THE a:s^imallai hills. 121 



are supposed to be rain-proof. The diiver sits astride the tongue 

 of the cart, -within easy reach of his bullocks' hiud-quarters, and it 

 is interesting to study the various methods he emi:)loys to start his 

 cattle and keep them going. A foreigner could no more drive 

 them than he could fly, until he has fully learned the Madi-as bul- 

 lock-driver's language. It consists of a complicated system of 

 " boh-boh-boh-ing ! " chin-ups, " tock-tocks," and other indescrib- 

 able ejaculations, combined with slapping, tail-twisting, toe-poking, 

 and ordinary goading and lashing. Two or three times I have seen 

 my bandy-man save the heavily loaded bandy from sticking perma- 

 nently in a muddy nullah by biting his bullock's tail in a most 

 fiendish manner. It seems that a bullock has no idea what he can 

 do until his tail is bitten. Their diivers talk to them a great deal, 

 always aspersing the reputation of their female relatives when angiy, 

 especially their mothers and sisters — a common custom with Indian 

 natives when quarrelling — and praising them when their horned 

 steeds are doing well. The following was the diif t of one driver's dis- 

 course to his bullocks as translated by an "Anglo-Indian joumahst." 

 " You, Punniah, you a byle ? * Not you ; — your father must 

 have been a donkey, and your mother a pig ; no respectable cow 

 would own so lazy a son. As to you, Moreeah, I believe your father 

 was a Feringhee, and your mother a Pariah. You ai-e the most 

 abominable of all brutes, and how you came to have horns and a 

 tail is quite a mystery to me. Some fine day I shall saw off your 

 horns and sell them to a Mochee, and instead of coloring your long 

 tail with goolal, I shaU cut it off and sell it to some rascally Eng- 

 lish dragoon, to stick in his helmet and bring him bad luck, for he 

 is sure to be killed in the first battle he goes in afterwai'd. I wish 

 they were all killed, but never mind, they soon will be, and then 

 won't we have jolly times ? Ah ! now, you behave something Hke 

 respectable animals : that's the way to get over the ground. You, 

 Punniah, are my father and mother, and you, Moreeah, all the rest 

 of my relations, except my wife. I'll give you both a fine feed of 

 sugar-cane tops when we come to any, but not if you are lazy — • 

 tock-tock ! tor-iT-ee-ee-ooh-ah ! " f 



* Bullock. 



f I have often been surprised at the speed and endurance of the little white 

 bullocks (zebus, which take the place of horses in India. It is no uncommon 

 occurrence for a good pair of bullocks to make 3| miles per hour for several 

 hours, with a light bandy and proper encouragement. With two or three re- 

 lays of bullocks oue can easily travel 3U miles in 10 to 12 hours. 



