Indian domestic economy and receipt book : comprising numerous directions for plain wholesome cookery, both Oriental and English, with much miscellaneous matter, answering all general purposes of reference connected with household affairs likely to be immediately required by families, messes, and private individuals, residing at the presidencies or out-stations

Front matter

Rv (L.€Uj>.u

d

22102290971

Preface To The Fourth Edition

The work having gone to Press and nearly completed before it occurred to the Author that the present Rates of Postage, &c., found at page 518, would shortly be of little use, he therefore has added as an Appendix the New Draft of the proposed Act for the management of the Post Office and the Regulations of the Duties of Postage as read in Council for the first time on the 13th of May of this year, and which may in all probability be in force ere this Edition will have left the Binder’s hands. The Author has seen no occasion to make further alterations or additions beyond a few receipts ; nevertheless he feels assured the work will continue to sustain its expectation as one of general utility throughout India.

The flattering notices taken of the work by the Press of the three Presidencies, and its acknowledged usefulness as a book of reference by numerous private individuals unknown to the Author, is highly gratifying; while the facts prove, what has always been his opinion, that a work having for its object the simple yet distinct instruction — by the assimilation of the Asiatic Customs with the European— in Domestic Ecokomy, must prove eminently useful and acceptable to the Anglo-Indian Community. The Receipts are rendered in as plain a manner as possible, so that no difficulty might arise in their communication to Natives; tliQ selections are such as are most easily attainable ; and the means for theLt preparation generally procurable ; whilst the additions are largely imported into this country, and to bo had jxt almost every Bazaar,

VI

I’RKI'ACK,

Tue Mahket Tables attaclied will form a very fair guide to the actual prices of provisions, &c., at either of the Presidencies or in the Mofussil, and prevent any immoderate overcharge by servants ; for let the European experience be what it may, and even were he to visit the Market himself, he never could purchase any article at the same rate as the Native, nor can he fail to discover in any intercourse with him involving outlay that he is obliged to submit to a per centage in some degree, or what is called Dustooet,* an allowance established by general usage and considered by the servant as his perquisite for making purchases, "When small, however, it may be as well to let him enjoy the advantage, if quiet and comfort are desired. This deduction is not so applicable to the household expenditure — especially when the head servant’s account is settled every morning, as then the prices charged are generally made at the admitted or known rates, and can be checked accordingly if examined at the time; but when allowed to stand over,’ articles are frequently entered and charged for — although neither procured nor consumed, and of course is a matter of clear gain to the servant, who besides takes his usual Dttstooet when settling with the tradesmen for lond fide purchases.

Eamilies and single individuals residing at the Presidencies or the Mofussil, who may at times be particularly cast on their own resources, or deem it necessary to superintend their daily expenditure, and are not above an acquaintance with the number of annas and pies forming a rupee, — items as indispensable to present as conducive to future comfort, — will, in all matters of household affairs, whether in checking the extravagant charges of domestics, the over-demands of trades-people in pui’chases, or affording useful instruction for the routine of the Culinaey department, as well as the management of the Faem, Potjltex Yard, or Eitchek Garden, it is hoped, find that much useful information may be derived by following the rules and instructions contained in the “Indian Domestic Economy.”

* Two pic ill cath rupee.

ANALYTICAL INDEX.

1st. Servants; — their description, habits, caste, wages, &c-, at Bombay, Bengal, Hyderabad, and Madras.

2nd. Farm and Poultry Yard ; — Cows, Calves, Buffaloes, Goats, Sheep, Pigs, Rabbits; management of Poultry with preliminary remarks ; Turkeys, Guineafowls, Geese, Ducks, Pigeons and Pea-fowl.

3rd. Horse and Stable ; — Exercise, grooming, feeding, and medical treatment in the most immediate and easiest form, with recipes, &c.

4th. Dairy ; — General remarks on Utensils, Pans, &c. ; Milk, Cream and Butter; mode of making Butter from Cream and Milk ; also fresh Cream and Curd Cheeses.

5th. Soups of various kinds, with general directions for flavouring, force-meat balls, &c.

Gth. Fish, and Shell-fish, with remarks upon dressing, &c.

7th. Remarks on Boiling, Roasting, Broiling, &c.

8th. Sauces and Gravies.

9th. Beef, Veal, Mutton, Lamb and Pork.

10th. General directions for Game and Poultry, with various methods of dressing the same.

11th. Vegetables ;— how to prepare and dress in different ways. .

12th. Devils, Zests, Sandwiches, Omelettes, Essences, Toasted Cheese, Eamakins, &c.

13th. Pickles and Chutneys.

14th. Pastry remarks upon Tarts, &c.

15th. Puddings, do. do.

16th. Cakes, do. do.

17th. Baking ;— Bread, Biscuits, &c.

18th. Sweet Dishes, &c.

19th. .Jellies and Jams.

20th. Tea, Coflee, &c.

21bt. Syrups, Drops, &c.

22.VD. Drinks, Liquors, &'c.

23ru. Cordials.

Vill

AXALVTICAl, INDEX.

CiiAPTEn 24th.

— 2Gth.

— 2STn.

Cooling fluids ; Purifying water.

Freezing Mixtures, with or without Ice.

Making Ice receipts for the same, with direction* for preserving it.

Vocabulary of Culinary terms.

Oriental Cookery ; — preliminary remarks on Curries, Brianes, Pullows, Ashes, Kubabs, Cakes and Chutnies; with various receipts for making the same. Bombay Market Table, with the average Prices Current for three Months in the year — January, May and November ; Tables of Money, Weights and Measures ; with the Commercial Weights in various parts of India, &c.

Calcutta, Dinapore, Madras and Aurungabad Market Tables, and prices of Miscellaneous Articles, &c. Tables of Exchange, Interest, &c.

Miscellaneous Domestic Receipts.

Kitchen Garden and Orchard — with a copious Index of the whole.

Chapter I. Seevants

The misdeeds of Indian serv'ants appear to be a general and unfailing source of complaint amongst all, whether we take the new-comer on his arrival, or the long resident, without reference to any particular place •, the complaint of them is miiversal — laziness, dishonesty, falsehood, with a host of other vices, seem to be inherent in them. This need hai’dly be wondered at, when we consider the way in M’hich they are brought up, taught from their earliest infancy to look for employment only in the particular calling of their parent, or the guardian by whom they have been adopted. Nor is the fault wholly on their side — much that is complained of, originates with the master, and is ovring to him. In the first place, taking a servant merely on the recommendation of a written character, without any endeavour to ascertain whether the bearer is the person described, or how he became possessed of it. In most cases these characters are borrowed; in many they are written for the occasion, by a class of persons who earn their bread by writing characters for any applicant who will give them a feiv annas, or agree to pay a per centage should he succeed in getting the place. So sudden and frequent are the changes in India, that a master or mistress has seldom an opportunity of making any personal inquiry, and is often led to overlook this precaution; all this causes a fruitful source of mischief to domestic economy.

Then again, persons are not sufficiently careful in giving characters; how often it happens that a master or mistress, when turning away a sen'ant, gives him, from false kind‘-

A o ness, a belter diaracter than he deserves, suppressing the real eausc of his being sent away, and at the same time mentioning a period of service suffieiently long to l>c of itself a reeommendation, and almost a guarantee of his ti’ustworthiness and usefulness, whereas they know the contrary to be the case.

Some servants there are who enter your family simply to see what they can lay their hands upon, taking themselves off the first convenient opportunity.

Others there are who take advantage of the advance of pay, usually given in setting out on a journey, to enable the servant to leave a small sum with his family or relations and to provide himself with necessaries ; thus getting a month’s or more advance of pay, and, in nine cases out of ten, when the traveller starts, are nowhere to be found, or shp away after the first day or two.

The best way to prevent this, is to make your head servant (if out of your o^vn power) go to the Police Office, and have their names and agreement registered; it will afford an opportunity for detection, shoidd he be an old offender, as the PoUce have better means of making inquh’ies than you can possibly have. This clearly shows what an advantage an office for registiy woxdd be, where the honest and weU-disposed serv^ant could be heard of, when he would be sure to find a place.

On the other hand, servants have too often just cause for leaving their places suddenly, the slightest fault of a native servant being often visited with blows and such abuse as no respectable man xriU bear, very often too for no other faxdt than that of not miderstanding what the master has said, who has given his directions in some unintelligible stuff, from ignorance of the language, that no one could understand.

Tlie race of servants are very different at the three presidencies; at Bombay there is a large proportion of native Portuguese, Parsecs, Mussidmcn, and Hindoos, besides Em’asians; at Madi’as native Cluistians take the place of

AND COOKERY.

Parsecs at Bombay, and at Calcutta tliere is a mixture of every caste aud grade in India. There are some amongst these who speak English, and who generally bear but very indifferent characters.

BOMBAY.

A Butler, whether Portuguese, Parseo or Mussulman, .......

A Table Servant (seldom more).

Assistant,

Washerman or Dhobee, according to the fai Tailor, -------

Amah or Wet Nurse, - - - -

Coachman, -------

Gorah wallah, ------

Mussulchee, where no house Hummals are employed, .......

Bheestee, if used, but the Hummals do this work,

Totee or Sweeper,

Rs. 10 to

15-20-30

G

25 or more.

.9

BENGAL.

A Sircar or Accountant, - - - - - - Es. 10 to 12

A Butler or Khansumar, - 8„10

A Table Servant or Khidmutgar, - - - - - 6„8

Assistant do. or Matie, - . ... . 4„6

Dressing Bearer or Bhoee, - - - - - - 6„8

House and Palkee do. -----. 6„7

Washerman or Dhobee, - - - . - - - 4„14

Water Carrier, Bheestee or Puckalee, - - - - 5 „ 8

Cook or Bawurchee, - -6„12

Sweeper, Halalkur or Mihtur, 3„4

Messenger or Hurkara, - - - - - . - 5„6

Porter or Durwan, 6„6

Tailor or Durzee, -

Coachman or Ghareewan, ------ 8 „ 15

Horsekeeper or Syce, 5„G

Grasscutter or Ghaswara, 3„5

Assistant Cooly, 3„6

Camelman, Oontwallali, . - - -

Shepherd B’herehara, . - - -

Water Cooler or Abdar, - . -

Tent Pitcher, or Lascar, - - - -

Female Servants.

Ayah, or Waiting- woman, ...

Amah, or Wet Nurse, - - - .

Ladies’ Tailor, 1st Class, - - - -

Do. 2nd do. ...

Washerman, 1st do. . - -

Sweeper, or Mihturanee, - . - -

MADRAS.

Butler, per mensem, from -

Ordinary Servants, . . . .

Boys,

Cooks,

Under do. ... ...

Waterwoman,

Coachman,

Horsekeeper, -

Grasscutters,

Gardeners, - - - -

Cowman,

Water Carriers, - . . . .

Ayahs,

Under do. ......

Punkah Pullers, .....

6 „ 12 10

- 10 6

7 „ 10

- 5 „ 7

7 „ 17

3 4

- 10 „ 15

4 ., 7

5 „ 7

4 „ 6

10 „ 17

HYDERABAD.

Mussulmans.

Hhansumar, or Butler, 12 to 20

1 Jemadar of Servants, 12 „ 15 Khidmutgar, or Table

Servant, - - 7 „ 10

2 Dressing Boy, - 7 „ 10

Abdar or Water Cooler, 8 „ 12

Hookabadar, - 12

Sindoos.

5 Matie, - - - 6 to 7

G Mussalchee, or Barber, 4 „ 7

Dhobee,

Syce, -

Grasscutter, -

Bearer,

Head Bearer, -

AND COOKEIIY.

Mussulmans.

3 Furrash, or Lascar, 7

Mihtur, or Sweeper, to

G

4 Chuprassee or Jewan,

Mahut, or Elephant

Driver,

Assistant to do. -

Bheestee, or Puckalee,

Hindoos.

Malee, to

Cooly Woman,

7 Cook,

Tailor, - . -

Ayah,

In engaging with an Ayah who speaks English, as is mostly the case with the Indo-Portnguese, it is necessaiy to be very particular in your agreements as to the amount of your wages, and also whether they expect food to be found them, as their demand at first will be made generally without reference to the latter, and at as high a rate as they can venture to ask, in consequence of their attainments being beyond those of most Mussulmen and Hindoo Ayahs, who can only assist in dressing a lady; whereas most of the first class Indo-Portuguese dress hair, wash laces, sillt. stocldngs, &c., and in some few instances can use their needles, for aU of which they expect to be better paid of course. The wages of an Ayah will greatly depend upon the duties she undertakes, and those who perform the menial offices, which some do, are on the lowest scale of

pay-

The Wet Nurses are only 'procurable generally from the lower classes, and are very obstinate as to their rules of diet. The greatest trouble arises in getting them to restrict themselves to proper food; they are prone to indulge in liquor, opium, tobacco, pawn, supai’ee, &c. ; they are perfectly careless of any regularity as to their state of health, and require great watching. Previoiis to engaging they make the most exorbitant demands, which from necessity you are often compelled to comply with. Besides their wages, it is usual to find them in food and clothes.

All classes of servants are engaged by the month, though not always paid at the expiration of it, and it is usual to keep them in arrears until the middle of the following, as

G some check upon tlieir beliaviour, and to prevent their withdraiving themselves without notice, as tliey subject themselves to the loss of one month’s pay, if they quit of their oivn fi*ee will, or inthout giving a proper warning.

In some houses, besides the Khansumar or Butler, whose province appears to be merely superintending the concerns of the table and of the servants attached to it, a sort of Jemadar of seiwants is also kept up, who takes charge of the pui’se and of all the out-of-door serv^ants, pays all the expenses, — ^in fact, superintends the household concerns in general. He is usually a Mussulman, but sometimes of the other class, answering in some degree to the Sii*car in Calcutta. Very frequently, instead of a regular senant for the toilet, a Hindoo of the Bearer class is employed, and it seems the better plan; for, being a dressing servant, he is in general too great a man to assist in carrying the palankeen: he yet keeps up with it, and is always therefore at hand. If the bearer be a Mussulman he is made sometimes to wait also at table.

A Furrash, I suspect, is kept up but in few houses: his occupation is that of a Lascar or Khalassie; he sweeps the carpets, cleans the house and furniture, the care of which he has; also the beds, shades and lights, it being his duty to light the latter; in fact, his duty is both that of the Lascar and Mussalchee, as he is in some houses where a FmT.’ash is not kept up in Bengal. His principal duty is the charge of tents, with the care of the same, pitcliing, striking and loading them.

A Chuprassee may be either Mussulman or Hindoo, as frequently one as the other. The distinction between the Chuprassee and Jewan, is that the latter, besides being a messenger and attending his master in his jomneys about, is employed also in guarding his house; the Chuprassec’s badge is his external sign, the Jewan has it not.

Matie is sometimes a Mussulman, but less fr'equcntly, and is assistant to the table serv^ant.

The Mussalchee in general has charge of the caudles,

AND COOKERY.

shades and lights; but -where a FuiTash is kept up, he is employed as toreh-bearer and barber, his profession generally being that of the latter.

The Cook is usually a Native Christian or the lowest caste of Hindoos from Madras or the Coast; sometimes tliey are Mussulmen, but seldom any proportion to the former. The bearers are a hard-working and very trusty class of people: you may leave artieles of any value mth them with perfeet safety, only making it over to their charge, whether Hindoos or Mussulmen; indeed, this may be said to be the case with most classes of native servants who are weU treated; and if a fair estimate and allowance is made, it will generally be found that there is more reason to praise than complain of them. Entrust money, je\tels, clothes, &c., in fact, any thing to their charge, and you wiU find them usually faithftd. They will for years treasure up the smallest rags for you, though now and then you -will see them appropriating articles, they have thought forgotten by their masters (from their never having been asked for), and if they can profit in any way from their intermedium in purchasing for you, you will find they wiU generally cheat you in over demands in some slight way or other. Slioidd you become poor they will drop even this in a very great degree, or totally. In sickness they ^vill take the greatest care of you, doing for you services that a Emopean seldom ever will. In marching, at all seasons and all weather, they will go long distances without grumbling, cook for you, put their hands to pitching tents, loading, and at all times do work extra to their own duty. They are in general sensitive of and grateful for kindness, and become active and zealous therefrom.

Their principal vice, besides what I have already given, is an intolerable habit of lying. In the way of tea, sugar, bread, milk, paper and such like articles, they wiU fi’equently, like European servants, appropriate a little for themselves. You wiU sometimes find cases of ingratitude, but if you treat them kuidly, you >viU not find these fi’cquent. They mtU conceal in general the petty thefts and cheatings of one another from their master, but when any one has been detected by him, all arc ready to come for- Avard and tell against the offender. Cunning and doubledealing characterise the Native, and are some of his principal faults. Cui’iosity, also, is another of his peculiarities; if you send a man with a note or message, he is sure to be asked by all he meets where he is going, and on Avhat business, if he knows. They also endeavour to find out all that concerns you; whether you are an influential person or in any way a leading character, and are guided accordingly. I thinlc that you have only to treat natives well and kindly, and they will generally prove good servants to you. Sympathize in their griefs and joys, with the smallest words of kindness, speak kindly to them, and oblige them when you can, and they will serve you well, and will refuse to execute no sort of work how extraneous soever from their regular duties; on the contrary, if a master or mistress is always finding fault with their servants for the most trifling omission of duty, haA-ing them beaten and cutting fr'om their pay the value of an article broken by accident, the Native natui’aUy becomes discontented and careless to please, knoAiing he can but be sent away Avith a chance of getting a much more humane and even-tempered employer. They are often turned off Avithout being paid their wages, upon the alleged score of insolence; this being assigned as the reason when a master loses his temper, and ill-treats a servant AAuthout cause, for appearing stupid or awkAvai’d. It is necessary, if you desire to retain and attach your servants to you, to act justly by them, make them fully xmderstand AA'hat you desire to be done, and see that it is so; and if a servant has committed a fault, or destroyed your property in a wanton manner, do not, if you can help it, punish him yourself, but refer the case, where you have the means, to the decision of public authority, or give him his discharge at once. Encoiuage a servant to come and confess his faidt, show-

AND COOKE 11 Y., lug pcrliapa» tliat lie has broken an artiele ; then refrain iroin blows, abuse, and eutting his pay, which seldom at any time is very high ou ing to the small sum required for a native to live upon, and if reduced by stoppages, falls lieavily upon him, and arouses his natural cunning to make it up most assm’edly at yom’ expense, and in futiu’e induce him to hide by eveiy means in liis power any fault he may afterwards commit.

In havmg mentioned the particular duties of each sei’- vant, I do not wish to be understood that he will confine them only to one particular department, as was almost generally the case formerly in the upper parts in India, though not so much at the presidencies of Madras and Bombay; for where circumstances require that a few servants ai'e only kept in the establishment, the duties of tAvo or three may be canied on by one, with a little management, as is indeed generally practised. The Cook may attend the market early of a morning and purchase the supplies for the day ; but here it is essentially necessary, to prevent disappointment as well as to insm’e comfort, that the necessaiy ordera for all that is requii-ed be given over night, as after seven or eight o’clock, nothing but the refuse of meat, &c., is procurable : this duty, though coming more immediately under the province of the head servant, may, Avhere economy is the object, be, as has been stated, intrusted to the Cook or a Khansumar.

The head servant may act as Butler, attend the table, look after the plate, and as is often the case, superintend the making of, if not make himself, the pastry and sweetmeats, besides exercising superintendence over the whole household, and recording the daily expenditure in an account-book kept for the purpose. A little difficulty sometimes exists in getting servants to perform more than theiiown particular duty, but by a little management it is soon overcome and adds to the domestic comfort.

It is a useless, besides expensive custom, giAong dresses to youx’ senants; hoivever, this is a mere matter of consi-

n

INDIAN DOMESTIC ECONOMY AND COOKERY.

deration witlx yourself. In some families in Bengal, where the establishment is large and the servants numerous, and expeeted to be all di’essed uniform ivith turban, &c., a man is kept on purpose to make the latter up, and is paid a small sum by eaeh for so doing or by their employer, he performing some other duty when not so engaged. Tlxe only elass requiring a livery generally, are your horsekeepers and eoaehmen; they need little more than a uniform turban and belt, but insist on their appearing in clean clothes when in attendance.

CHAPTER II. OlTDOOR ECONOMY

The best Cows in Western India are the Guze- Cows. ratti, and in the South, the Mysore and Nellore, and in the Upper parts, the Nagore ; the general time of calving being at the commencement of, and during the monsoon. The Guzerat cows, when in full milk, after calving, give from five to six seers daily, for the first three or four months, if fed -with gram and green grass;* — the Nellore cow about half the quantity, and the common country cow seldom more than two or three seers, and generally not more than one, from which the calf must have its share. Few country cows AviU give any milk if the calf is taken from them. It depends upon the constitution of the cow how nearly she may be milked to the time of her calving, — also on the quantity and cost of feeding. When pastiu’agc is abundant, the best way is to keep such a stock of cows as will enable you to have a succession in milk. The expense of tending them out grazing is the same for a dozen as a couple, a man being required to milk, feed and pen up the calves morning and evening.f The quan-

* The natives seldom if ever give gram to their cattle; and, previous to calving, Oord is the principal grain given ; — also Tour, Chenna, and others that are chcaj) The Oord is first boiled and then mixed with oil, — say one-cighth of a seer of oil to one seer of Oord, and this is given to a cow, and twice the quantity to a buffaloe.

+ At all the towns and villages there are herdsmen who collect and lake out the cattle to feed of a morning, and bring them back in the evening, charging so much a head,— from two to eight annas,— a monthtity of gram to be given to eacli cow daily must necessarily depend upon her milk. For a common country cow half a seer soaked at each milking is sufficient; double the quantity uill be required for a Nellore, or Guzerat cow. In selecting a cow 'for purchase the Natives give preference to those ivith fine thin skin, good looking udder (not depending upon the size), and long thin tails. Colour is a matter of no consequence ; of course if the cow docs not promise from her appearance, when in full calf, to give a fair share of milk, no one woidd think of becoming a purchaser. The price of a good Guzeratti cow is from 30 to 70 mpees or more; the Nellore probably not quite so much, and a country cow from five to fifteen rupees. It is necessai’y that a cow should be fed while being milked so as to induce her to give it dowTi freely.; the natives generally allow the calf to suck at the same time ; before the cows are milked the teats should be washed and wiped. The milk of some cows yields more cream than that of others. The cream yielded by the last half of the milking is always the best, provided the udder is properly emptied. Water added to milk causes it to tlu’ow up a larger quantity of cream than if immixed, but the cream is of a veiy inferior quality. Milk canied to a distance before it is set for cream, or in any other way shaken, gives much less cream, and also ^ thimier, than that udiich has not been agitated. Milk should always be strained before setting for cream. The cream being ebrnmed, and strained fr’oin the buttermilk, is to have tlie remains £)f the buttermilk carefully squeezed from it nitli as little working of the butter as possible, and then moulded into the form neeessary ; it shoidd never be touched dming the making by the hand, but worked up uith a ivooden spatida. Hutter is always injured in its quality by being kept in water, nor will it keep so long as if in a cool vessel, that is ]iorous, ■with moisture round it. The only cheeses made in this country arc ci’cam or common ivhite emd, directions for making which will be found under a separate head of the present work.

AND COOKERY.

feeding of these animals for the table Calves. (as in Europe) is seldom carefully attended to ;

but should you desire to have good veal, you must allow the calf the whole of its mother’s milk, and for the first week break a raAv egg into its mouth every day; the second week, give it two eggs, and increase the number u eekly, until it has had ■six daily, when it -will be found fat and fit to kill — not such half-starved meat as is usually sold as veal, but approaching in flavour to an English dairy-fed calf. If you do not ■choose to give it eggs, let the calf run to another cow, as the expense ■with a country •bred animal is very trifling. Calves may be reared upon skimmed milk as in Europe, but then the milk must not be allowed to stand more than a few hoiu's, otherwise it will get sour. At first the milk must be put into a vessel and the hand immersed in it, giving a finger for the calf to suck and (IraAv the milk up by ; or else put the milk into a leather bag, funnel-shaped, Avith a small opening for the calf to suck it out by ; this is the common native practice, but after a fcAv days, the calf ■nill di’ink it very readily from the vessel it is oflered in. In Europe chalk is placed in the pen where the calf is confined, for it to lick; this is done, not as is generally supposed to whiten the meat, but to correct the acidity of the milk.

The finest description of these animals to be Buffaloes, found throughout Hindostan are those along the banks of the Ganges, as well as in some parts of the Deccan about Jefferabad, Amarouttee, and Alahore, cast of Hingolie. The quantity of milk from the finest bred animals has been known to be equal to that of first rate English cows, being upwards of five gallons in the tAventy-four hours, but tliis is very uncommon. The average supply received from a good buffaloe, in full milk, may be about from six to eight seers, fi’om a common one seldom more than four; and, if not carefully attended to, they soon fall off even from that quantity. The milk of the buHaloc is extremely rich, and answers all domestic purposes, yielding a rich cream, butter, cheese, and ghee. In choosing a bulFaloe, select the fine dark black or light broAvn, Avith a good barrel, short legged, thin necked, flat and broad hind quarters and large open eyes. Their food consists generally of grass, hay, kirbcc, bran, oil-cake, cotton seed, &c. But when they have calved the best food to give them besides grass for the first week at milking time, is boiled jawaree and baujeroe, about one seer of each, with a table spoonfull of zeera. When brought home to be milked, cotton seed or oil-cake is given to them. They delight in water, and will not thrive unless they have a swamp or pond to waUow in. There roUing themselves, they work hollows, when immersed, deep enough to leave nothing but their horns, nostrils, and eyes above the water. When a bufialoe has calved the young one is immediately taken from her and brought up by hand; if a male, it is given away, being considered useless except for draft or to breed with. The males are very savage, and if taken out to the jungles with other cattle, will fight even the tiger ; should he ventiu’e to attack the herd, the female will also make the same resistance. The milk sells from eight to twenty seers the rupee, and ghee made from it with care may be considered one of the most useful of domestic articles, and 'will keep sweet and good for years.