month, I observe 

 a letter, signed X, in answer to some observations I formerly 

 addressed to you. 



As the writer, from his style, seems to consider his remarks 

 as at once concise and masterly, or at least to have aimed at 

 something which should be so, he may perhaps expect some 

 kind of apology from me for venturing to differ from him in 

 opinion. I must, however, assure him, that he has by no means 

 succeeded in convincing me that I am wrong. 



I have now no reason to expect that any thing useful will arise 

 from prolonging the discussion. In what I have at present to 

 state, I shall, therefore, be as brief as possible. 1 have already 



2 noted, at full length, the passage from Dr. Clarke which I was 

 esirous of having elucidated ; but as your correspondent X. 

 appears to have misunderstood the Doctor's meaning, I shall 

 recal his attention to one sentence, and appeal to himself whe- 

 ther it will bear the interpretation he is pleased to put. upon it. 



