The cattle kept in India are the common black cattle, and the buffalo. They are both very numerous, particu larly in the ceded districts, where, in the year 1806, there were 1,198,613 black cattle, and 1,147,492 buffaloes—in Bengal, where it is supposed that there are of both kinds above 50 millions—in Guzerat, where the bullocks are reckoned the strongest, swiftest, and handsomest in India, from the Choteesgur district of this province, which con tains about 20,000 square miles, part of which, however, is mountainous, or covered with jungle, they export in favourable seasons 100.000 bullocks. The British govern ment in India have paid considerable attention to the im provement of the breed of bullocks for their ordnance ; but there arc only two districts in the Bengal presidency, in which bullocks of a size required by the British for this purpose are bred—the Purneah district of Bengal, and the Sarun district of Bahar. The bullocks of the former are of a large size, very strong and active, well formed, and much superior to the cattle employed for draught in the lower parts of Bengal. The bullocks in the Sarun district are not so excellent in their qualities, nor so large ; but they arc little inferior in these respects. Upwards of 5000 from these districts are employed by the Bengal govern ment for the conveyance (..,t artillery, camp equipage, &c. besides elephants and camels. The natives in these and the adjoining districts have made no attempts to improve their breed of bullocks, :eatwithstancling the example and success of the British. The centmon draught cattle all over India have a leaunch on their shoulders, the yoke rests ; they are of a white colour, .
active and well proportioned i ;—as used in agriculture, they will he afterwards Considered, well as the buffalo, See BUFFALOE.
The sheep in India are small, generally of a black or dark grey colour, with wool-like hair for hardness and coarseness, and scarcely fit for any purpose. In Allahabad and on the Coromandel coast the sheep are small, and of an inferior quality, even compared with those of Bengal. In the year 1806, the number of sheep in the ceded dis tricts amounted to 1,147,492. They arc also numerous in the Mysore, where they arc of three varieties of red, black, and white. Here the shepherds and fami lies live with their flocks; the men sleeping in the open air among their sheep, wrapped tip in blankets ; and the women and children under baskets made of leaves, and about six feet in diameter. These baskets will keep out
the rain. On one side of them is a small hole, by which they creep into them. As there is no door or covering to it, it is always turned from the wind or rain. Of the pro vinces in the south of India, there are most sheep bred in that of Coimbetoor, particularly in the Aranusi district of it. There are in Bengal a few sheep with four horns, superior in size, and better proportioned than the com mon kind. Goats are by no means uncommon in the hilly districts of India. They resemble in size, ke. the European goat. In the year 1806 there were 694 633 in the ceded districts. Swine were common in the Mysore till they were almost extirpated by Hyde'. Ali. They are not numerous in any' part of Ilindostan, either domes tic or wild.
Next to the animal which we have described, in point of use, and indeed before some of them in this respect, the elephant claims our attention. In the elephants of India there is a considerable variety, with respect not only to size, but also to colour, and the length of the tusks. They seem to be generally a blackish brown colour. Some times an elephant of a reddish colour is seen in the forests; but this is supposed to arise from the red earth in which it has rolled itself. White elephants are rendered so by disease. The best elephants are reckoned to be those of Chittagong, and generally such as are found near the sea. In the Tipperah district of Bengal they are very numer ous, but not of the first size or quality. On the moun tains in the north of Ifindostan they' are still smaller, sel dom exceeding seven feet in height ; these arc frequently caught merely for their teeth. With respect to the height of this animal, it appears that of 150 elephants employed in the first war against Tippoo Sultan, t:•...re was only one which reached the height of ten feet. The height requir ed by the British government in Bengal for the elephants which they' purchase for the service of the army' is time feet. The common height of the Indian female elephant seems to be from seven to eight feet ; and that of the males from eight to ten feet. measured at the shoulder. The largest ever seen in Ilindostan measured I() feet 6 inches at the shoulder. It was caught in the year 1796, and belonged to the Nabob of Oude. The largest tusks in Bengal very seldom exceed the weight of 70 or 80 pounds.