The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1901-10-10
HOWE & STETsON.
BUFFALO OF INDIA.
Their Adventurous Wanderings to Fa
Lands.

|
Their Adventurous Wanderings to Far
| Lands.
The great distance from its original
home in India at which we now find the
buffalo established is evidence that the
animal has a history of an exceedingly
adventurous kind, were it possible to
trace the story of its travels. Starting
from the Indian jungles and then do
mesticated on the Indian plains, this
erstwhile wild beast has reached and
been donesticated and plays most
important part in Egypt, Palestine,
southern Italy and the Campagna, the
south and east of Spain, Hungary, Tur-
key and western Asia as far as the Dor
ders of Afghanistan. BY some unknown
route 1t has reached the west coast Of
Africa, and is established as beast Of
draught and cultivation on the Niger
It has travelled far up the Nile and will
go further, for 1t would be invaluable
on the great swamps Fashoda way In
the far east the Chinaman has made 1t
his own peculiar pet, having, it Is be-
lieved, first learned it's value In the
rice grounds Of the south. 1t has been
taken to Japan, where it now works In
the rice grounds; to the Philippines and
the islands of the Malay archipelago;
and there Is no doubt that 1t would be
useful in British Guiana. Possibly the
Italians who are crowding over into
America will introduce 1t In the lower
Mississippi valley; but it Is by nature
brown and yellow mans beast, and
only appreciated in Europe by the south
Latin races.
How did the buffalo get from India
to Africa? Who first took it to Egypt?
How did 1t get from Egypt round to
the West Niger? And who brought 1t to
Italy, and from whence? All these are
most interesting questions and as the
distance of time which has elapsed
since the animals were introduced into
Europe does not fall beyond the his
toric period they may possibly be an
swered In Egypt, for instance, there
exists a pictorial record on the tombs
and elsewhere, covering many thou
sands of years, in which pictures Of an
imals play an important part If the
first appearance Of the water buffalo In
these paintings were noted the date Of
Its Importation from India 70 Egypt
would be known. From inquiries
kindly made by M. Maspero at the sug-
gestion of Lord Cromer it appears that
nowhere in the long picture history
If ancient Egypt does the water buff
'alo appear. The African buffalo Is
seen there; not so the domesticated
Asiatic one. This Is very interesting
negative evidence that this domesti-
,ated animal was not known in ancient
Egypt. 1t Is surmised, probably right
Y, that it was imported after some
sreat epidemic Of cattle plague, or 1t
nay have been taken from the west
oast of India up the Euphrates val
ey, and thence down the Jordan valley
o Egypt.
Arab dhows have for ages done a
egular trade in carrying horses from
he west coast of India to the Persian
huff 1t is probably one, of the oldest
orms of shipping which exists, and
he Arabs who now ship horses from
bombay to the Persian Gulf may have
zen in the cattle trade in very early
avs 1t is also probable that in the
ra of Hindu maritime enterprise these
FEATURES were taken both to the far
asst and to the east coast Of Africa.
he circumstances which led to their
IIlUuuClloIl lHlo Itdly HHu Spain dlE ~
to be found in some existing
eeord; but it is not one generally
nown, the nearest surnlise being that
hey may have been given to Lon
obradian king with other animals by
lie chief of a horde of Asiatic invaders
hey were not known in italy in Ro-
ian times. But if they had been intro-
uced as recently as the camels which
re still used on one of the royal estates
| Tuscany Can enterprise due to the
[edici) the fact would probably have
cen matter of common knowledge
ondon Spectator.