The Early History of India, from 600 B.C. to the Muhammadan Conquest, including the Invasion of Alexander the Great c18.28

c18.28

² Aelian, Περὶ ζῴων ἰδιότητος, Bk. xiii, ch. 18 ; Bk. xv, ch. 15. Compare the Burmese incident : 'Walking out one day, I met a waggon drawn by four stout oxen going at a hand-gallop, and driven by a country girl standing up in her vehicle, who seemed to manage the reins and a long whip with equal dexterity' (Symes, *Embassy to Ava*, vol. i, p. 294, Constable). That girl could have taken part in a race. Modern Burma presents many illustrations of ancient India. Dr. Coomaraswamy informs me that 'bull-racing' is a 'very common pastime in Ceylon and creates immense excitement. The bulls are harnessed to the light cars called "hackeries"'. In 1679, when Dr. Fryer was at Surat, ox-races were still in favour (Fryer, *A New Account*, &c., Hakluyt Soc., 1915, vol. iii, pp. 157, 158).