283 
THE ISLAND OF CEYLON. 
The buftalo is of a dirty grey or mouse colour; the hairs, 
or rather bristles, are thinly scattered over his thick coarse 
skin. The flesh and milk, though sometimes used, are very 
rank and disagreeable. These animals are very dirtily in- 
clined, and are constantly to be seen like hogs wallowing up 
to the neck in mud and water. 
The markets of Ceylon are well supplied with pigs, and 
they can be always had at very reasonable prices ; the smaller 
ones at about five shillings, and even the largest never sell for 
more than ten. The pigs here are usually about the size of 
our small greyish ones. 
Few parts of India produce a greater variety of wild ani- 
mals than Ceylon ; and its forests are rendered extremely 
dangerous by beasts of prey and noxious reptiles of various 
sizes. Many wild animals are also offered to the use of 
man ; and afford subsistence to the tribes who, like them, 
range the forests. 
Varieties of deer and elks are every where met with in 
the woods and jungles. One species of deer is particularly 
calculated to attract attention. It is a very small creature, 
in size not exceeding our . hare ; it is called by the Dutch 
the moose-deer , and by the natives gazelle. In every thing 
but in size they are complete deer ; and their sides are 
beautifully spotted, or streaked like the fallow-deer. It is 
usual for the natives to catch them, and bring them down 
in cages to our markets, where they are sold at about a 
