India in 1887 as seen by Robert Wallace / [Robert Wallace].

  • Robert Wallace
Date:
1888
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: India in 1887 as seen by Robert Wallace / [Robert Wallace]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    excessive humidity of the climate, being able to work in water like buffaloes. At Darjiling there arc two common breeds. The Sikim is the best milker, and the Nepalese is the smaller of the two. 1 hey arc mostly black in colour, a few being red and white. If brindled, they arc not so good milkers. Plate XXIX. (Jp) shows Mountain Cattle seen on the Himalayas on the way from Solan to Simla. They are small, and in shape resemble a cross between an ordinary Kerry and a Dexter Kerry. In colour they are mostly black, but a few are grey, and some are brown or a brownish dun, with dark mouse-coloured points. The animals shown are eating the leaves from the boughs of a tree which have been broken off, in accordance with a usual custom, and thrown to them. The hump, as in all mountain cattle and most local breeds, is much reduced, or almost wanting. The breed is very hardy, and their short legs and active figures adapt them admirably to the steep and poor mountain sides, on which they live and thrive. The Cattle of the Boyrup River, seen on its banks not far from Jessor, are small, but handsome, though kept in very poor condition. They eat very coarse, hard grasses, which may be taken as an indication that the natural supply of good food is not over abundant. Likeness to Channel Islands’ Cattle.—The humps arc extremely small, and, with their fine bones, spare forms, and many specimens of a light fawn colour of hair, they more strongly than any other cattle in India remind one of the Channel Islands’ breeds ; but I do not for a moment believe that they arc connected in any way with these Europeans. The Cattle in the Gangetic Basin, seen from the train on the level lands lying north of Calcutta on the way to Darjiling, are numerous. They are to be seen in consider- able village herds going sometimes miles to pastures on the banks of a river. The prevailing colours are light, and the animals generally are smaller, and lack the substance