9.6 S U M A T R 'A. 
which, thts indulgence, quite neceflary to their health, may be rendered 
fo defircableto them ; and the mud which encrufts on their, body, pre- 
fer ves them from the attack of in feds, which otherwife provfe very trou- 
bJefome. The natives light fires for them at night, in ©r^er that the 
fmoke may have the fame effe6:, and they have, of their own accord, the 
fagacity to lay themfelves down to leeward, that they may enjoy the full 
benefit of it. 
They are diftinguiilied into two forts; the white and black. Both 
are equally employed in work, but the former is feldom killed for food. 
'Some of the people fay, that this exemption is owing to its being ef- 
■teemed facte d, bvit I was afllired by a learned padre, that it was neither 
forbidden by the Koraan, or any religious injuncaion, and that the. Ma- 
Jays eat it, at times, without fcruple ; efteeming it however, very inferior 
to the black buffaloe. The Rajangs alJb have no general exception to 
it* Some of them eat it; and fome refufe, on the fame account that in- 
duced the Rechabites to drink no wine, and to live in tents ; a vow of their 
forefathers : whilfl others are deterred by the accounts of the ill effei^s 
that have attended it ; the body being obferved to break out afterwards 
in blotches. PolJibly the whitenefs of tke buffaloe, may be owing to 
fome fpecies of diforder, as is the cafe with thofe people called white ne* 
^roes. 
It is faid not to be properly a wild animal of the country, though abound* 
login every part ; wiiich the name of carbcwgdian (ft ray buffaloes), given 
to thofe found in the woods, fcems to confirm. Moft probably they 
were ot firfl wild, but were afterwards, from their ufe in labor and food, 
all catched, and domefiicated by degrees, or killed in the attempts to 
take them. When they now collect in the woods, they are faid to be 
11 ray cattle ; as the people of a conquered province, attempting to re- 
cover their natural liberties, are flyled rebels. They are gregarious, and 
commonly found in numbers together, being then, Icfs dangerous to 
paffengers, than when met widi fingly. Like the turkey, they have an 
antipathy to a red color. When wild, they t\u\ extremely fwift, keeping 
pace 
