on their greater or less rapid progress to- 
ward civilization. In the Old Contihentj, 
the pastoral life formed the passage from 
hunting to agricultural nations. The ru- 
minating animals, so easily reared under 
every climate, have followed the African 
negro, the Mogul, the Malay, and the 
hordes that dwell on Caucasus. Though 
several quadrupeds, and a greater number 
of the vegetable tribe, are common to the 
most northern regions of both worlds, Ame- 
rica possesses, in the species of oxen, only 
the bison and the musk ox ; two ani- 
mals difficult to tame, and the females of 
which yield but little milk, notwithstanding 
the richness of the pasture. The A merican 
hunter was not led to agriculture by the 
care of flocks, and the habits of a pastoral 
life. The inhabitant of the Andes was 
never tempted to milk the lama, the alpaca, 
or the guanaco. Milk was formerly a 
nourishment unknown to the Americans, 
as well as to several nations of eastern 
Asia. 
