Page:Once a Week Jul - Dec 1859.pdf/402

 Notch Bin  »,  1889.]  THE  YAKS  IN  FRANCE. 391

in fact  reading  the  sentence  of  death  of  many victims. Let it  be  remembered,  too,  that  the neuralgic, rheumatic  and  heart  diseases  thus brought on  are  of  a hereditary  character. The wearer of  crinoline  and  invisible  bonnets,  in  in- curring such diseases  herself,  renders  her  future children liable  to  them; and  the  children  now bitten by  the  wintry  winds,  if  they  live  to  be parents,  may  see  their  offspring  suffer  from  the ignorance and  vanity  of  their  own  mothers. It is universally  observed  that  certain  diseases  are becoming more  common  every  year — neuralgia  and heart disease,  as  well  as  the  throat  ailments  of which  we  hear  so  much. It would  be  a great benefit if  we  could  learn  how  much  of  the  form and the  increase  of  maladies  is  ascribable  to  our modes of  dress.

What is  to  be  done? Will anything  ever  be done? or is  feminine  wilfulness  and  slavishness  to fashion  to  kill  off  hundreds  and  thousands  of  the race, as  at  present? There are  whole  societies  in America  who  do  not  see  the  necessity  for  such mischief, and  who  hope  to  put  an  end  to  it — in their  own  country  at  least. The Dress-Reform Association of  the  United  States  was  instituted some years  since  by  women  who  refused  the  in- convenience of Paris  fashions  in  American  home- steads: and they  have  been  aided,  not  only  by physicians,  but  by  other  men,  on  the  ground  of the  right  of  women  to  wear  what  suits  their  occu- pations and their  taste,  without  molestation. The dress which  was  long  ago  agreed  upon,  after  care- ful consideration — the so-called  Bloomer  costume (not as  we  see  it  in  caricature,  but  in  its  near resemblance  to  the  most  rational  English  fashion of  recent  times) — is  extensively  worn,  not  only  in rural  districts,  but  in  many  towns. It seems  to fulfil  the  various  conditions  of  rational,  modest, and graceful  dress  better  than  any  other  as  yet devised for  temperate  climates; and  if  so,  it  will spread, in  spite  of  all  opposition.

What opposition  it  met  with  here  is  not  for- gotten, at home  or  abroad,  and  never  will  be forgotten. Some of  our  highest  philosophers  and best-bred gentlemen  were  more  indignant  and ashamed than  perhaps  anybody  else. They said that we  constantly  saw  Englishmen  angry  and scornful because  of  the  indignities  cast  by  Mussul- man bigotry on  the  dress  of  Europeans  in  Damas- cus and Jerusalem;  but  here  were  Englishmen doing the  same  thing,  without  equal  excuse,  when Englishwomen proposed  to  adapt  their  dress  to their  health,  convenience,  and  notions  of  grace. The aggressors  triumphed. They induced  outcast women to  adopt  the  dress,  and  stamped  it  with disrepute before  it  had  a chance  of  a trial. It was an  unmanly  act; and  if  those  who  were concerned in  it  have  since  suffered  from  the  extra- vagance of wife  and  daughters,  or  from  sickness and death  in  their  households  which  might  have been averted  by  a sensible  method  of  clothing  old and young,  they  have  had  their  retribution. Some of our  newspapers  are  rebuking  others  for  meddling with the  women’s  choice  of  fashions— quoting  the rebuke sustained  by  the  old  “Spectator  ” on  account of that  line  of  criticism: but  it  is  an  affair  which concerns both  sexes  and  all  ages. What hinders  a simple  obedience  to  common-sense  in  the  matter?

It is  only  for  the  women  of  those  classes  who  really have business  in  life  to  refuse  to  encumber  them- selves with tight,  or  heavy,  or  long,  or  unservice- able dress, and  to  adhere  to  any  mode  which  suits them; and then,  whatever  the  idle  and  fanciful may choose  to  do,  the  useless  mortality  will  be mainly  stopped,  and  the  general  health  prevented from sinking  lower. It may  be  confidently  avowed that in  this  way  only  can  women  win  back  some of the  respect  which  they  have  forfeited  by  the culpable absurdity  of  their  dress  within  the  last few seasons. From the  duchess  to  the  maid-ser- vant, the slaves  of  French  taste  have  lost  position; and it  will  require  a permanent  establishment  of some  leading  points  of  the  sense  and  morality  of dress  to  restore  their  full  dignity  to  the  matronage and maidenhood  of  England.

Harriet Martineau.

the household  goods  of  Warren  Hastings were sold  at  Daylesford,  there  was  found  a painting from nature  of  a Yak,  which  had  formerly  lived  in the  pretty  little  park  which  surrounds  the  house. This greatly  puzzled  the  squires,  who  thought  the animal a bad  beast,  without  points,  and  with nothing whatever  to  recommend  it  but  its  marvellous coat.

Our neighbours  in  France  have  taken  a very different view  of  the  qualities  of  the  yak,  and have been  vigorously  engaged,  since  1854,  in acclimatising  this  singular  race  of  cattle  in  the Basses Alpes,  in  Dauphing,  in  Auvergne,  and  at Paris.

So little  was  known  there  about  the  yak  in 1848,  that  M.  Isidore  Geoffroy  St. -Hilaire,  in  his report on  the  domestication  and  naturalisation  of useful  animals,  scarcely  ventured  to  think  of  the possibility of  bringing  it  to  Europe. Very soon after he  wrote,  however,  a female  yak  was  sent  via Calcutta, to  the  late  Lord  Derby,  and  she  was  still alive at  the  sale  of  the  Knowsley  collection,  after his death,  in  1851. There was  lively  bidding  for the yak; she  was  knocked  down  to  a dealer  at  a hundred  guineas,  and  very  soon  resold  for  two; scarcely was  the  bargain  struck  when  an  American party — whom the  astute  purchaser  number  two had descried  looming  in  the  distance— came  up, and offered  three! Too late! Purchaser num- ber one had  been  walked  round  even  at  two  hundred. No money  would  tempt  number  two,  and the poor  yak,  in  a few  weeks,  died  in  a caravan  in consequence  of  his  obstinacy.

Although the  Worcestershire  squires  did  not appreciate the  qualities  of  the  yak,  it  is  a first-rate animal in  point  of  usefulness,  and  in  the  elevated plateau of  its  native  Thibet  answers  better  than Short-horn or  Long-horn,  Ayrshire  or  Alderney.

The yak  yields  milk  and  makes  a superior  roast; the yak  supplies  good  material  for  cloth  and  shawls in its  woolly  undercoat;  the  yak  is  a beast  of burden,  and  drags  the  plough; the  yak  is  at need  a charger — Dr.  Hooker  was  captured  by  a division  of  yak-mounted  troopers  on  the  borders  of Sikkim. The yak  is  at  once  the  camel,  the  horse, and the  sheep  of  the  Thibetan; his  spoils  become the insignia  of  honour  in  some  countries,  and  the