308 
BUFFALO. 
were enabled to throw them down* and by that 
means get them into the boats. And what appears 
to have been no less singular than this circumstance 
was* that they had not been a day on board* before 
they became perfectly gentle. 
The buffalo is also an inhabitant, or* at least 
an occasional visitant of the Gold Coast of Guinea, 
B osman relates* that these animals are found all 
over Guinea ; but in such small numbers* that one 
of them is scarce to be seen in three or four years. 
On the Slave Coast* they are sometimes found in 
great numbers. Those in this tract of country 
appear to be of the same form and character with 
those in the neighbourhood of the Cape. Theji 
are of a red colour. Bosman mentions that those 
which he saw* though very swift* had the appear- 
ance of being lame. 
In the large island of Sumatra* in the East In** 
dies* the buffalo* called by the natives carbow* is 
the principal domestic animal. The buffalo of 
that island seems to possess some peculiar charac- 
teristics* and must therefore be regarded as a 
distinct variety. Like the other buffaloes that have 
been already "described, the buffalo of Sumatra has 
a large* heavy body, short legs* and large hoofs ; 
its horns turn backwards, but sometimes point for- 
wards*and are always in the plane of the forehead. 
The tail is slender* reaches only to the middle joint 
of the leg* and terminates in a bunch of hair. The 
female goes nine months with calf ; and suckles 
her calf for six. When crossing a river she carrier 
her young on her back. The voice of the animal 
is a weak* sharp cry* very uqlike the lowing s of 
oxen. 
These buffaloes* as well as those of other coun- 
tries* delight to roll in mud and water. They 
display great dexterity in throwing the water with 
the horn over their back and sides* when there is 
