In consequence of this, mares are Seldom or »ever qsed,;,;and
in particular, on a line nf, march qv whei;p„ a number ofjj horses
■a$i.collected, together» . ‘they are; ne$gc suffered to.epme in„,tbe
way, as: they would render the, horses outrageous..
The oxen of Ceylon are remarkably small, generally -of a
black colour, and in she scarcely exceed oj^ calves of a^pe^r
old, JThey ;are far from beiqg well-shaped, as« they are thick
and squat and have a hump on their, shoulders.. They.^re
as inferior in quality as in size.^to... the tattle o f . Bengal and
the Coromandel, coast; and are to he. had for. te a o r,, twelve
rupees, o r rix-rdollars, about one pound five shijlings ^terlipg.
The beef is sQmehmes,,.-however; fat and .tqlerably goocf, and
forms the chief food of. the. European soldiers stationed on. the
island.__
Thqse 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 gre too large
for the coolies, to carry. The want, of proper rqads
makes, these people be employed to do mnch ,‘ofj tire , work
which would otherwise be, imposed on tlieo x en . Their, common
method of. carrying burthens is on their heads> „Pf.spspended
to each end of 4ome pieces pf bamboe laid across
and it is , really astonishing tp eee, .what loads they will
in this manner, even under the fatiguing heat 9^ Though
they may find considerable difficulty in lifting af hrst,
ypt when once set agoing, they wijl travel the; rate, p f four
or five miles in the hour for a whole day. The? spring i n , the
.pieces of bamboe, by yielding to* their motions, greatly facilitates
the carriage of the burthen. When the roads will admit of.; it,
and the loads are too heavy for the coolies, the bullocks are
employed to., draw them in .earts: of a particular coiistruction,
kiiowi ion# the island;', b^jtjjae ;aaame of, - bandies** j These vehicles
are veiy^iongi. harrow, and clumsy. T h ^ b o d y the bandy
'rests/; on a strong* beam, .which < project^. like the ^pole of
a s caraaffbs To the /extreme end of'this pole giece of „wopd*
«bout six. »feet* long, ‘undhypry «thick, is* attached crosswise.
»Under it .are hoops .fixed.for the necks, ofi; the cattle,;.which are
kept stfast' by begs- By »this means th e . w4©le weight jqfythp load
! -rests vib# thq neok’hrid shoulders b f ".the oxen, while they drag the
c a lf along. ’ The ;sides- ?<$f. thb jj cart s&e composed pf- thin boards,
of. the skins of^buflal©es.o qr splijt bambq|g; while a strong, post of
wood ;is^plb'cedJ-at each of the fourj corners- ;to giveiit a,shape
an'dyhold these/fftM. The bottpmtis-either pf boards,- or inter-
wovdn bambaes: the'' axle-tree and iwh^ello resemble those’ of
the Irish ttucMes, «or oafs* -being Mocks b|§Wood rounded-.o
■ Buffialoe^-being much-larger , and stronger thao-hthe^xen, are
m u o | more, frequently employed in drawing burthens. These
animals arq found in : greht numbers on th e island, both in a
wild and ..tame -state, and are all of the same species and appearance
They ' are ^fierce, and rough,L extremely obstinate and
Uiitractable,.;with a; wild forbidding.,countenance. . Even such
of. them as-'ard trained to the draught, ahd familiarised to the
people, never lose their original habits, but: are .always dangerous
to-meddle "with pr tb'mdet in the fields. In shape, they are
broad before,'and narrow behind, arid their legs:,.are thick and
shoiitii , They alwayk casrry their heads idfcw: their hoiUs .. are
black and yery thick, shooting out backwards to a considerable
length, and bending towards the shoulders.« The buffaloes do
-not employ their ; horns 'offensively in the same manner as our
bulls, but first run headlong at their object and trample it
Q Q
un