548 HISTORY OF 



smell. The milk of the female is by no means so good as that of 

 the cow ; it is howeverproduced in great abundance. In the warm 

 countries almost all their cheese is made of the milk of the buf- 

 falo ; and they supply butter also in large quantities. The veal of 

 the young buffalo is not better eating than the beef of the old. 

 The hide of this animal seems to be the most valuable thing he fur- 

 nishes. The leather made of it is well known for its thickness, 

 softness, and impenetrability. As these animals are, in general, 

 larger and stronger than the cow, they are usefully employed 

 in agriculture. They are used in drawing burdens, and some- 

 times in carrying them ; being guided by a ring, which is thrust 

 through their nose. Two buffaloes yoked in a waggon, are said 

 to draw more than four strong horses ; as their heads and necks 

 are naturally bent downward, they are thus better fitted for the 

 draught, and the whole weight of their bodies is applied to the 

 carriage that is to be drawn forward. 



From the size and bulk of the buffalo, we may be easily led 

 to conclude that he is a native of the warmer climates. The 

 largest quadrupeds are generally found in the torrid zone ; and 

 the buffalo is inferior in point of size only to the elephant, the 

 rhinoceros, or the hippopotamus. The camelopardor the camel 

 may indeed be taller, but they are neither so long, nor near so 

 corpulent. Accordingly, we find this animal wild in many parts 

 of India ; and tamed also wherever the natives have occasion 

 for his services. The wild buffaloes are very dangerous animals, 

 and are often found to gore travellers to death, and then tram- 

 ple them with their feet, until they have entirely mangled the 

 whole body : however in the woods they are not so much to be 



close together, so that the driver, if necessary, walks from the back of ona 

 to the other, perfectly at liis convenience. The females are dangerous, 

 while they nurse their calf. In Italy, it L= asserted that butfaloes are again 

 become wild ; the domestic, however, both there and in Hungary, are man. 

 nged by means of a ring passed through the cartilage of the nose : iu India 

 it is a mere rope. The practice is ancient, and it would seem that the Scla- 

 vonic Wenden, brought buffaloes with them to the shores of the Baltic, if 

 we may judge from the armorial bearings of provinces and families, iiotun. 

 frequent in the North of Germany and Switzerland ; unless we prefer to 

 believe that the urus or parent of the domestic ox, required to be ringed 

 lor many generations before it became tractable. — See the Animal Kingdom 

 <if Baron Cuvier. Supplement to the order Rmuinantia, By Major 

 Smith. 



