GOA 
mutton there becomes flabby and lean ; while the 
flefh of the Goat feems rather to improve ; and, in 
fome places, the latter is much preferred to the 
former. 
Goats are fo injurious to young plantations, that 
it would be imprudent to draw them from their 
beloved rocks, unlefs fome method could be con- 
trived of preventing them from cropping the ten- 
der boughs, or tearing the bark from young trees. 
Pennant informs us, that a gentleman of Merio- 
nethlliire broke the teeth of his Goats fliort off 
with pincers, in order to preferve his trees : but 
this cruel policy ought not to be recommended; 
cfpecially when thofe animals are preferved for 
the fake of their milk, the falubrity of which, it is 
fuppofed, arifes principally from their promifcuous 
feeding. 
The Goat, in various inftances, contributes to 
the necefTities of human life. From it's hair, pe- 
rukes, and even cloth, are made; it's {\un is ufeful 
for a variety of purpofes; it's horns are manufac- 
tured into handles for various inftruments; and 
it's fuet is in great efceem for making candles, 
which are far fuperior in whitenefs and durability 
to thofe made from that of the fheep, or the ox, 
and conftrquently bring a better price. The va- 
lue of it's flefh and milk is well known ; the latter 
being efteemed an excellent fuccedaneum for afles 
milk. In many of the mountainous parts of Scot- 
land and Ireland, this milk is turned into whey, 
and has been furprizlngly efficacious in thofe com- 
plaints where coolers and reftoratives are necef- 
iary. Patients refort to many of thofe places dur- 
ing the proper fealbn; and, from the combined 
aids of this falucary and innocent medicine, pure 
air, and exercife, they frequently experience a re- 
turn of health, and a renovation of conffcitution, 
when all other expedients prove abortive. 
The rutting-feafon of Goats is from tlie begin- 
ning of September till November: their excellive 
venery is a bar to their longevity; and accordingly 
they feldom live beyond their twelfth year. 
Goats were held in great veneration by the in- 
habitants of Mendes, in Egypt; and the natives of 
tliat country in general never offered them in fa- 
crifice, becaufe their god Pan was reprefented with 
the feet and legs of a Goat. Under the fymbol 
of this animal, they imagined that they worfliipped 
the principle of the fertility of all nature, exprefled 
bv that divinity. Plowever, among the Greeks, 
Goats were facrificed, on account of their deftroy- 
ing their vines. Venus ufed frequently to ride on 
a Goat. The popular Venus, fays Paufanias, is re- 
prefented as mounted on a Goat; and the ma- 
rine Venus riding through the waves on a Sea- 
Goat. 
Goat, Domestic. The horns of the tame 
(joat, which have a curvature outwards towards 
their extremities, have been found to meafure three 
feet five inches in length, and three feet two in- 
ches between tip and tip. The colour varies ex- 
tremely ; and the hair, in fome, is long and rough ; 
but, in others, fmooth and fhort. 
Tlie tame Goat inhabits moft parts of the world, 
either natively, or naturalized. It endures all 
kinds of weather; and is found in Europe as high 
as Wardhus in Norway, where it feeds, during the 
v/inter feafon, on mofs, the bark of fir-trees, and 
even of logs intended for fuel ; and it thrives 
equally well in the hotteft parts of Africa, in India, 
and the Oriental Ifiands. The Goat, however, 
is not a native of the New World, having been 
introduced there by the original difcoverers of 
GOA 
that continent; for the Americans were unac- 
quainted with all domeftic animals, flieep, goats, 
hogs, cows, and horfes. The increafe of thefe 
creatures in all parts of that continent, efpecially 
it's fouthern divifion, is really prodigious. But, in 
the rigorous climate of Canada, the Goat is too 
delicate to perpetuate it's race; for which reafon 
new fupplles are annually Imported, in order to 
prevent it's extlnftion. 
Goat, Ibex; the Capra Ibex of Linnseus. 
This animal has large knotted horns reclining 
backwards, fometimes three feet in length. The 
eyes are large; the head is fmall ; and the male has 
a dufl-;y beard. The hair is rough, and of a deep 
brown colour mixed with Ibme hoary; the le^s 
are partly black, and partly white; the fpace under 
the tall, in fome, is tawny, and in others white; 
the belly is a tawny white ; the body is fhort, thick, 
and flrong; the legs are thick; the tall is fliort; 
and the hoofs are very narrow. The female is 
lefs than the male; and her horns, which are fmall- 
er, have fewer knobs on the upper furface. 
The Ibex Inhabits the Carpathian and Pyrse- 
nean Mountains, the country of the Grlfons, the 
Rhaitian Alps, and various countries of Afia. 
Thefe creatures are excefllvely wild, and difficult 
to be fhot ; and, in very fevere weather, they de- 
fcend from the fammits of thofe mountains v/here 
they uiually refide, in queft of food. During the 
rutting-feaibn, the males make a horrible noife; 
and the females feparate, at the time of parturi- 
tion, and retire to the fide of fome fl:ream, in order 
to bring forth. Being very llrong and intrepid, 
the chace of thefe animals is of courfe both diffi- 
cult and dangerous: they fometimes precipitate 
the incautious hunters from the rocks ; and, when 
preffed hard, they fling themfelves down the high- 
eft precipices, and, pitching on their horns, fre- 
quently efcape unhurt. Their flefh is eflreemed 
wholefome ; and their blood was once greatly re- 
puted in pleuritic cafes. 
Goat, Caucasan. This animial is only a va- 
riety of the ibex. It has fmooth black horns, 
fharply ridged on their upper parts, and hollowed 
on their exterior fides; they bend backwards con- 
fiderably, are much hooked at their extremities, 
and approach a little at their points. The chin 
is furnilhed with a great dufls.y beard, mixed with 
chefnut colour; the fore- part of the head is black; 
the fides are mixed with brown ; and the reft of 
the animal is grey, or grey mixed with ruft-co- 
lour. Along the ridge of the back runs a black 
lifb; and the tail is alio black. 
Thefe animals are fuperior in fize to the largefh 
He-Goats ; but, with refpeft to form and agility, 
they refemble flags. They inhabit the lower 
mountains of Caucafus and Taurus, Afia Minor, 
and, mofi: probably, the mountains of India. They 
abound on the barren hills of Laar and Khorazan, 
in Perfia; and, according to Monardus, are alfo 
found in Africa. They are creatures of furprlz- 
Ing agility. The above naturallfl; was wltnefs to 
the manner in which one of them laved irfelf by 
falling on it's horns : he faw it leap frorn a high 
tower, precipitate itfelf on it's horns, then fpring 
on it's legs, and leap about, without luftaining 
the foiallefl feeming injury. 
The Caucafan Goat is one of thofe animals 
which yields that once valued alexipharmic the 
bezoar-fl:one; a concretion formed of many coats, 
incruftlng a nucleus of fmall pebble, ftones of 
fruits, bits of fliraw, or buds of trees. The in- 
crufting coats are created from the vegetable food 
