Ch. IIL] WATEE BUFPALOES. 43 



side them were small cottage gardens> and plantations of 

 sweet potato (Convolvulus batatas). From their villages 

 groups of curious natives came out to see us ; noisy dogs 

 rushed out, barking, and ran away growling; and great 

 hollow-backed pigs, of the real Chinese breed, grunted 

 lazily from the mire in which they were wallowing ; while 

 here and there, in a secluded spot, was tethered a water 

 buffalo (Bos bubalus), one of those unsightly brutes which 

 represent the domestic cattle of China, his black hide plas- 

 tered with mud half dried, and his neck stretched out with a 

 stupid and frightened expression. No sooner did we appear 

 in sight than, in many instances, the animal, clever enough 

 to recognise strangers, began to caper about, and, violently 

 snapping the cord which was fastened to a ring through his 

 nose, went crashing through the bamboo fences into the 

 plantations, with the effect of quickly bringing out his wrath- 

 ful master in hot pursuit. In some spots we came to a herd 

 of these animals bathing. They delight in water, and in 

 wallowing where the mud is deepest and softest ; and they 

 require no persuasion to go into a pond, however thick and 

 dirty, but, laying themselves down, they remain with their 

 noses just above the water for any length of time. Such 

 herds were usually under the charge of two or three lads ; 

 and the animals, on seeing us approach, immediately began 

 to stretch out their necks, regarding us with a stupidly 

 vicious stare, as though they would immediately quit the 

 water and rush at us. The former they would probably have 

 done had we not been very circumspect, and their guardians 

 were in great fear of their rushing out and being dispersed ; 

 but there was little chance of their running at us, for they 

 would more probably have ^ampeded in the opposite 

 direction. 



