48 HOW I KILLED THE TIGER. 



jungly and malarious recesses, the aboriginal 

 tongues are broken into innumerable rude and 

 shapeless fragments, but which may yet be 

 brought together by large and careful induction. 

 Of the history of the Arians while residing in 

 the Punjab, we must search the Vedas, which 

 furnish much information regarding the origin 

 and early state of the races who are now called 

 Hindus. The people among whom the Vedas 

 were composed had evidently passed the nomad 

 stage. They had no money, their wealth con- 

 sisted of cattle, horses, sheep, goats, and buffaloes, 

 and the cow was the medium of barter. By 

 the Rig-Veda it is evident that the cow was then 

 not reverenced and that the race who composed 

 these hymns were a cow-killing and beef-eating and 

 spirit-drinking people. Cow stealing was a great 

 crime. We find mention in their hymns of cities 

 of commerce, merchants, sailors, of weapons of 

 wood and iron, of chariots, of heralds, travellers, 

 and inns for their accommodation, and even of 

 the vices of a primitive civilisation. They had 

 roads and ferries ; bullock carts and waggons ; 

 they had carriages and war chariots drawn by 

 horses, and the carriage was made of wood with 

 brass wheels and iron rims and pillars. It had 

 seats and awnings, was easy-going, and some- 

 times inlaid with gold. Iron and steel were in 



