HISTORY. 



19 



the day for five or six months. Her milk is viscid and nourish- 

 ing, little productive of oil, but abundant in the matter of 

 cheese. She allows herself to be milked without reluctance, 

 and readily adopts other animals, and nurses them as if they 

 were her own. When she has suckled such animals as the 

 foal and the calf, it is interesting to observe how she attaches 

 herself to them, and still watches over their safety, when 

 their own habits cause them to separate themselves from her. 

 In India, the children of the Hindoos, who have lost their 

 parent, are frequently suckled by Goats. Travellers report 

 that, in the countries of the Negroes, this is very frequent. 

 The Goat comes to the cradle where the infants lie, and ma- 

 nifests the utmost tenderness towards them ; nay, when they 

 are able to walk and play, she does not forget her maternal 

 cares, but follows them as if to keep them from harm. 



The Goat, besides the milk of the female, affords hair, 

 which is shorn from the body, and made into certain coarse 

 fabrics of the nature of camblets. Of this substance are 

 formed the tents of the Arabs, of the Turcomans, and of all 

 the migratory tribes of the Tartar countries. The hair of 

 the Goat is likewise fabricated into ropes. With such ropes, 

 the hardy natives of St Kilda used to swing themselves over 

 the dreadful precipices of their coasts, in search of the eggs 

 of sea-fowls. The skin of the Goat is made into leather, 

 which is more useful and durable than that of Sheep. It 

 forms the fine Morocco leather of commerce, and is largely 

 used,, for sandals, boots, gaiters, and similar parts of dress. 

 In the countries of the East, the skin is likewise made into 

 bags, for containing water, wine, and oil ; and on many rivers, 

 as the Nile and Euphrates, it is made into bags, for floating* 

 the inhabitants across the stream. The skin of the kid is in 

 universal demand for the manufacture of gloves. The flesh 

 of the kid, when very young, is nearly as delicate as that of 

 the lamb. The flesh of the older Goats is hard and ill- 

 flavoured, and therefore always gives place to that of the 

 Sheep, as countries become cultivated. 



