Meer Hassan Ali, B.: Observations on the Mussulmauns of India: descriptive of their manners, customs, habits, and religious opinions ; made during a twelve years residence in their immediate Society (Band 2) (London, 1832)

24 FOOD OF HORSES.

able to a European. The halter is staked in
the ground, and the two hind legs have a rope
fastened to each ; this is also staked in the
ground behind. The ropes are left sufficiently
long to allow of the animal lying down at his
pleasure.

The food of horses is fresh grass, brought from
the jungles daily, by the grass-cutters, who are
kept solely for this purpose. In consequence
of these men having to walk a distance of four
or more miles before they reach the jungles, and
the difficulty of finding sufficient grass when
there, one man cannot procure more grass in a
day than will suffice for one horse; the con-
sequence is, that if a gentleman keep twenty
horses, there are forty men to attend them ;
viz. twenty grooms, and as many grass-cutters.
The grass of India, excepting only during the
rainy season, is burnt up by the heat of the sun,
in all exposed situations. In the jungles and
forests of mango-trees, wherever there is any
shade, the men search for grass, which is of a
different species to any I have seen in Europe,
called doob-grass, a dwarf creeper, common