124 THE DISEASES AND DISORDERS OF THE OX. 



the name of " leben." Similarly, the Kafir tribes of South Africa 

 also live largely on curdled milk, which goes by the name 

 ** amasi." The fresh milk is placed in a vessel which is never 

 entirely emptied of already curdled milk, whereby rapid curdling is 

 brought about. In England the milk of the sheep is scarcely 

 ever used ; but in Scotland, especially in the great sheep-feeding 

 districts, it is valued and specially employed for the making of 

 cheese. 



In the ancient times nearly the whole of the clothing was made 

 of wool, and the wool would therefore be an article of great 

 value, so that we are not surprised to find that when the King 

 of Moab paid his tribute to the king of Israel it was carefully 

 specified that the sheep should not be shorn. Spinning the 

 wool was exclusively the task of the woman, as it was in this 

 country up to quite a recent time — a custom pointed to in the 

 use of the term " spinster." Sometimes the shepherds and others 

 who lived in pastoral districts made for themselves coats of the 

 skins of the sheep, with the wool still adhering to them. The 

 custom extends to the present day, and even in many parts of 

 Europe the sheepskin dress of the shepherds is a familiar sight 

 to the traveller. 



In our country we have done our best to produce a hornless 

 breed of sheep, on the idea that the nutriment is better expended 

 on the body and fleece ; bntin the East the horns form an im- 

 portant commodity, and are valued in proportion to their size. 

 The ram's horn was chiefly used as a vessel for carrying liquids 

 such as oil. A wooden plug was driven tightly into the larger end, 

 and often it was covered with raw hide, while a small part of the 

 pointed end was cut off", and the aperture closed with a small 

 stopper. The horn thus manipulated resembled the old powder- 

 horns which were formerly much usedia England, and are even 

 now in vogue in Palestine and many other countries. Trumpets 

 made of ram's horns were ordered by the Mosaic law to be sounded 

 at certain times, and their notes formed an important part of the 

 ritual (Joshua vi.). At the present day one such trumpet at 

 least is found in every Jewish community, being kept by the man 

 who has the privilege of blowing it. 



No animal was used so frequently for sacrifice as the sheep. 

 The young male lamb was usually selected for this purpose, an 

 example of which is afforded by the sacrifice of the Paschal lamb, 



1 



