308 THE HIGHLANDS OF CENTRAL INDIA 



only description of power by wtich tte operations of 

 agriculture could be performed at all. Horses could not 

 take tbeir place in converting the bard, burnt-up soils, 

 under the blazing sun of the season, when ploughing and 

 sowing the autumn crop goes on, nor, so far as we know 

 the resources of the land, could steam power, even if other- 

 wise suitable, find sufficient fuel at anything like a moderate 

 cost. Thus it may not have been without a teaching of 

 far-seeing poHcy that the Hindu has been prohibited by 

 his rehgion from converting the race of horned cattle to 

 the purposes of food. It may be true that the rigid 

 prohibition against touching the carcases of such animals, 

 or in any way trafficking in their death, may have excluded 

 the Hindu cattle-owner from much legitimate profit in the 

 way of leather, horn, tallow, glue, etc. ; but it is impossible 

 to draw fine shades of distinction in rehgious sanctions, and, 

 if, as is probable, the slaughter of cattle useful for the 

 plough could not otherwise be prevented, then the sanctifi- 

 cation of the animal from all such uses was probably a 

 measure of the highest policy. Even looked on as an 

 article of food, it is probable that the sacredness of the 

 cow has been productive of more gain than loss, milk and 

 butter being much more wholesome articles of diet than 

 beef in a hot cHmate. Certainly, any measure which 

 would be hkely to endanger the existing supply of plough- 

 cattle would be highly objectionable. But I think that 

 no apprehension of the sort need be entertained from 

 the probable reclamation of such tracts as the Mandla 

 savannahs. Sufficient forest land must always remain in 

 the higher regions to furnish the green bite at the end of 

 the hot season, which is all that is necessary to tide the 

 herds over the most trying part of the year, and, for the 

 rest, the people will soon learn to do as other countries 

 have done, and as other parts of India even have done, 

 namely, devote a part of the cultivated area to the raising 

 of green pasture, by irrigation, for the cattle. This fine 

 natural pasture is no doubt a great advantage ; but it is not 

 at all indispensable even in India. 



The resources of the country in iron and other mineral 

 wealth have never been fully examined, though it is evident 



