566 Journal of a trip through Kunawur, fyc. [No. 102. 



large shaggy bears than of oxen, and like true mountaineers they 

 evince the greatest impatience under a yoke, and it is therefore 

 necessary for two men to attend the plough, — one directing the plough, 

 while the other walks before and leads the cattle, which are guid- 

 ed from the nose like the oxen of the plains. 



It has been said that the yak is so savage, as often to put to 

 flight the inhabitants of a whole village. To this opinion I can by no 

 means assent, for though I have often passed a herd at graze upon the 

 mountains, or carrying burthens along the road, I never saw the least 

 sign of vice among them, nor did they attempt to run at any body. 

 On the contrary, I pronounce them to be gentle and timid, evincing al- 

 ways much more disposition to run from, than at, one ; such too, was 

 the character given of them by the Tartars. It is very probable that 

 a savage animal may occasionally be found, as we know to be the case 

 with the cattle of our own country, — but this is only an exception, 

 and cannot justify the sweeping assertion that the breed is savage. 



The best proof of their gentleness is found in the fact, that a 

 herd of twenty and thirty yaks is often driven by a mere child, and I 

 could hear of no instance in which the urchin needed farther assistance. 



In the higher parts of Kunawur and in Tartary, the yak itself 

 is the breed of cattle in most general use, but in the less elevated 

 tracts, and in lower Kunawur, several cross breeds are used. 



The male is termed " Yakcha," and the female " Breemoo"; this 

 is the true " Bos grunnies" or Grunting ox" of Linnaeus, and the 

 " Bos poephagus" of Hamilton Smith. From the Yakcha and the 

 common little cow of the lower hills, proceeds the " Zo", and its 

 female " Zome"; from these and the Yakcha, or Breemoo, proceeds 

 the " Strool" and " Stroole." Both these cross breeds are somewhat 

 similar in form to the yak, but they want the long hair on the sides 

 and tail, and are less strongly made. 



From the " Breemoo," or female yak, and the Hill bull, proceeds 

 another cross breed very similar to the foregoing, and called " Garra" 

 and " Garree." All are employed in husbandry, and in carrying 

 loads. Black or red are the prevailing colours, and very few are white, 

 except at the tuft of the tail. 



Besides these breeds of cattle, the people possess sheep and shawl 

 goats, mules, and large herds of Ghoonts, or hill ponies. The dogs 



