THE ISLAND OF CEYLON. 
285 
castrated in this quarter of the world ; and in this mutilated 
state, they decrease greatly in value, as they are then by no 
means so capable of enduring the heat of the climate, and the 
violent fatigue which must be occasioned by exertion in these 
countries. In consequence of this, mares are seldom or ever 
used ; and in particular, on a line of march or where a 
number of horses are collected together, they are never suf- 
fered to come in the way, as they would render the horses 
outrageous. 
The oxen of Ceylon are remarkably small, and in size scarcely 
exceed our calves of a year old. They are far from being 
well-shaped, as they have a hump on their shoulders. They 
are as inferior in quality as in size to the cattle of Bengal 
and the Coromandel coast ; and are to be had for ten or 
twelve rupees, or rix-dollars, about one pound five shillings 
sterling. The beef is sometimes however, fat and tolerably 
good, and forms the chief food of the European soldiers sta- 
tioned on the island. 
These bullocks, though small, are very useful. They are 
employed in all sorts of work to which they are adapted, 
in drawing artillery, and conveying burthens which are too 
large for the coolies to carry. The want of proper roads 
indeed makes these people be employed to do much of the 
work which would otherwise be imposed on the oxen. Their 
common method of carrying burthens is on their heads, or 
suspended to each end of some pieces of bamboe laid across 
their shoulders ; and it is really astonishing to see what loads 
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