Goats...Here and There

In some parts of Africa (past and present), a man's wealth was determined by the number of goats he owned.

In ancient Egypt, the Pharoah Cephrenes had over 2000 goats entombed with him.

"Two goats coming from opposite directions met on a very narrow bridge, which would not admit of either of them turning around, and in consequence of its great length they could not safely go backwards, there being no sure footing on account of its narrowness, while at the same time an impetuous torrent was rushing rapidly beneath.  Accordingly, one of the animals lay down flat, and the other walked over it." As written by Pliny, ancient Roman philosopher.

The first Nubians to appear in Europe were a gift to Napoleon III `from te King of Abyssinia  Actually, the goats accompanied a hippopotamus to supply it with fresh milk.

Christopher Columbus and Captain Cook were among the many explorers that carried milking goats on board their ships.

A group of Angoras was a gift to James A. Davis from the Turkish Sultan.  Davis had been sent to Turkey by President Polk.

Mahatma Gandhi, the famous leader of India, lived primarily on goat milk for more than thirty years.

Winston Churchill consumed and promoted goat milk.

"Goats are friendly.  You can talk with them.  A cow doesn't know what you are saying.  But these goats come up very quietly and brush against you, as if to say, Isn't life good?"  Carl Sandburg in reference to his wife's herd, Chickaming.

"Let them live in high altitudes, drink goat milk and take sun baths.  Hippocrates, the Father of Modern Medicine, gave this advice to tubercular patients.

"And thou shalt have goats' milk enough for thy food, an for the food of thy household, and for the maintenance of thy maidens." Proverbs 27:27.  The Holy Bible.

And Speaking of Goats...

Caper: to leap or skip about in a sprightly manner; prance, gambol (use of Latin word Caper, meaning he-goat).

Capeskin: A light, pliable leather made from lambskin or sheepskin and used especially of gloves. (Cape + skin - originally made from goatskin from the Cape of Good Hope).

Capri: An element meaning "goat" occurring in loan words from Latin :capricious" and used in the formation of compound words: Capric Acid: A white crystalline compound obtained by distilling coconut oil and used in the manufacture of perfumes and fruit flavors. Also a component in goat milk. Capriccicioso: In music, lively and free  Caprine: An impulsive change of mind.  Capricious: Impulsive and unpredictable. Capricorn: The tenth sign of the Zodiac, meaning "the goat". Capriloquisim:  In medicine, egophony, which is a modification of bronchophony, in which the voice has a bleating character, like that of a goat.

Capreolate: In biology, an adjective meaning having or like tendrils. From Latin capreolus, whild goat (suggesting horns).

Capriole: A leap or jump (French from Italian "capriola" "Leap of the goat".

Chevrotain: Any of several small, hornless ruminants (genera Hyemoschus and Tragulus) of central Africa and southeaster Asia. From French "chevrotin" which is from Old French,"chevrot" a kid, which is from "chevre" a goat, which is from Latin, "capra" (feminine of caper).

By the way, Khimaira (Ka my ra) is from ancient Greek, meaning "she-goat"!