64 OXEN VERSUS MULES. [chap. iu. 



gregarious. He is distressed beyond expression, when 

 any attempt succeeds for a time in separating him from 

 the herd. It is with great difficulty that an ox can be 

 found willing to go ahead of the others, even though he 

 knows that his fellows are just behind him. Whipping 

 and spurring has hardly any effect on the animal : he 

 feels every cut most sensitively, as the rider cannot but 

 be aware of ; but the obstinacy of his natiure is so won- 

 derfully great, that pain has httle or no influence upon 

 his determination. His character is totally different 

 from that of a horse, and very curious to observe ; he 

 is mfinitely the more sagacious of the two, but never 

 free from vice. The gregariousness of oxen and of 

 sheep is of great advantage to the traveller ; for it is 

 not necessary to be perpetually counting the animals, 

 to see if any have strayed ; and at night, when the 

 oxen are all loose about him, a constant anxiety is 

 taken off the owner's mind, by knowing that if he sees 

 one, all are there. My mules had given me a great 

 deal of trouble, by requiring much more watching 

 than the oxen ; and I hardly know how I could have 

 travelled with a large drove of those animals. I 

 should not dare to let them be loose at night ; and 

 the country seldom affords enough trees to tether 

 them to. 



We made a tedious ride to-day, taking something to 

 eat at noon, and going on in the evening. I began to 

 see that being able to endm'e severe exertion for half 

 the day without the breakfast we alwa3'S have in 

 England, was essential to our sort of life. At first 

 it is very trying. In temperate climates it is easy 



