HYDRABAD AND BIDUR. 
173 
honour of Krishna. After certain ceremonies have 
been performed, the horns of the cattle are gilt, tas- 
sels and bells are affixed to them, and garlands of 
flowers and gaudy-coloured cloths are hung about 
them. Each of the farmers takes his team to the 
bazaar, and a procession being formed, the motley 
multitude of kine are led forth from the city gate, 
headed by bands of music, and accompanied by a 
vast concourse of peasantry ; the cattle-owners are 
enveloped in various ludicrous disguises, singing, 
shouting, and throwing themselves into all sorts of 
absurd attitudes and frantic gestures. After pro- 
ceeding to a certain distance, the beasts are set at 
liberty, and permitted to stray where they will. 
Unaccustomed to their freedom, they usually frisk, 
and fling, and gallop about in all directions, with a 
wildness which gives them the appearance of being 
mad. It happened, that at this particular season, 
Koostum Kahn was on a reconnoitering detour, with 
a small party of attendants, at a little distance from 
the army ; and, as it had been provided by his evil 
destiny, he beheld a procession of the kind above- 
described, advancing towards him. Being ignorant 
of its meaning', his fears suggested to him that the 
strange scene was nothing less than an exhibition of 
witchcraft, and forthwith he galloped off to the rear 
in dismay, and, by his alarmed aspect, communi- 
cated a panic to his troops. They began immediately 
to disperse in all directions, and became entangled 
