130 MANUFACTURING IRON. 



remaining at one place more than a month or 

 two. Sometimes whole families of them are 

 destroyed by tigers. The lumps of iron which 

 they make, contain a considerable quantity of 

 dross ; they therefore sell or barter it to a class 

 of people denominated Loharias, whom they 

 also supply with charcoal, and whose business 

 is solely confined to purifying and manufactur- 

 ing the iron into pegs about thirteen inches 

 long, weighing seven or eight pounds, which 

 they sell or barter again to Biparies, who bring 

 tobacco, coarse cloths, cow-tails, and a variety 

 of articles from the low countries, to exchange 

 for it. 



The cow-tails are very krge and bushy, fall 

 of fine silken hairs, and come from a particular 

 breed of bullocks in Asam, of a white colour. * 

 By opulent natives and many Europeans, they 

 are put into silver handles, for the purpose of 

 keeping off flies, f They are also used as orna- 

 ments to their shields, bows, and to a variety of 



* This animal is common in Tartary, and is there called 

 Yak : it is also common in Tibet , As am, and Bootan, and 

 is called in Hindoostan Soorah Gan. 



Which are called Chowries. 



