166 a JOURNEY FROM MADRAS THROUGH 
CHAPTER of putting a cow to labour shocks the natives here exceedingly. 
Ill, o J ^ v 
They cannot hear it mentioned with patience ; and relate, with 
June 12. marks of great satisfaction, that for this offence their last Raja put 
to death several Br injuries; for it is customary with that people to 
'make cows carry their baggage. 
The working oxen begin to plough at sun-rise, -and continue until 
sun-set, with an intermission of three hours at noon; at which time 
they have a feed of straw, as they have also at night. They have 
water at noon, at three o’clock, and at sun-set. The cattle bred here 
are not fit for the road. The richest man of the village keeps a bull 
or two, as there may be occasion, and these serve all the cows with- 
out hire. The best calves are kept for this purpose ; and occasionally 
a good bull is purchased from some distance, to improve the breed. 
The bull begins to propagate at three years of age, and continues 
till ten. Those intended for labour are emasculated at three years 
of age, by bruising the parts' between two sticks. They very seldom 
die in consequence of this operation ; but for about fifteen days are 
in pain from the swelling, and for a month do not begin to work. 
In the Decan, castration is not practised on any quadruped. The 
young bulls are frequently wrought, and the ox continues to labour 
until he is ten or twelve years of age ; when, worn out by hunger* 
fatigue, and bad usage, he dies a premature death, and his carrion 
is devoured by the Whalliaru . The late emasculation of the cattle 
intended for labour is done with a view of giving the ox spirit; but 
I am inclined to think that it produces a great degeneracy in the 
breed ; for the cows, in consequence, are frequently impregnated 
by the poorest creatures of the herd. 
In all diseases of the ox kind, the grand remedy is the actual 
cautery, applied very fancifully in different places, and to a different 
extent, according to the supposed nature of the disease. The animal 
is thrown down, his mouth and legs are tu-d, and long lines are 
burned with a hot iron, so as to bring off both hair and skin. Three 
lines are often thus drawn, on each side, the whole length of the 
i 
