350 • [Assembly 



The ox was held sacred by the Egyptians, who elevated him into one 

 of the twelve signs of the Zodiac (Taurus); at this time he is held 

 sacred by the Hindoos in India, and venerated in every Celtic nation 

 as divine. In Great Britain he constitutes a large portion of her 

 wealth. She only has 1,500,000 horses, but more than 8,000,000 of 

 cattle, 160,000 head are sold every year in one of her markets, with- 

 out including calves, or animals brought in from the country, and 

 sold by the farmers in the dead market. Since their introduction into 

 Great Britain, they have become much changed in size, form, and 

 value; climate appears to have great influence upon them; but pro- 

 per food and judicious management has done more to increase their 

 value, than any other agency. In the Commentaries of Caesar, we 

 find that the Britons owned immense numbers of cattle very early in 

 the day, when they were used chiefly as food, and not as beasts of 

 burden, so that the English inherited their particular partiality to the 

 ox as food from the earliest date; and I am somewhat surprised that 

 English poets should not have immortalized the ox in song, when 

 they have condescended to notice all other domestic dependants, even 

 the ass. When the ox is uneducated he appears stupid, and apparent- 

 ly devoid of instinct; how different is he when permitted to receive 

 instruction, and taught to plow our soil, and draw our wagons; he at 

 once shows great aptitude, is easily directed by word of mouth, and 

 not unfrequently exhibits great attachment to his driver. 



In other countries we find the intellect of the ox more developed, 

 than in Great Britain, or this country. Burchell, who travelled 

 much in Africa, says in his first volume, page 128: Oxen in Africa 

 are generally broken in for riding, when they are not more than a 

 year old. The first ceremony, is that of piercing their nose to re- 

 ceive the bridle; for which purpose they are thrown on their back, 

 and a slit is made through the septum, or cartilage between the nos- 

 trils, large enough to admit a finger, in this hole is thrust a strong 

 stick stripped of its bark, and having at one end a forked bunch to 

 prevent it passing through; to each end of it is fastened a thong of 

 hide, of a length sufficient to reach round the neck and form the reins; 

 and a sheep skin, with the wool on, placed across the back, together 

 with another folded up, and bound on with a rein long enough to 

 pass several times round the body, constitutes the saddle. To this is 

 sometimes added a pair of stirrups, consisting only of a thong" with 

 a loop at each end, slung across the saddle; frequently the loops are 

 distended by a piece of wood, to form an easier rest for the foot. 

 While the animals are still sore, it is mounted and put in training, 

 and in a week or two is generally rendered suflficiently obedient' to its 



