THE IMPROVED AHT OF FARRIERY. S3l^ 



neiglibourhood assembled, sometimes to the number 

 of a hundred horsemen, and four or five hundred foot, 

 all armed with guns or other weapons. Those on 

 foot stood upon the walls, or got into the trees, while 

 the horsemen drove off a bull from the rest of the 

 herd, until he stood at bay, when they dismounted and 

 fired. Sometimes on these occasions twenty or thirty 

 shots have been fired before the animal was subdued ; 

 in which case the bleeding victim grew desperately 

 furious from the smarting of his wounds, and the 

 shouts of savage exultation echoing from every side. 



But from the numerous accidents which happened, 

 this dangerous practice has been disused of late years. 



It has been remarked, that when an individual of this 

 species happens to be wounded, or is grown weak and 

 feeble through age or sickness, the rest of the herd sit 

 upon it and gore it to death. 



The oxen of India are generally small, with short 

 blunt horns, and humps on their shoulders. They are 

 used in drawing chariots and other carriages, and will 

 perform a journey of twelve or fourteen leagues a-day. 

 Their ordinary pace is a brisk, but remarkably easy 

 trot. Instead of a bit, a ring is passed through the 

 cartilage of their nostrils, to which is fastened a cord 

 that serves as a bridle. Those belonging to nabobs, 

 and other great men, have their horns gilded, and 

 are richly decorated with embroidered trappings. 



The skin of the ox is made into several kinds 

 of leather ; the hair is valuable in various manufactures; 

 the horns are wTought into boxes, combs, knife-han- 

 dles, drinking- vessels, &c. ; the bones afibrd a cheap 

 and excellent substitute for ivory ; glue is made of the 

 cartilages, gristles, and the finer pieces of cuttings and 

 parings of the hides ; the sinews are converted into a 

 fine kind of thread, used by saddlers and others ; the 



