130 THE OX TRIBE. 



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. 3 } 



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 them- 

 selves 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 Dry den, 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, 



