338 
[No. 3, 
Proceedings of the Asiatic Society. 
The Gayal or Mit’hun (Bos frontalis) I have vainly endeavoured 
to trace southward of Akyab ; hut it abounds (in the domestic state) 
intelligent wood-man, stopped suddenly and dropped on Lis knee, a backward 
motion of his hand told me to be quiet, I followed his example, repeated the 
signal to those behind, and so we all remained still, until the leader, without 
venturing to look round, motioned me forward with a finger. The nature of the 
ground enabled me to creep in advance without the noise even of my footstep, 
until I reached the spot where the man was hidden. 
“ A beautiful spectacle now opened upon us. A few bushes screened us from a 
circle of verdant herbage, which had apparently been covered with water in the 
rainy season, and in this little shallow basin were to be seen a herd of wild Cows 
quietly grazing on the rich pasture \_i. e. not browning , like so many Gayals]. The 
herd might have numbered about sixteen or eighteen, and from the placid, un¬ 
concerned manner in which they enjoyed their food, appeared to have no sense of 
danger or knowledge of the proximity of any unusual intruders. Not so the bull; 
when I first caught sight of him he was motionless as a statue, his bold front 
turned towards us, and his head and neck stretched so erect towards the sky 
that his nose was perpendicular with his fore-legs. He could not see us, but ho 
evidently smelt us, though there was no wind to carry the scent in his direction. 
It was a hot day and a dead calm. The sight was beautiful beyond description. 
“ I remained gazing at them in deep silence and admiration for more than 
half a minute, my double-b arrelled gun laden with balls was in my hand, and I 
could easily have brought down the bull, as he was not more than thirty yards 
off; but the sight was too engaging, and I let him off. On a sudden the beau¬ 
tiful statue seemed to have come to the decision that there was danger in the 
wind, as he set off at full gallop into the forest in the direction opposite to me ; 
the cows, who to the last manifested not the slightest sense of danger, left off 
feeding in a moment and followed their lord at full speed, the crashing of the 
brushwood for some time after we lost sight of them attesting their alarm. I 
did not know at the time what a rare sight I was witnessing, one which I was 
afterwards told by an accomplished naturalist had not been enjoyed by any 
European traveller before. This was unfortunate, as, had I known it, my ob¬ 
servations would have been more minute. The following facts, however, may be 
depended upon :— 
“ The cows were small in stature, considerably smaller than the breed of 
Alderney [?] ; their shape and figure were light and elegant; they did not 
possess humps, like the domestic cattle of India ; they were, without exception, 
of the same colour, a light reddish-dun ; their beautiful slender legs being, all 
four, white below the knee. The bull was rather larger and thicker-set than 
the cows, he had a respectable dewlap, which, together with the breast and 
shoulders, was covered with longer dark hair, approaching to black. I do not 
well remember the horns, but I am inclined to think that they were not long, or I 
should most likely have remarked them. Both the bull and the cows were exceed¬ 
ingly sleek in their coats, which shone as though they had been subjected to 
careful daily brushing.” 
The above is the most detailed description that I have yet met with of the 
Tsoing of the Burmese countries, and (so far as it goes) it tallies sufficiently with B. 
sondaichs ; the bull evidently young, with horns not fully developed, and in 
progress of assuming the blackish colouring of the body. 
On the W. coast of the N. E. of Borneo, near Quabong, remarks Mr. Spencer 
St. John “ Along this beach, herds of wild Cattle are often seen wandering, 
particularly on bright moonlight nights, in search, most probably, of salt, which 
they are so fond of licking. All the natives declare that the species found here 
is smaller than those monsters I saw up the Limbang and Barang. It is very 
likely there may be two kinds.” ‘ Life in the Forests of the Far East’ (1862), I, 
283. In the narrative of his Limbang journey, the same author remarks— 
“ Pigs [Stjs baebatus] are very numerous here, and wild Cattle and Leer are 
also abundant.” Ibid, II } 38. He designates them Tambadau , and mentions 
