THE BUFFALO, &c. 1S5 



conduct with dexterity, and defend them from 

 the attacks of ftrangers and ferocious animals. 

 They are taught to diftinguifh friends from e- 

 nemies, to underftand fignals, and to obey their 

 mailer's voice. Thus the mod ftupid of men 

 are the beft preceptors to brutes. How does it 

 happen, that the mod enlightened man, inftead 

 of managing his fellow creatures, has fo much 

 difficulty in conducting himfelf ? 



Thus the bifons, or bunched oxen, are dif- 

 fufcd over all the fouthern parts of Africa and 

 Afia. They vary greatly in fize, in colour, 

 in the figure of the horns, &c. On the con- 

 trary, in all the northern regions of thefe two 

 quarters of the world, and in the whole of 

 Europe, including the adjacent iflands, as far as 

 the Azores, there are only oxen without 

 bunches *, which derive their origin from 



the 



keepers of the flocks, know every ii.. tant of the .,/, 



and (how the fame marks of refpect for all the men, -women, 

 and children, as a dog does for thofe who live in his matter's 

 family. Hence, thefe people may approach their cattle with 

 the utraoft fafcty ; for the backeleys never do them the 

 fmalleft injury. But, ifaftranger, and particularly an Eu- 

 ropean, mould ufe the fame freedom, without being ac- 

 companied with a Hottentot, his life would be in the 

 greateft danger. Thefe backeleys, which pasture all around, 

 would foon run upon him at full gallop, and, if not protected 

 by the ihepherds, by fire arms, or by fuddenly climbing a 

 tree, his destruction is inevitable. In vain would he have re- 

 courfe to fticks or ftones : A backeley is not to be intimidated 

 by fuch feeble weapons ; Defcriptkn da Cap de Bonne- efperance, 

 par Kolbe, part. I. chap. 20. p. 307. 



* The oxen of Tercera are the largeft and fineft m Eu- 

 rope. Their horns are very large. They are fo gentle and 



ta\ 



