220 
JOURNAL OF AN EMBASSY 
names are a corruption of the Malay ones, from 
which there can be little doubt that they have 
been borrowed from the Indian islands. 
The useful Quadrupeds domesticated by the 
Burmese are, the ox, the buffalo, the horse, and 
the elephant. Both oxen (Nwa) and buffaloes 
(Kuwe) are used throughout the country ; but 
the latter greatly prevail in the lowlands, and the 
former in the upper. Both are of a very good 
description, and commonly in high order; in¬ 
deed, the rural economy of the Burmans appears 
no where to so much advantage as in their care 
of these animals. With respect to oxen, the 
males are commonly emasculated, and these, for 
the most part, only are used in labour, the fe¬ 
males being neither fed nor worked. The cost 
of rearing them is comparatively high ; a cir¬ 
cumstance to be accounted for, from the reli¬ 
gious prejudice, which interdicts their use as food, 
and which, therefore, leaves no profitable means 
of disposing of the old or imperfect cattle. The 
buffalo, a more docile animal than the ox, except 
to strangers, is not emasculated, and both males 
and females are used in labour. In places conge¬ 
nial to it, it is also more easily reared than the ox, 
being satisfied with coarser pasture; and it is con¬ 
sequently much cheaper. Notwithstanding supe¬ 
rior strength, however, the buffalo is slow, im¬ 
patient of heat and drought, and therefore in¬ 
capable of long-continued exertion. Its use is 
