72 
SCENES IN INDIA. 
that food was scattered which would have saved 
whole families from perishing with hunger. 
The Brahminee bulls are generally about the size of 
calves of two years old, except in some districts, as in 
Guzerat, where they are sometimes found as large as 
the Durham ox. Upon their haunches there is an em- 
blem of the god Siva, to whom they are devoted, and 
held in such high reverence, that no one is permitted 
to strike them, or to prevent them from feeding pre- 
cisely where and upon what they please. They are 
almost always to be seen in the bazaars, where they 
unceremoniously enter the shops, begin to munch the 
grain exposed for sale, and frequently turn over every- 
thing in their way, to the great annoyance of the se- 
date Hindoo, who nevertheless bears it all with a 
religious patience, allowing the sacred intruder to con- 
tinue its freaks so long as it may fancy agreeable. 
One of the bulls represented in the engraving chose 
to take a dislike to a small, rough-haired, terrier dog, 
of the Scotch breed, which I had with me, and, unex- 
pectedly raising him on its horns, nearly flung him 
into the river. Snap, not at all pleased at such un- 
courteous treatment, no sooner recovered his legs, than 
he rushed upon the bull, seized it by the lip, to which 
he clung with such persevering obstinacy, that though 
the animal, with a stifled roar, galloped off at its ut- 
most speed, the terrier still maintained his hold for at 
least five minutes ; and when at length he did relin- 
quish the bull’s lip, the enemy did not show the least 
disposition to renew the encounter, but sought the 
shelter of a pagoda, whither its companion actively 
followed. 
