w ■ X B[ natai' A«runt«^ ^-, Y \\\ ^jtttuwl l&mzhnte m*m yj/^cyfh^j^ Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2009 with funding from Boston Library Consortium Member Libraries http://www.archive.org/details/biographicalsket1830brow BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES AND AUTHENTIC ANECDOTES OF HORSES, AND THE ALLIED SPECIES. ILLUSTRATED BY PORTRAITS, ON STEEL, OF CELEBRATED AND REMARKABLE HORSES. BY CAPTAIN THOMAS BROWN, F.L.S. M.R.P.S. M.K.S. &C. AUTHOR OF " BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES, AND AUTHENTIC ANECDOTES OF DOGS," &C. EDINBURGH : DANIEL LIZARS, 5, ST DAVID STREET; WHITTAKER, TREACHER, k ARNOT, LONDON; AND W. CURRY, JUN. & CO. DUBLIN. MDCCCXXX. ENTERED IN STATIONERS' HALL. EDINBURGH : Printed bv Andrew Shortreep, Thistle Lane. JOHN BURNET, Esq. AUTHOR OF « PRACTICAL HINTS ON PAINTING, &c. &c. &c. My Dear Sir, Permit me to dedicate to you the following little work, in remembrance of the many happy hours we have spent together, in youth. I can hardly retrace a scene of that period, without asso- ciating with it a recollection of you, and of the regard which your genuine goodness of heart, and early developed genius inspired in me. My attach- ment is unabated, and my admiration of your high talents has increased with the splendour of those works which have placed you at the head of your profession as an artist. Your writings, which prove 8 DEDICATION. the depth of your knowledge, are eminently calcu- lated to promote the improvement of art in this country, and have gained you high reputation as an author. That you may long continue to enjoy the fruits of your well-earned fame, is the sincere wish of Your faithful friend, THOs. BROWN. Edinburgh, July, 1830. CONTENTS. Preface, . . . Introduction, . . • . Sketch of the Early History of the Horse, Modern History of the Horse, .... Historical Sketch of the Progress of Horses in Great Britain, Superstitious and Fabulous Notions of the Ancients and Moderns regarding the Horse, Historical Account of Hunting, Of British Forests, . . Terms and Phrases used in Hunting, Character of the Genus Equus, or the Horse, Specific Account of the Horse, SECTION I. OF ASIATIC HORSES, The Arabian Horse, The Persian Horse, The Tartar Horse, The Toorkoman Horse, The Calmuck Horse, The Turkish Horse, The East Indian Horse, The Chinese Horse, SECTION II. OF AFRICAN HORSES, The Barb, The Nubian Horse, ■ . The Dongola Horse, The Egyptian Horse, SECTION III. OF EUROPEAN HORSES, The Race Horse, .... Extraordinary Equestrian Feats of the Race Horse, Rules, &c. connected with Horse Racing, . Turf Abbreviations, Heads of the Statute respecting Horse Racing, The Hunter, ..... Extraordinary Equestrian Feats of the Hunter, The Hackney, or Roadster, Extraordinary Equestrian Feats of the Hackney, Page 13 15 17 36 63 95 110 137 141 144 147 166 ib. 198 203 210 213 216 224 232 233 ib. 247 249 250 253 ib. 276 293 303 304 307 333 348 368 10 CONTENTS. The Charger, .... The Coach Horse, Extraordinary Feats of the Carriage Horse, The Galloway, Extraordinary Equestrian Feats of the Galloway, The Highland Pony, The New Forest Ponies, The Exmoor Ponies, The Dartmoor Ponies, The Welsh Ponies, The Sheltie, Of Cart Horses in general, The Cleveland Bay Horse, The Clydesdale Horse, The Suffolk Punch Horse, The Dray Horse, The Farmer's Horse, The Spanish Horse, or Jennet, The Italian Horse, The Grecian Horse, The French Horse, The Swiss Horse, The German and Hungarian Horses, The Dutch Horse, The Swedish Horse, The Danish Horse, The Finland Horse, The Norwegian Horse, The Russian Horse, SECTION IV. OF AMERICAN HORSES, Horses of the United States of America, The Canadian Horse, Page SECTION V. OF ALLIED SPECIES, . The Dziggtai, Sketch of the Early History of the Ass, Specific Account of the Ass, Sketch of the Early History of the Mule, Particular Account of the Mule, The Mountain Zebra, The Zebra of the Plains, The Quagga, . . . . Terms used in describing a Horse, Description of the Skeleton of the Horse, Description of the Teeth of the Horse, Index, . CONTENTS. CONTENTS TO THE ANECDOTES. Page Marvellous Leap, 188 United Intrepidity, 242 Astley's Barb, 244 Forrester, the Famous Racer, 261 Mr Quin's Wicked Horse, 262 Canis versus Equus, ib. Juvenile Jockey, 284 Natural Love of Sport, 311 Dreadful Ferocity Manifested, 312 Extraordinary Flying Leap, 313 Nature Outwitted, ib. Le Cbeval Savant, 314 Extraordinary Presence of Mind, 315 A strange Medley, 316 Brutal Temerity, ib. A Caution to Young Sportsmen, 317 Jackoo Mounted, 318 Tenacity of Life, 319 Remarkable Fox Chase, ib. Horse Pumping Water, 320 A Dramatist, ib. Banks's Celebrated Horse, ib. Tbe Mysterious Hunter, 321 Sir William Windham, and the White Horse, 325 Extreme Docility and Caution, 327 Johnson and his Black Horse, 328 Extraordinary Incident, 329 Duke of Grafton, ib. Determined Revenge, 330 Recollection of Injury, ib. Tally Ho ! 331 Hunting Anecdote, ib. A Friend Protected, 332 A Blood-thirsty Colt, 333 An Equine Tragedian, 334 The Musical Hunter, ib. Noble Sensibility, S86 Determined Guardian, 337 A Convenient Roadster, 352 Page Extraordinary Effects of Alarm, 353 An Affectionate Colt, 354 Effects of Rage, ib. Wonderful Escape, 355 Lambert's Leap, ib. Withington's Fall, 356 Great Leap, ib. Foraging, ib. Old Habits, 357 Great Trotting, 358 Retentive Memory of a Horse, 359' Memory Manifested, ib. Equine Geographer, 360 Don, 361 Dr Smith's Hackney, 362 Singular Association, 364 Sociality of the Horse, 365 Sagacious Solicitude, ib. A Horse Saves his Master's Life, 366 A Secret Plunderer, 367 Riding Perpendicular, 369 An Extraordinary Traveller, 380 The Force of Habit, 398 A Pleasing Recollection, ib. A Knowing Campaigner, 399 Lord Herbert's Great Horse, 40O King George the Third's Adonis, 401 The Cast Dragoon Horse, 402 Distressing Event, 403 Lord Douglass's Charger, ib. Lieutenant Roberts' Charger, 404 The Word of Command, 406 A Horse Presented, ib. Attachment of Pony and Lamb, 420 Remembers his Old Haunts, 430 Sagacity and Stanchness, 435 Sagacious Solicitude, 436 Great Feat, 441 The Aggressor Punished, ib. [2 CONTENTS. Page Saves a Child from Drowning, 441 A Horse Carried by his Rider, 442 Remembers his Physician, 450 Extraordinary Feat of a Draught Horse, 452 Punctual to his Duty, 458 Proof of Memory, 454 Unaccountable Change of Temper, 463 Terra Firma Preferred, 464 Astley's Spanish Horse, 465 Caligula, 466 Italian Racing, 467 Sybarite Horses, 474 Alexander's Horse, 475 Doing Reverence, 478 Assisting the Aged, ib. The Conjuror, ib. A Wise Manoeuvre, 493 A Gallant Horse, 495 General Kosciusko's Horse, 496 Page Bavarian Chargers, 497 Sagacity and Fidelity, ib. A Proof of Reasoning, 504 Dread of Serpents, 509 Marvellous Exertion, 513 Melancholy Effects of Revenge, 514 ASS. Great Performance, 545 Descending the Alps, 546 The Expert Water Drawer, 547 Dancing Ass, ib. An Ass Cast Away, 549 Race betwixt an Ass and Bull, ib. Salutary Punishment, 550 A Rabid Ass, ib. Extreme Timidity, 551 A Musical Ass. ib. The Old Man and Ass. 552 DIRECTIONS TO THE BINDER. late I. To face page 188 II. To face page . 263 III. To face page . 351 IV. To face page . 437 V. To face page . 535 VI. To face page 567 VII. To face page . 517 VIII. To face page . 573 IX. To face page . 574 PREFACE. The favourable reception which my " Biographical Sketches and Authentic Anecdotes of Dogs" met with from the public, and nearly the whole perio- dical press of the United Kingdom, encouraged me to undertake the present work, deeming it an ap- propriate companion — as the Horse and Dog are animals from which mankind derive the greatest benefit and pleasure. Although many excellent treatises have appeared on the horse, yet they have been deficient in anec- dote, from which the true character of the animal can be gathered. In the following pages an attempt is made to remedy that defect. I have endeavoured to collect the opinions and accounts of the older classics and historians, for the early history of the horse, and have traced his pro- gress pretty fully through the middle ages, down to the present time. An account is given of upwards of forty of the most celebrated Arabian and Turkish horses, and 14 PREFACE. Barbs, which have been introduced at various times into Great Britain ; as well as the pedigrees and principal performances of our most famed racers, of the last and the present century ; with upwards of two hundred and twenty anecdotes, and equestrian feats. At the end I have introduced a figure of the horse, with the technical names of his various ex- ternal parts, and the skeleton, to illustrate the names of the bones ; and I have given a plate of teeth to exhibit the progressive changes they undergo, from the birth of the animal till he reaches his sixteenth year. The illustrations are engraved on steel, by Mr W. H. Lizars, some of them from original portraits of the most remarkable horses, and the others from paintings done expressly for the work, by Mr Alex- ander Forbes, of Edinburgh, an animal painter of much merit. The few technical terms which were indispensable in my descriptions of the horse, will be easily under- stood, by a reference to Plate VIII. ; and I have taken care to introduce no expressions throughout the work which can offend the most delicate ear. INTRODUCTION. Plutarch says, a good man will take care of his horses and dogs, not only while they are useful to him, but also after age renders them unfit for service. A beautiful illustration of this benevolent maxim is recorded of the Athenians, who, when they had finished building the Hecatompedon, set at liberty the animals employed in its erection. It is related, that one of these, at the head of his fellow-labourers, some time after the completion of the temple, led the way to the citadel, which so highly pleased the people, that a decree was made by the senate, enacting, that these faithful and willing servants should be kept the remainder of their lives at the public expense. Near the tomb of Cimon were placed the graves of the mares who bore him, on three several occa- sions, victorious, at the Olympic games. Every humane mind must shudder at the brutal treatment to which that noble and generous animal, the horse, is but too frequently exposed in Europe. The ass, also, a beast of great sagacity and gentle- ness, is almost invariably treated with savage bar- barity. Let those unfeeling and unprincipled 16 INTRODUCTION. wretches look to the mutual love that subsists between the Arab and his steed, and the kindness manifested by the people of eastern nations to their asses and mules, and the benefits they derive from such a mode of treatment. If no other principle will awaken their kindly feelings, surely that of self- interest should stimulate them to adopt gentler measures. The first breaking .of the horse should only be intrusted to persons of mild dispositions ; as it is by kind and patient treatment alone, that we can hope to succeed in rendering this valuable animal truly useful and docile ; for, although force may produce obedience, it will be found, as with man himself, that, so soon as fear is removed, and the animal has discovered its own strength, revenge will generally follow. I have no doubt, but in nine cases out of ten, where horses betray furious or stubborn tem- pers, that these have been produced from the cruelty or ignorance of their first trainers. The horse is an animal of great intelligence, but every thing addressed to his perceptions should be clear, short, and distinct, for he is incapable of following a train of spoken language. Few words, delivered with precision, accompanied by caresses and gentle treatment, will be found more effectual than any other course. BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES AUTHENTIC ANECDOTES HORSES. SKETCH OF THE EARLY HISTORY OF THE HORSE. The domestication of the horse may be regarded as one of the most important acquisitions made by man from the animal kingdom. Without this useful quadruped, civilization must have made comparatively but little progress, and we should have been later, by several centuries, in emerging from barbarism. The horse contributes largely to our luxuries, pleasures, and service ; he facilitates and lessens the labours of the field ; he transports burdens, and man himself, to the most distant parts, with certainty, celerity, and ease ; he is ever the faithful and obedient servant of his master. His form and sagacity have been most admi- rably adapted for our use, by Him, whose wisdom and power are infinite ; he is fitted, in an eminent degree, to supply a most important place in the scale of being ; in the words of Stillingfleet, he A I 18 EARLY HISTORY " holds a rank Important in the plan of Him, who framed This scale of beings ; holds a rank, which, lost, Would break the chain, and leave behind a gap Which Nature's self would rue." The horse is formed with such a pliability of physical structure and constitution, that man may mould him to the form or bulk best fitted for the particular service in which he is to be employed. Whether we contem- plate the powerful and symmetrical structure of his frame ; the elegance of his limbs, evincing strength and speed in their movements ; the delicacy and glossy sleekness of his skin ; his large and sparkling eyes, which either beam with mild intelligence, or flash with energetic fire ; or the docility and tractability of his disposition ; we cannot fail to regard him as one of the noblest works of creation. In addition to these qualities, he is possessed of the most intrepid courage, and the greatest generosity of disposition ; he has been, from the most remote ages, the bearer of man in the field of carnage, where he fearlessly meets every danger : the most appalling discharges of musketry, and the thunder of a cannonading, he faces with a fortitude as dauntless as that of his rider, and seems even to enter into the spirit of the attack. This has been his character in all ages, for he is spoken of by Job in the following powerful language, where God is introduced as setting forth the great works of his creation ; from which, it would seem that the horse was expressly formed for the day of battle ; for, says he, " Hast thou given the horse strength? hast thou clothed his neck with thunder? canst thou make him afraid as a grasshopper? The OF THE HORSE. 19 glory of his nostrils is terrible : he paweth in the valley, and rejoiceth in his strength : he goeth on to meet the armed men. He mocketh at fear, and is not affrighted ; neither turneth he back from the sword. The quiver rattleth against him, the glittering spear and shield. He swalloweth the ground with fierceness and rage, neither believeth he that it is the sound of the trumpet. He saith among the trumpets, Ha, ha ! and he smelleth the battle afar off, the thunder of the captains, and the shouting. "* * I am indebted to the Rev. Dr Scot, for the following translation of this passage, which he conceives has been incorrectly rendered in the common Bible : — " The war-horse," says he, " is described in the book of Job, one of the oldest in the world, and, few will deny, one of the best ever written. This we shall present to the reader, premising that we have amended the common translation, where it seemed erroneous, but trusting that no injury has been done to the original. " ' Hast thou given spirit to the horse ? Hast thou clothed his neck with a mane ? Canst thou make him bound as a locust ? The majesty of his snorting is terrible. He paweth in the valleys and exulteth ; he goeth on to meet the armed men. He mocketh at fear, and trembleth not ; nor turneth he back from the sword. Against him rattleth the quiver, the glittering spear and shield. He devours the ground with fierceness and rage, and is impatient when the trumpet soundeth. He uttereth among the trumpets, Ha ! ha ! He smelleth the battle afar off, the thunder of the captains, and the shouting.' " Among the early Hebrews, there were either no horses, or they were very rare. They did not need them for the draught, as they were shepherds, and not husbandmen ; and if they had occasion to ride, they had recourse to asses, and latterly mules. " The case was nearly the same' among the early Arabs. At least we hear little of their horses in the Bible ; and this silence is an argument, that the book of Job, which describes the horse, was written at a later period than is commonly supposed." 20 EARLY HISTORY From the Bible it would appear, that man first domes- ticated those animals which supplied him with food ; hence we first hear of the ox, the goat, and the sheep. The camel and ass seem next to have attracted his attention, and to have been used as beasts of burden. The period at which the horse was first domesticated is now lost in the cloud of antiquity. He is mentioned by the oldest writers, and in all probability, his sub- jugation has been nearly coeval with the earliest state of society. From the Scriptures we learn, that 1702 years before the Christian era, horses were used ; for, in the 47th chapter of Genesis, verse 17, it is said, " And Joseph gave them (the Egyptains) bread in exchange for horses." Again, in the 50th chapter of the same book, 1689 years before Christ, it is said, " And there went up with him (Joseph) both chariots and horsemen ; and it was a very great company." These are the first instances of horses being mentioned in Holy Writ ; and from what we read in the earlier chapters of Genesis, it seems very probable, that the horse was unknown to the Hebrews and Egyptians before that period ; for, in the 12th chapter of that book, it is said, " And he (Abram) had sheep, and oxen, and men-servants, and maid-servants, and she-asses, and camels," but no mention is made of horses. This was 1920 years before the birth of our Saviour. It would, therefore, appear, that horses were first introduced into Egypt a short time before the year 1702 a. c. but from whence we are not informed; and they seem to have propagated and increased in Canaan with great rapidity; for, in the 11th chapter of Joshua, and 4th verse, we are told, " They (certain OF THE HORSE. 21 kings opposed to Joshua) went out, they and all their hosts with them, much people, even as the sand that is upon the sea-shore in multitude, with horses and chariots very many." This was 1450 years before the Christian era. It is mentioned in Deuteronomy, chapter xvii, verse 16, " But (whoever shall be king of Israel) shall not multiply horses to himself, nor cause the people to return to Egypt, to the end that he should multiply horses." Which proves that Egypt, at that time, was the great place for breeding horses. The Scriptures, therefore, clear up the point, to within a few years, as to the time when horses were introduced into Egypt, at that period certainly the most civilized country in the world. Greece, which in after times was destined to be so distinguished for philosophy and arts, slumbered then as a barren and unpeopled waste. Assyria, the most ancient empire, which is highly celebrated in the Bible for its horses, seems, from all accounts, to have obtained them from Armenia, Media, and Persia. The natives of Canaan are spoken of, in Judges, as having used horses in battle, but no mention is made of the Israelites having done so. This people, when at war, made their stronghold among the mountains, so that horses could be of little use to them. This was about 1250 years before Christ. When Saul was chosen king of Israel, 1095 years A. c. he led the armies of that kingdom against the tribes of Arabia, but they had not at that time begun to breed horses ; for we find his plunder consisted only of camels, oxen, sheep, and asses, 22 EARLY HISTORY David, second king of Israel, 1048 years a. c. justly celebrated for his prowess and skill in the art of war, and who was from his youth engaged in perpetual feuds with the tribes by which Israel was surrounded, had cavalry under his command ; but in this force his enemies greatly exceeded him : and, it would appear, he did not consider them of very great consequence ; for, in his defeat of the Syrians, where all their war- chariots, which were drawn by horses, fell into his hands, and with them three hundred of these animals, he reserved only one hundred for his own use, and hamstrung the rest. The first breaking of the horse for riding is attributed by some authors to the Lapithae, and is spoken of by Virgil in his third Georgic, thus translated by Dryden, line 177 : — " Bold Erichthonius was the first who join'd Four horses for the rapid race design'd, And o'er the dusty wheels presiding sat : The Lapithae to chariots add the state Of bits and bridles ; taught the steed to bound. To run the ring, and trace the mazy round, To stop, to fly, the rides of war to know, T' obey the rider, and to dare the foe." Authors are, however, much divided as to the period when men first began to mount horses for the purpose of riding. From the writings of Homer we learn, that, long before his time, the horse was used to the saddle. He is said to have flourished about 168 years after the Trojan war, or, according to others, 160 years before the foundation of Rome. Paterculus says, he lived 968 years before the Christian era, and Herodotus, 884 OF THE HORSE. 2S years, and cotemporary with Hesiod, Homer, in a metaphor, in the fifteenth book of the Iliad, compares the strength of Ajax, flying from ship to ship, to that of a horseman on a strong steed, which is thus expressed in Pope's translation: — " Nor fights, like others, fix'd to certain stands, But looks a moving tower above the bands ; High on the decks, with vast gigantic stride, The godlike hero stalks from side to side. So, when a horseman, from the watery mead ( Skill'd in the manage of the bounding steed) Drives four fair coursers, practised to obey, To some great city, through the public way ; Safe in his art, as side by side they run, He shifts his seat, and vaults from one to one ; And now to this, and now to that he flies ; Admiring numbers follow with their eyes." Strabo asserts, that the Medes, Persians, and Arme- nians, were the first that invented the art of riding and shooting. Polydorus ascribes it to Bellerophon ; Lysias, the orator, to the Amazonian women. But be this as it may, we find, from the ancient historians and poets, that riding must have been early cultivated as an art ; and those who excelled in it attracted the attention of the greatest men of antiquity. Among the names of celebrated horsemen in ancient times, we find, Autome- don, servant of Achilles ; Idaeus, servant to Pardimus ; Metiocus, servant to Turnus, a king of Rutuli ; Myrti- lus, servant to Oenomaus, a son of Mars ; Ceberes, servant to Darius, the noble satrap of Persia ; and Anniceris, servant to Cyraneus. It appears to have been after the use of horses for 24 EARLY HISTORY riding, that the term courser was employed, which is now in general use for all eastern horses. I think it indisputable, that horses were not used for riding till long after the time they were harnessed in war-chariots. Sir Gore Ouseley mentions, in his travels through Persia and various countries of the East, that he examined all the relics of antiquity, and amongst others the fine sculptures on the ruins of Persepolis, from which he drew a conclusion, at once interesting, and in some measure confirmatory of the opinion above noticed, that the horse has been gradually subdued. He says, " There are no figures mounted on horse- back, although some travellers have mentioned horsemen among those sculptures. One would think, that the simple act of mounting on a horse's back would naturally have preceded the use of wheel carriages, and their complicated harness ; yet no horsemen are found at Persepolis ; and we know Homer's horses are repre- sented in chariots, from which the warriors sometimes descended to combat on foot; but the poet has not described them as fighting on horseback. The absence of mounted figures might authorize an opinion, that these sculptures had been executed before the time of Cyrus, whose precepts and example first inspired the Persians with a love of equestrian exercises, of which, before his time, they were totally ignorant." It is a generally received, although erroneous opinion, that Arabia was the native country of the horse ; but this we find not to be the case, from what is stated in 2 Chronicles, chap, ix., which informs us that King Solomon obtained gold and silver from that country ; and in the 28th verse, that " they brought unto Solo- OF THE HORSE. 25 mon horses out of Egypt, and out of all lands." Now, had they originally come from Arabia, it is probable that country would have been here expressly men- tioned. Even so late as the seventh century of the Christian era, when the prophet Mahomet attacked the Koreish, not far from Mecca, he had only two horses in his train ; and although, in the plunder of this horrible campaign, he carried with him in his retreat twenty-four thousand camels, forty thousand sheep, and twenty-four thousand ounces of silver, there is no mention of horses being part of the booty. We are informed that the Arabians had but few horses, and those not at all valued ; so that Arabia, where are now the most celebrated coursers in the world, is comparatively of modern date as a breeding country. In the second century, horses were exported from Egypt to Arabia, as presents to various of their kings ; and there can be little doubt that their finest horses were originally the produce of Egypt, whence they were also exported to Ethiopia, India, Persia, Parthia, Armenia, Scythia, &c. Solomon is said to have had " four thousand stalls for horses and chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen." The price of an Egyptian horse in those days was one hundred and fifty shekels of silver, which amounts to about seventeen pounds two shillings sterling; a very large sum at that remote period. Solomon's suite of stables seems to have been magni- ficent. He kept horses both for pomp and gain. His stud, even in our own times, is unequalled : It was supplied to him from two sources. Part of the revenues of his kingdom were appropriated to the 26 EARLY HISTORY purchase of steeds ; and the surrounding princes gave him many in presents. He obtained numbers from Egypt, which then abounded in horses ; but I think it more than probable, that the Egyptians obtained their best steeds from the south, as the local situation of that country was but ill adapted to preserve them in perfection. This monarch, as well as several of his successors, obtained coursers from Togarmah, now understood to be the modern Cappadocia, or the lands which border the south-east of the Euxine Sea. In that tract of country, and all Natolia, the value and uses of the horse were early known, and every means were employed to improve and preserve the breed ; as that country was, in these early times, the seat of several flourishing and powerful kingdoms. * Left only to conjecture, we can but suppose, from a combination of circumstances, that Asia was the origi- nal country of the horse ; for there he is found, to the * Dr Scot says, " From whatever quarter Solomon got horses, he is said to have built for their accommodation four hundred stables, and forty thousand stalls. By stalls undoubtedly is to be understood cribs, or stances, for a single horse, all of which it was not necessary to fill. We are prompted to adopt this meaning of the word, when we find it added he had only twelve thousand horsemen. " We allow that there is some controversy among scholars about the exact numbers of the stalls, and we dare not say that no mistake has been introduced into the text. The probability indeed is very great, that the most ancient and authentic copies of the text are corrupted. We should conceive that four thousand was a large number. This indeed is stated to be the number in 2 Chronicles, chapter ix. verse 25th, and even the parallel passage in 1 Kings, chapter iv. verse 26th, commonly translated forty thousand, will bear to be so interpreted." OF THE HORSE. 27 present day, roving in unrestrained freedom: and we are without any historical record of his having been introduced by man into those extensive wilds. One thing is quite certain, that he was not found either in America or New Holland, at the original discovery of these continents. The great tracts of desert country around the Sea of Arel, and the Caspian Sea, have been supposed to be the native residence of the horse ; but, if this conjecture be correct, he must have widely extended his geographical range, for he is found in a wild state in Asia, as far north as the sixtieth degree, and to the utmost southern extremes of that vast con- tinent, and also in many parts of Africa ; but we must suppose, that those of the former country emigrated as the species multiplied. The Sybarites, a powerful people, who flourished about five hundred and fifty years before the Christian era, had a fine breed of horses, and their cavalry was numerous. Caelius tells us that this people became extremely licentious, and taught their horses to dance to the sound of pipes, at their common feasts. The Sybarites went to war with the town of Cretona, and were ultimately subdued and annihilated by the Creto- niats, who, at the onset, ordered a number of pipers and minstrels to play, which caused all the Sybarite horses to dance among their adversaries, so that they became an easy conquest. This happened five hundred and eight years before Christ. The Amazons, a nation of famous women, who flou- rished about five hundred years before Christ, and who founded an extensive empire in Asia Minor, were cele- brated equestrians, and had a fine breed of horses. 26 EARLY HISTORY Herodotus, who wrote in the fifth century before our Saviour, informs us, that the Ethiopians had a good breed of horses, and that they were even equestrians. The same author tells us, that the Indians were accus- tomed to the use of horses from very remote periods ; and that the soldiers of that country, who attended Xerxes in his celebrated march against the Grecians, fought on horseback, besides using war-chariots. The same author says, that the ancient Persian horses were famous for their beauty, vigour, fire, and other qualities, and so celebrated on account of their speed, that the name of a horse, in that country, is Asbaca, or wind-foot, a term very expressive of the great speed of the coursers. So essential did that people consider the accomplishment of riding, that they taught their children to mount a horse at five years of age. We are informed by Vegetius, a writer who flourished three hundred and eighty-six years before Christ, that the horses of Persia were famous on account of their excel- lence for the saddle, being very sure-footed, extremely gentle, and easy and graceful in their motion, which was something between a gallop and an amble ; and to those who cultivated the best breed, they proved a great source of emolument : they were not, however, able to stand the fatigues of a long journey. Xenophon, a celebrated Athenian general, historian, and philosopher, who lived in the fourth century before Christ, considered it necessary to teach all the war- horses to swim, rear, kick, and bite, at the will of their riders ; which practice prevailed amongst other nations in those times. This general led the Greek army, while eluding the sudden attacks of the numerous Persians, across the most rapid rivers in safety ; he OF THE HORSE. 20 penetrated through vast deserts, and ascended the steepest mountains, to refresh and secure for a while his tired companions. The Huns were a powerful people about three hundred years before Christ. Their cavalry frequently consisted of two or three hundred thousand ; formidable by the matchless dexterity with which they managed their bows and their horses, by their hardy patience in sup- porting the inclemency of the weather, and by the incredible speed of their marches, seldom checked by torrents or precipices, by the deepest rivers, or the most lofty mountains. They spread themselves over the face of the country, and, notwithstanding the elaborate tactics of the Chinese, directed in their operations by Kaoti, whose merit had raised him to the throne, were constrained to surrender to the victorious arms of the barbarians in the year 201 before the Christian era. The Huns are represented as the most savage and cruel of all the barbarous nations. Their cheeks were mangled, and their countenances distorted, in their ear- liest infancy, with a view of striking terror into their enemies, in their maturer age. They lived in the open air, without houses, or even huts, subsisting upon roots and raw meat ; and inured themselves, in the woods and on the mountains which they inhabited, to every kind of privation and hardship. They were ac- customed to eat and sleep on horseback, scarcely ever dismounting. The Parthians, about two hundred and fifty years before the Christian era, are said to have managed horses with great skill, and were celebrated for their manner of fighting on them. When they happened to be dis- 30 EARLY HISTORY comfited by their enemies, such was their dexterity, that they would turn round in the saddle during the most rapid retreat, discharge their arrows at their pursuers, and then resume their proper seat. The poets who men- tion this, say that their flight was more destructive than their attacks. This mode of fighting, and the astonishing address and dexterity with which it was performed, gave them many advantages over their enemies. The very name of this country is expressive of their fame as riders, " Parthos," signifying horsemen in the Chaldee language. Their horses were active, and of an easy pace, owing, in a great measure, to the trouble bestowed by that people in training them. They were also very hardy, capable of undergoing much fatigue, and of travelling a great distance without either food or water. Propertius thus alludes to them*: — Quot sine aqua Parthus millia currat equus. How many miles can run the Parthian horse, Nor quench his thirst in the fatiguing course. Caelius informs us, that the Parthian horses had all light-coloured eyes, and one eye generally different from the other ; from which they were termed Heteroph Shalmoi. Bucephalus, the celebrated horse of Alex- ander the Great, is said to have had such eyes. The Armenians had a breed of horses which were equal to those of the Parthians. Herodotus speaks in high terms of the Nisaean horse, as remarkable for its great stature, which, he says, was as much larger than the Indian horse, as the elephant was that of the * Lib. iv. Eleg. 3. OF THE HORSE. 31 Nisaean horse ; but I apprehend this is rather figurative. The chariot of Xerxes was drawn by eight steeds of this kind in his expedition against Greece. Vegetius says, the inhabitants of Parthia paid great attention to the trimming and adjusting of their coursers' manes. The Medes and Scythians were also proverbial for the fine race of horses they possessed ; and it was accounted for on the supposition, that the local situation of these countries was favourable to the breeding and health of the horse. The people of the latter country pre- ferred mares to horses, and considered them more serviceable in war. The Sarmatians both of Asia and Europe, were cele- brated equestrians, and possessed very large and excel- lent horses. They were in the practice of eating horse flesh, and drinking the blood, mixed with the milk of sheep, as noticed by Virgil, in his third Georgic — - The inhabitants of Thracia's hilly ground, And Gelons, use it, when for drink and food They mix their curdled milk with horses' blood. Pliny informs us, that that people, when they in- tended to perform long journeys, gave their horses no food, and little drink, on the previous day, and that they would travel one hundred and fifty miles on a stretch. They were considered excellent war-steeds. The horses of Cappadocia have been much com- mended, both by historians and poets, from the earliest ages, on account of their stately figures and graceful movements. The Numidians and Nasamonians, Mauritanians, Mas- sylians, and Libyans, are celebrated for their manner of 32 EARLY HISTORY riding horses, without either saddle or bridle, and with a switch alone to command and guide them. About a hundred and seventy years before the birth of Christ, Masinissa, king of a small part of Africa, had a numerous cavalry ; he became an ally of Rome, joined the army of Scipio ; and by his exertions, contributed greatly to the overthrow of Asdrubal and Syphax. He was known, even at the advanced age of above ninety years, to remain at the head of his army, for many successive days, on horseback, with no saddle under him, or covering over his head, without shewing the least mark of fatigue. These horses were said to have possessed great beauty, swiftness, courage, and strength : from this breed the Barb has descended. These steeds were highly prized in the earliest ages ; and we find them much commended by Xenophon, Oppian, and iElian. They are still held in high estimation ; and the pea- santry of those countries continue to practise the same mode of governing their horses. Livy informs us, that the Numidians are said to have taken two horses to the field for every man, and, in the middle of the hottest conflict, would leap from the weary horse to the fresh one ; thus evincing great dexterity in the rider, and tractability in the animals. The Libyan horses, although possessing great action, were neglected by their masters ; for, after a long journey, they were neither rubbed down, bedded, nor fed, but turned loose to shift for themselves ; so that these fine animals were miserable spectacles, being exceedingly lean and dirty. But it could hardly be expected that an indolent people like the Libyans, who- OF THE HORSE. 33 neglected their own persons, and every earthly comfort, were likely to give requisite attention to their horses. The colonists, who emigrated from Egypt and Phoenicia into Greece, carried with them the horse, and introduced equitation into these states, long before the siege of Troy. The horses of Thessaly were also famous, and highly valued by the surrounding nations. Historians inform us, that Xerxes waged war with the Thessalians, for the express purpose of trying the mettle of his horses against theirs ; from whence the proverb arose, " Decernatur equa Thessalia, — Let the horses of Thessaly be tried in battle." The Thracian horses are said, by Volatteran, to have been in ancient times ill-shaped, with large shoulders, and rough all over their bodies, * the hair being long and frizzled. Horses of this breed are still to be met with among the Cossack hordes. Subsequently, the whole Grecian states became celebrated, not only on account of their excellent horses, but also for their superior skill in the management of this noble animal. The Romans acquired the art of horsemanship from the Grecians, and they cultivated it with such zeal and assiduity, that they soon rivalled their teachers. This aspiring people soon discovered the great utility of cavalry, and the steed became with them an object of the highest interest and care. Caligula, one of their emperors, of cruel and dissipated habits, carried his * It is a horse of this kind which is stuffed in the museum of the Jardin du Roi, at Paris. It is white, with long crisped hair, and was brought thither by the Cossack troops, after the battle of Waterloo. B 2 34 EARLY HISTORY attachment to horses to such an extravagant height, that he treated a favourite one, callecTSwift, with more affection than any of his subjects. He once invited him to supper with himself; he caused his provender to be set before him in vessels of gold ; he gave him wine to drink from goblets of the same metal; and swore by his health and fortune. This horse was made high-priest and consul ; he was kept in marble apart- ments, and adorned with the most valuable trappings and pearls which the Roman empire could furnish, and treated with various other marks of respect. Verus, another profligate emperor of Rome, had such an ardent fond- ness for a horse, that the animal had a statue of gold ; he was fed with almonds and rasins by the hand of the emperor ; he was clad in purple, and kept in the most splendid of the halls of the palace. When he died, the emperor, to express his sorrow, raised to his memory a most magnificent monument on Mount Vatican. Oppian extols the Etrurian breed. Those of the islands in the Mediterranean were highly prized, more especially the Sardinian and Corsican steeds ; after- wards, horses of Venice and Agragas in Sicily were in great repute. Colpe and Tartessus in Spain became, in their turn, celebrated. Austria and Boetica, now called Andalusia, acquired high celebrity, which they still preserve. The ancients had a practice of impressing some mark on their horses ; the most general were 2, sigma, K, kappa, and the head of a bullock ; and, distinguishing them by these marks, they were called 2a/x£o£a/, Kar-raT/ai/, and Bovzzprj'koi, Bucephali. Some authors have supposed that the celebrated OF THE HORSE. 35 horse of Alexander the Great, derived his name from having impressed on him a bull's head ; but we are informed by Aulus Gellius,* that the appellation was derived from the resemblance of his head to that of a bull. The practice of distinguishing horses by marks, was also followed by the Greeks and Romans, who impressed on them the initials of their owners' names. Such is the account of the horse, as far as we can trace it from antiquity, and we shall now proceed to consider his modern history. * Lib. v. cap. 2. S6 MODERN HISTORY MODERN HISTORY OF THE HORSE. We have seen that no certain trace can be had of the original country of the horse. I can, therefore, only describe him as he is found at the present day, in the extensive plains of Asia and Africa, where he has been known to inhabit the deserts, in a free condition, for many centuries. It is supposed by some writers, that there were origin- ally two distinct species of horses, namely, the southern and the northern breeds ; the former from the eastern deserts, and the latter from the low lands of Europe, To this opinion, I can by no means assent. Although these two breeds differ considerably both in bulk and general appearance, yet no specific distinction can be discovered, as they are precisely the same in their anatomical construction. Besides, they procreate indis- criminately, and their progeny are not hybrids, having the power of continuing their race, which is sufficient to convince us that they are but one species, altered by local circumstances. It is not in size, disproportion, or length of hair, that a specific difference depends, but upon some more distinct and obvious character. I have elsewhere shewn that dogs, in all their varied forms, from OF THE HORSE. S7 " Indus to the Pole," are but modifications of one species. The dog is infinitely more diversified in external character than the horse, and varies much more with what is considered its parent stock, Malte-Brun is of opinion, that there were on the old continent, at least three original races of horses. The first, he supposes to have come from Great Bucharia, Persia, or Asia Minor : The second, the Mongolian, or Scythian breed ; distinguished, as he says, by their dwarfish size ; and appears to have originated in the steppes of Kirguises : The third, the Arabian courser.* The varieties exhibited in these different kinds, are attributable to climate alone. It seems almost certain, that there are no wild horses in Arabia ; and Mr Bruce says, he never heard any person of veracity assert they had seen them. From all that we read in the various travels in Asia and Africa, as well as other countries, it is evident, that the horses of almost every nation vary in a material degree from each other, both in external form and qualities. And we see what is the case in our own island, the small extent of which admits of but little variety of climate. In districts not far from each other, we find breeds differing as much, nay even more, than the Arabian and ordinary European horse. * Malte-Brun, in describing his third race, says, " History- proves, that the Romans, Saxons, and Danes, by introducing into Britain the various races of their respective countries, laid the foundation of the English breed." This may have tended to improve it ; but we are assured by historians, that the Romans, on landing in Britain, found the people ready to oppose them with war-chariots, drawn by horses. 88 MODERN HISTORY For these extremes, I may refer to the large Clydesdale breed, and the sheltie of Mull, and other islands of Scotland. Horses of the European races, which have not been improved by eastern blood, are very different indeed from the Asiatic courser, not only in form, but also in the texture and shape of their bones, which are usually round and porous, with thick joints. Their heads are fleshy and clumsy ; their jaws ill-shaped ; their bodies large and bulky ; their bellies slack ; their chests fleshy ; their legs thick, swelled, and liable to various diseases, their tendons relaxed, the texture of their hair coarse and long, and their hides thick and spongy. The general proportions, also, are not nearly so regular as those of the eastern breeds. These differences unquestionably arise from the nature of their food, which, in most parts of Europe, is ill adapted to the nature and construction of their digestive organs. From this cause their consti- tution is debilitated, and in consequence their move- ments are rendered sluggish and ungraceful, and their fine natural ardour and spirit damped ; so that they are in a manner stupid, and more vicious in their dispositions. On the other hand, we find that it is in the dry pastures of Arabia, Persia, Tartary, &c, that the horse is to be found, possessing superior strength and action, and that intelligence, spirit, and generous disposition, for which he is prized by every nation. The plains of Arabia and Persia, seem peculiarly fitted for the consti- tution of the horse, being sufficiently elevated above the level of the sea to render the pasture dry, aromatic, and wholesome, free from those saline particles which, it is true, give lustre to the fur. But, at the same time, this OF THE HORSE. 39 aridity makes it difficult for the horse to become habituated to any other country, whose climate may be essentially different, without undergoing some change in his form, and lessening those qualities for which he is chiefly valued. We need only mention as a proof of this fact, that the horses in the Northern Crimea, the country bounded by the Volga, and the Kuraa, the Black Sea, and the Don, seldom thrive until they have pastured a year at least in Volognea, Podolea, or the Ukraine. Arabia, being sufficiently above the level of the sea, and having a surface composed of sand, mixed with a portion of vegetable mould, (a circumstance favourable to pasture ground), and the plains of Persia, situated still higher above the ocean, and consisting of a deposit of alluvial soil, resting on granite, are naturally dry, and by means of their heat attract moisture from the horse. On the other hand, the aromatic vegetation, which is there strong and succulent, drives from him those humours, the exudation of which is favoured by the imperceptible, but continual perspiration, incidental to a warm climate. The consequence is, that the horses of those and other countries with similar pasturage, are completely free from the strangles and other glandular diseases, which are so frequent and fatal to those of Europe. These observations are in complete accordance with the opinions of the celebrated Bruce, the Abyssinian traveller, who, perhaps, had seen a greater variety of horses than any other individual. He says, " At Gorri begins that noble race of horses, justly celebrated over the whole world. They are the breed that was introduced 40 MODERN HISTORY here at the Saracen conquest, and have been preserved unmixed to this day. They seem to be a distinct animal from the Arabian horse, such as I have seen in the plains of Arabia Deserta, south of Palmyra and Damascus, where I take the most excellent of the Arabian breed to be, in the tribes of Mowalli and Annecy, which is about the thirty-sixth degree of latitude, whilst Dongola, and the dry country near it, seem to be the centre of excellence for this noble animal ; so that the bounds within which the horse is at its greatest perfection, seems to be between the twentieth and thirty-sixth degrees of latitude, and between the thirtieth degree of longitude east from the meridian of Greenwich, to the banks of the Euphratus. For, in this extent of country, Fahrenheit's thermometer is never below fifty degrees in the night, nor in the day below eighty degrees, though it may rise to one hundred and twenty degrees at noon in the shade, at which point horses are never affected by the heat, but will breed as they do at Halfaia, Gorri, and Dongola, where the thermometer rises to these degrees. These countries, from what has been said, must, of course, be a dry, sandy desert, with little water, producing short or no grass, but only roots, which are blenched like our celery, being always covered with earth, having no marshes or swamps, fat, soapy earth, or mould." Through ages of domestication, the horse in Britain seems to preserve this natural predilection for the dry food, which must have been the produce of his native plains. Any person at all acquainted with the habits of the horse, must have observed, that if in pasture ground, where there is a variety of rank, and also dry grass within his reach, he invariably prefers the latter ; thus OF THE HORSE. 41 proving that dry food must have been his original nutri- ment. To food and climate, therefore, must be principally ascribed the great diversity in the different races of this quadruped, in various countries. In support of this opinion, I have only to refer to the wild horses of South America, which were carried thither by the Spaniards. These are understood to have been principally of the Andalusian breed, which has continued to be the best produced in Spain since their first introduction by the Moors, in the year 710 of the Christian era, and who retained their dominion for nearly eight centuries. The horses of Andalusia, being directly sprung from Barbs, have retained many of the points of the Moorish breed. This is to be attributed to the local situation of that province, which is high, with a dry soil. The savannas in South America, on which the wild herds browse, are high mountain tracts, with an arid soil and dry atmosphere, so that they retain all the points and qualities of their Spanish progenitors. The introduction of the Asiatic horse into Europe seems to be involved in as much obscurity as the ques- tion of the native country of this animal. There can be little doubt that the wars in which the Greeks were engaged with the Persians were the means of introducing many Asiatic horses into Greece. Xerxes having in his army 80,000 horses, principally stallions, must have left numbers behind, which would improve the breed, while the dry climate and pasturage would contribute to its being preserved in its original purity: as the defeat at Thermopylae, and the occu- pation of it by the Persians, would have a tendency 42 MODERN HISTORY to improve their race ; and the intercourse which that people had with the Levant would also assist. In this way, it is probable, the Asiatic breed was first brought into Europe. The soil and climate must have operated beneficially as causes tending to improve the horses of Barbary, from Libya to the western border of ancient Mauritania, which is now called the kingdom of Morocco. These must have been introduced into Spain by the Carthaginians, after their conquest of that country, which they occupied for upwards of two centuries. And to the same causes may be ascribed the excellent breed of Sicily; from which two points the eastern breed may have found its way into Europe, by the south-west. I shall now attempt to point out in what way the horse was brought into the north of Europe. But I shall, in the first place, introduce an interesting obser- vation, made by the Russian Count Rzeiwuski : — " There exists in all indigenous Asiatic horses, under whatever latitude, something peculiar in the expression of their countenance, in their mode of playing their ears, and in all the movements of their body, which evidently shews them to be of one family, and which is to be observed in none of the western horses, with the exception of the English, which have a great deal of Arabian blood. I noticed this in more than 187,000 Asiatic horses, which are brought annually, by the Calmucks and Tartars, to the celebrated fair of Ber- dyezow. In 1814 there were brought to that place 67,000 horses from the great steppe ; and I may safely say, that, during the course of five years' residence in OF THE HORSE. 43 Russian Poland, I must have seen upwards of 240,000 horses of that country." The horses of Scythia, from the connexion of the natives with the Sarmatians, and the commerce of the latter with more westerly nations, must have communi- cated the Scythian blood to the horses in the north of Europe. The improvement of the breed must, however, have been arrested from a combination of causes. Strabo mentions, that a custom existed among the Scythians, of mutilating their horses in order to make them more obedient ; and those horses being transported into the low, moist, and rank pastures of Germany, Lithuania, Pomerania, and the northern provinces of France, would naturally degenerate, from the quality of their food ; for we find, at the present day, that the horses of low and moist countries are of a large and clumsy make. Unless the utmost attention is paid to the grooming, the moisture of the atmosphere, and the bad pasture, soon make an evident impression on the coats of these horses. These causes would soon efface the beauty and qualities of the eastern breed. Horses, however, are less liable to such great changes in the countries lying betwixt southern Poland and the heights of Kiow, from the chain of the Carpathian mountains, along the banks of the Dniester, on account of the pasture being of a superior quality. I think it is almost certain, that the indigenous breed of all the European varieties of the horse, have been derived from those of Scythia, at a very remote period ; and although the latter possess many of the properties, and much general resemblance to the Asiatic race, they are yet greatly inferior in the elegance of their shape. 44 MODERN HISTORY It would therefore appear, that the state of European horses was wretched, indeed, before the wars of the Greeks and Persians, and the conquest of Spain by the Carthaginians ; and we must see, that the commu- nication which Europe had with the south, was of infinitely more advantage, than that which it had with the north, in introducing an improved breed of horses. Polybius, in describing the passage of the Trebia, in the celebrated victory which Annibal obtained over the Romans, then under the command of the Consul Sempronius, gives an excellent idea of the indifferent state of the horses of that nation : he says, " Meantime Sempronius sounded the retreat, in order to bring back the cavalry, who were ignorant of the proper mode of conducting themselves to an enemy by which they were fronted. They had, in fact, to deal with the cavalry of Numidia, whose practice it was to retreat in different directions ; returning with great vigour to the charge, when their enemy was not expecting it." The Roman army at that time was principally composed of infantry, and their cavalry was ill mounted, on large and heavy steeds, little calculated to cope with the Numi- dian cavalry, which could boast of active and lively horses, so that their evolutions were performed with great celerity. Another strong argument for the inferiority of the European horse in those times may be drawn from the figures in the ancient sculptures; for the bas-relief horses of Marcus Aurelius are very unlike the eastern breed. In times still more modern, we find that the horses of Raphael, Le Brun, and other celebrated painters, are large, heavy steeds, with coarse heads, which must OF THE HORSE. 45 have been characteristic of the horses in their day ; whereas, if we look into the figures of coursers given in old Arabian manuscripts, particularly the celebrated " Manuscripts concerning the arms, evolutions, &c. of the East," we find the same characteristics which the horses of that country preserve to the present day, although their execution, as works of art, is miserable in the extreme. In the fourth century, the migration of the Greeks, who entered Europe by the north, and overran it diago- nally as far as Spain, spreading their hordes laterally, dis- persed horses of the Asiatic kinds, and thereby improved their breeds. Afterwards the Moors, in the eighth century, brought vast numbers of horses from the East. It was in the year 782 that the Saracens, with a force of two hundred thousand, penetrated into France as far as the walls of Poictiers, the capital of the department La Vienne, where they were totally routed by the army of Charles Martel. In consequence of this event, the French must have possessed themselves of many of the superior horses of that people. It is not improbable, that the English might obtain some of this breed, after the celebrated victory of Edward the Black Prince, son of Edward the Third, on the 15th September, 1354; although of this we have no historical information. Traces of eastern blood are still visible in this part of France ; and at Limousin, very fine horses are to be met with, which can only be accounted for, from the dryness of the pasture. It was the practice of eastern monarchs to send presents of horses to France. In the year 800, Haroun- al-Raschid sent magnificent presents to Charlemagne* C 2 46 MODERN HISTORY and among them some fine coursers. In the tenth cen- tury we are informed by Cardonne, in his Histoire de l'Afrique, that the grand vizier, Abd-el-Malek ben Cheid, presented, among other gifts of value, to the Caliph Abdol-Rab-man the third, fifteen Arabian horses of the best blood. During the Crusades, a considerable communication subsisted between Europe and the East, in which all the princes in Christendom joined. Christian princes swayed the royal sceptres of Jerusalem, Nice, and Cyprus ; these were composed of the first nobility of France, Germany, and England, and it is most likely that they would bring in their train the fine eastern coursers to improve the breed of their native lands. Indeed it is hardly possible that they could fail to possess themselves, while it was in their power, of those beau- tiful animals, which have been so highly valued from the remotest ages. The celebrated Genghiskhan, in the thirteenth century, brought all Asia under his sway. In his conquest, he carried with him the armies of his subjugated states. This circumstance tended to amalgamate the breeds of India, Persia, and Arabia, which were ultimately scat- tered over all Asia, Boton-chan, grandson of Genghiskhan, in the year 1211, invested the Crimea, dispersed the Cossack nation, and, crossing the Dnieper with his army, over- ran Poland, advanced into Silesia, subduing Lublin, Cracow, Lignitz, and Breslaw, penetrated into Hungary, and was on his march to Constantinople when his ambitious career was terminated by death. This adventurous invasion was followed by many OF THE HORSE. 47 others, but particularly by one of much importance, — * that of the famous Islam Gueray, who, in the year 1649, joined himself with 300,000 Tartars of the Crimea, under their leader Bogdan Schmielnieki. This army invaded Poland ; and as these Tartars were in the practice of carrying two horses each with them in their war exploits, many of them must have been thereby left in that country. From very early times, the Poles seem to have been horsemen ; and they have spared no expense in intro- ducing Arabian stallions ; and, in their frequent inter- course with Turkey, they must have got many excellent horses from that country. Even in our own times, Prince Sanquizko, of Volognia, sent his equerry, M. Buiski, to Haleb, whence he brought six Arabian stallions of great value. And General Obodynski brought with him, at two different times, from Con- stantinople, upwards of sixty horses. Count Rzeiwuski tells us, that the late Emperor Napoleon, during his reign, introduced many Arabian horses into France ; that, on one occasion, he saw eighty of them in their progress through Vienna ; and that the Limousin is the only country in which the advantages anticipated from them can be realized ; for, even to this day, the horses of France are but of little value, being far inferior to our English blood horses. We are certain that the first Arabian horse brought into England was during the reign of James the First. The great commercial intercourse which has since taken place between the East and Europe, and their frequent wars, have occasioned the introduction of the horses of various countries, which, mingling with our own, have 48 MODERN HISTORY much improved the breed. The southern varieties of the horse, however, have been preserved, in their native purity, in Great Britain and Ireland alone. I have stated in the preceding chapter, that the country around the Sea of Arel was, in all probability, the primitive abode of the horse. In that district, he is found in a wild state, in large troops, at the present day. Wild horses are also found, in very large herds, in those extensive upland valleys, on the sides of the vast mountain ranges which bound the great valley of Asgar, through which flows the river Indus, namely, the Mus Tag mountains on the east, and the Belur Tag mountains on the west. There are also numerous herds in the valleys amongst the great Kandahur range of mountains ; and, according to Braboza, in the moun- tains of Hyderabad. In the Charmar mountains, towards the north of China, there are herds of wild horses ; but these are inconsider- able in their numbers. Still farther north, amongst the valleys of the Altai range, a vast chain of mountains, rising in about the 68th degree, and terminating at East Cape in the 170th degree of east longitude, and even in their north boundaries, towards Siberia, wild horses are here and there to be met with ; but these are of a puny race, with large heads, and ill-formed limbs, very thick about the joints. It is said, that a few straggling individuals have been seen even so far north as the plains in the district of Tungousi. In the neighbourhood of the Cape there are also wild horses, which inhabit the mountain plains of GraafF Reinett. They are very beautiful and lively animals ; and, although of small size, are admirably adapted to OF THE HORSE. 49 light draught, or the saddle. The horses of Bornou are also small, but very perfect in their figures. Those of Mandara are, on the contrary, large, powerful, and very beautiful ; some are of a bright bay colour. " To have an idea (says Goldsmith) of this noble animal in his native simplicity, we are not to look for him in the pastures, or the stables, but in those wild and extensive plains where he has been originally pro- duced ; where he ranges without controul, and riots in all the variety of luxurious nature. In this happy state of independence he disdains the assistance of man, which only tends to servitude." In those boundless tracts, whether of Africa or New Spain, where he runs at liberty, he seems no way incommoded with the inconveniencies, to which he is subject in Europe. " The continual verdure of the fields supplies his wants, and the climate that never knows a winter, suits his con- stitution, which naturally seems adapted to heat. His enemies of the forest are but few, for none but the greater kinds will venture to attack him ; any one of these he is, singly, able to overcome ; while, at the same time, he is content to find safety in society — for the wild horses of these countries always herd together." In countries where horses are found in native free- dom, they are to be met with in droves of from 500 to 1000 ; seldom exceeding the former number in Asia or Africa, as food is less abundant there than in the New World. They never attack other animals, but always act upon the defensive. Their pastures satisfy their appetites, and, when exhausted, they have only to shift their stations to places where their food is 50 MODERN HISTORY plentiful. They are seldom to be taken by surprise ; but, if attacked, the assailant seldom comes off victo- rious, for the whole troop unites in defence of their comrades, and seldom fails, either to tear the enemy to pieces, or kick him to death. Wild horses usually retire to a forest to repose, in which case they have always one or more of their number to keep watch while the rest are asleep, and to give notice of approaching danger, which is done by loud snorting or neighing; upon which signal they start to their feet, and either reconnoitre the enemy, or fly off with the swiftness of the wind, followed by the sentinel, and by the stallion, who is patriarch of the herd. It is said, that if a man approach their pastures, they will walk slowly up to within about 50 yards of him, and then, all of a sudden, take flight. This is beautifully described by Byron in his Mazeppa : — " A trampling troop : I see them come ! In one vast squadron they advance ! I strove to cry — my lips were dumb. The steeds rush on in plunging pride, But where are they the reins to guide ? A thousand horse — and none to ride ! With flowing tail, and flying mane, Wide nostrils — never stretch'd by pain, Mouths bloodless to the bit or rein, And feet that iron never shod, And flanks unscarr'd by spur or rod, A thousand horse, the wild, the free, Like waves that follow o'er the sea. On came the troop — they saw him stoop, They saw me strangely bound along His back with many a bloody thong •. OF THE HORSE. &1 They stop — they start — they snuff the air, Gallop a moment here and there, Approach, retire, wheel round and round, Then plunging back with sudden bound, Headed by one black mighty steed, Who seem'd the patriarch of his breed, Without a single speck or hair Of white upon his shaggy hide : They snort, they foam, neigh, swerve aside, And backward to the forest fly By instinct, from a human eye. " — Hitherto, I have been speaking of the geographical distribution of the horse, in a free condition, and descended from progenitors, which never were in a state of slavery. I shall now notice those wild herds, in different countries, which have descended from emanci- pated stocks. In the desert tracts, along the sides of the Don, one of the largest rivers in European Russia, there are numerous herds of wild horses to be met with. These are frequently taken, by various stratagems, by the Cossacks, who breed from them, by crossing them with their domesticated horses, which are said to be thereby greatly improved. Pallas says, they abound in the vicinity of the Palus Maeotis of the ancients, or the Sea of Azoph. These herds are the descendants of the Russian horses used at the siege of Azoph, in 1697, when it was taken from the Turks by Peter the Great. The Czar was compelled, from want of forage, to set at liberty nearly the whole chargers belonging to his cavalry, to seek food for themselves ; they have now assumed quite a wild aspect, and associate in troops like other wild horses. Those herds, 52 MODERN HISTORY which have remained close to the margin of the river, are of a large size, owing to the nature of their food, which consists of strong, rank grass ; the ground in these situations being of an extremely swampy descrip- tion, so much so, that no solid edifice can be erected near its banks, the whole surrounding country being little better than a morass. These steeds have extended their range ; and the herds which inhabit the higher mountain districts, have all the appearance of the horses from which they sprung. It is supposed, that the troops found in the plains of Great Tartary, are descended from the same source as those of the banks of the Don, and all the Ukraine herds. I shall now turn to the emancipated race, which exists in such countless numbers in the immense plains of South America, extending from the shores of La Plata to Patagonia. They were carried thither by the Spaniards, after their discovery of the country, and have increased, with such astonishing rapidity, that they are to be seen in troops of many thousands. Azara affirms, that they sometimes congregate, in squadrons of not less than ten thousand individuals. They are invariably preceded by a leader, by whom they are governed, and who appears to direct all their move- ments ; which are performed in a manner so perfectly systematic, as hardly to be surpassed in regularity by the best trained cavalry. It is extremely dangerous for travellers, to pass through the districts in which these horses abound ; for, if perceived by the wild herd, they will approach closely to those who are mounted on horseback. After their leader and videttes, or advanced guard, have reconnoitered the strangers, they will, at OF THE HORSE. 53 the direction of the leader, make a rapid wheel round the course of the travellers, and, with loud and irritating neighing, tempt the tame horses, which are either saddled or loaded, to join them. If the rider do not use all his energies, or the leader of the loaded horse his utmost care, they will either fling the rider, or throw off their burden, and precipitately unite with the wild troop, after which they are in general lost for ever. The steady approach, and menacing appearance, of this prodigious column of horses, are most appalling to those who witness it for the first time, and will cause the boldest heart to quake ; the trampling sound of the animals' hoofs, even upon the green sward, may be compared to the loudest thunder, while it makes all around to vibrate. In this manner they will frequently sweep round the astonished traveller, like the whirlwind of the desert, threatening instant destruction ; when of a sudden they will set up the most fearful neighing, wheel in an opposite course, and disappear in the neighbouring wilderness. These immense troops do not always feed together, but are dispersed into smaller herds, when the cause of alarm which congregated them has passed away. In the province of Cumana there are great numbers of wild horses in the forests. They go in companies generally to the extent of five or six hundred, and even one thousand. They occupy the great savannas, where it is dangerous to disturb or try to catch them. In the dry season, they are sometimes obliged to go two or three leagues, and even more, to find water. They set out in regular ranks, four abreast, and thus form a d t 54 MODERN HISTORY procession extending to a quarter of a league. Five or six scouts precede the troop by about fifty paces. If they perceive a man, a puma, or a jaguar, they neigh, and the troop stops ; if avoided, they continue their march ; but if any one dare to pass across their squadron, they turn on him, and crush him under their feet. No foe is capable of withstanding their attack. They have a chief, who marches between the scouts and the squadron — a kind of adjutant, whose duty consists in hindering any individual from quitting the ranks. If any one attempts to straggle, either from hunger or fatigue, he is bitten till he resumes his place, and the culprit obeys with his head hanging down. Three or four chiefs march, as the rear guard, at five or six paces from the troop. These animals are impelled by a natural instinct, which looks remarkably like reason, to obey their leaders. They are sensible that their safety consists in united force, and in maintaining subordination, — the first things to be attended to, even by man himself. The wild horses of America are generally chestnut, bay, sorrel, or black colour. The latter, however, is not very common, and chestnut usually predominates, from which some authors suppose that to be the original hue of the horse ; but we do not find it to be the pre- vailing colour of the Asiatic wild breeds, bay-dun being the most common amongst these. A horse, sent by the superior director of Chile to his Majesty King George the Fourth, is of a milk white, of the most perfect symmetry, and equally remarkable for strength, spirit, and agility. The general pace of the American horse is between a gallop and an amble. OF THE HORSE. 55 When wild horses are feeding, should any stragglers be threatened with an attack from the puma or jaguar, which are their principal enemies in America, by a particular signal, which they all understand, they close into a dense mass, and trample their assailant to death, if he have the hardihood to persist in his attack ; or, forming a circle, with the young and females in the centre, defend themselves with their heels, and strike with such velocity and force, that the most agile animal is incapable of overcoming them. When an attack is resolved upon, their leader shews the example, and if he consider a retreat necessary, he gives them the signal, which they take care to follow. Captain Head, in his Journey across the Pampas, gives us a curious account of meeting a herd of wild horses, in a part of the country where the population is pretty close. Some of the unfortunate captured horses are supposed to be forced along by their riders at full speed ; he says, " As they are thus galloping along, urged by the spur, it is interesting to see the groups of wild horses one passes. The mares, which are never ridden in South America, seem not to understand, what makes the poor horse carry his head so low, and look so weary. * The little innocent colts come running to meet him, and then start away frightened ; while the old horses, whose white marks on the flanks and backs betray their acquaintance with the spur and saddle, walk slowly away * An Englishman, who once attempted to ride a mare, was so hooted and pelted by the natives, that he made a narrow escape, and thought himself fortunate to get off without serious injury. 91 MODERN HISTORY for some distance, then breaking into a trot, as they seek their safety, snort and look behind them, first with one eye, and then with the other, turning their nose from right to left, and carrying their long tails high in the air." Captain Head describes the management of horses by the Gaucho, or native inhabitant of the plains of South America. They have no regular stables, but keep their horses in pastures, which are fenced: and also in what are called corrals, a circular enclosure of rough posts driven into the ground, so close that a horse cannot pass through between them. The mares and foals are never confined, but are allowed to wander about in perfect freedom. One horse, however, is usually kept tied at the door of the hut, to be ready for immediate use, and is fed on maize, of which they get a scanty meal at night. If an additional horse be wanted, the gaucho goes to the corral with his lasso, and fetches one which may have been only subdued the preceding day, or he will go to the plain, where they are grazing at freedom, and bring one, which he has backed for the first time. And when these horses have been once used, they are either put into the corral, and fed with maize, or returned to the plain, to graze at liberty. This lasso is a very simple contrivance, but of great power in the hands of the gaucho, who is accustomed to use it from his earliest years, or at least to see others do so, and he puts it in practice as soon as he has sufficient strength. We have the following account of it by Miers, in his Travels in Chile : — " The Lasso is a missile weapon, used by every OF THE HORSE. 57 native of the united provinces, and Chile. It is a very strong plaited thong, of equal thickness, half an inch in diameter, and forty feet long, made of stripes of green hide, plaited like a whip-thong, and rendered supple by grease. It has at one end an iron ring, about an inch and a half in diameter, through which the thong is passed, and this forms a running noose. The Gaucho, or native Peon, is generally mounted on horseback when he uses the lasso. One end of the thong being affixed to his saddle girth, the remainder he coils carefully in his left hand, leaving about twelve feet, belonging to the noose end, in a coil, half of which he holds in his right hand. He then swings this long noose horizontally round his head, the weight of the iron ring at the end of the noose assisting in giving to it, by a continued circular motion, a sufficient force to project it the whole length of the line." Sometimes it is necessary to break in a number at once ; in this event, a whole herd is driven into the corral. This scene was witnessed by Miers, who says, " The corral was quite full of horses, most of which were young ones, about two or three years old. The Copitar, (chief gaucho,) mounted on a strong steady horse, rode into the corral, and threw his lasso over the neck of a young one, and dragged him to the gate. For some time he was very unwilling to leave his comrades, but the moment he was forced out of the corral, his first idea was to gallop away : however, a timely jerk of the lasso checked him, in the most effectual way. The peons now ran after him on foot, and threw a lasso over his fore legs, just above the fetlock, and twitching it, they pulled his legs from under him so suddenly, that I really as MODERN HISTORY thought the fall he got had killed him. In an instant, a gaucho was seated on his head, with his long knife, and in a few seconds cut off the whole of the horse's mane, while another cut the hair from the end of his tail. This, they told me, was a mark, that the horse had been once mounted. They then put a piece of hide into his mouth to serve for a bit, and a strong hide halter on his head. The gaucho who was to mount, arranged his spurs, which were unusually long and sharp, and, while two men held the horse by his ears, he put on the saddle, which he girthed extremely tight. He then caught hold of the horse's ear, and, in an instant, vaulted into the saddle ; upon which, the men who held the horse by the halter threw the end to the rider, and, from that moment, no one seemed to take any further notice of him. " The horse instantly began to jump, in a manner which made it very difficult for the rider to keep his seat, and quite different from the kick or plunge of the English horses ; however, the gaucho's spurs soon set him going, and off he galloped, doing every thing in his power to throw his rider. " Another horse was immediately brought from the corral, and so quick was the operation, that twelve gauchos were mounted in a space which, I think, hardly exceeded an hour. It was wonderful to see the different manner in which various horses behaved. Some would actually scream while the gauchos were girding the saddle upon their backs ; others would instantly lie down and roll upon it ; while some would stand without being held, their legs stiff, and in unnatural positions, their necks half bent towards their tails, and looking vicious OF THE HORSE. 59 and obstinate ; and I could not help thinking, that I would not have mounted one of those for any reward that could be offered me, for they were invariably the most difficult to subdue. " It was now curious to look around, and see the gauchos on the horizon, in different directions, trying to bring their horses back to the corral, which is the most difficult part of their work, for the poor creatures were so scared there, that they were unwilling to return to the place. It was amusing to see the antics of the horses ; they were jumping and dancing in different ways, while the right arms of the gauchos were seen flogging them. At last they brought the horses back, apparently subdued, and broken in. The saddles and bridles were taken off, and the young horses trotted off towards the corral, neighing to one another." Captain Hall, in his Journey to Peru and Mexico, gives the following description of the manner in which the gaucho takes a wild horse: — He first mounts an animal which has been accustomed to the sport, and gallops over the plain, in the direction where the wild herd are, and, circling round, by degrees gets near to one of them, and, as soon as he has approached sufficiently near, " the lasso is thrown round the two hind legs, and as the gaucho rides round a little on one side, the jerk pulls the entangled horse's feet laterally, so as to throw him on his side, without endangering his knees or his face. Before the horse can recover the shock, the rider dismounts, and snatching his poncho, or cloak, from his shoulders, wraps it round the prostrate animal's head. He then forces into his mouth one of the powerful bridles of the country, straps a saddle on his back, and, 60 MODERN HISTORY bestriding him, removes the poncho ; upon which, the astonished horse springs on his legs, and endeavours, by a thousand vain efforts, to disencumber himself of his new master, who sits quite composedly on his back, and, by a discipline which never fails, reduces the horse to such complete obedience, that he is soon trained to lend his whole speed and strength to the capture of his companions." When the Spaniards first landed in Mexico, the horses were objects of the greatest astonishment to all the people of New Spain. At first they imagined the horse and his rider, like the Centaur of the ancients, to be some monstrous animal of a terrible form ; and, supposing that their food was the same as that of men, brought flesh and bread to nourish them. Even after they discovered their mistake, they believed the horses devoured men in battle, and, when they neighed, thought they were demanding their prey. It was not the interest of the Spaniards to undeceive them.* The Peruvians not only imitated the military arts of the Spaniards, but had recourse to devices of their own. As the cavalry were the chief objects of their terror, they endeavoured to render them incapable of acting, by means of a long thong with a stone fastened to each end. This, when thrown by a skilful hand, twisted about the horse and its rider, and entangled them so as to obstruct their motions. Hernera mentions this as an invention of their own. The Spaniards were consi- derably annoyed by it. The natives of South America consider horse flesh * Hernera, Alle. II. lib. vi. c. 11. OF THE HORSE. 61 a great delicacy, and especially that of mares, which are frequently killed for food, particularly on festive occasions. During the war of independence, General San Martin gave a grand feast to the Indians, who had joined his standard as allies. The whole enter- tainment consisted of mare's flesh, and the blood mixed with gin. The Indians are in the habit of eating horse flesh raw, as well as that of other animals. The rapid increase of horses in South America is somewhat checked, by a species of madness which breaks out amongst them, owing to the scanty supply of water afforded by the dry and warm plains which they inhabit. All their noble and generous qualities dis- appear, frenzy seizes them, and they rush precipitately into every pool or lake they meet with, trampling each other to death. Thousands have been found dead in such places. There is a remarkable difference in the dispositions of the Asiatic and South American wild horses ; those of the former country can never be properly tamed, unless trained very young ; if taken when adults, they frequently break out, in fits of rage, in after life, exhi- biting every mark of natural wildness ; whereas those of America can be brought to perfect obedience, and even rendered somewhat docile, within a few weeks. It would be difficult to account for this opposition of temper, unless we can suppose that it is influenced by climate. If, however, another cause is to be sought for, may it not arise from an improvement in the cerebral developement of those of the latter country, inherited from progenitors which have been domesticated for many centuries ? This is an interesting inquiry, which might 62 MODERN HISTORY OF THE HORSE. be determined by a comparison of their respective cra- niums. Mr James Wilson seems to favour this idea, for he says, in allusion to the pliable temper of the American horse, " This would of itself be sufficient to prove that the one is the genuine original, and the other merely a rebel or emancipated tribe." HISTORICAL SKETCH, &c. 63 HISTORICAL SKETCH OF THE PROGRESS OF HORSES IN GREAT BRITAIN. It would now be impossible to trace the origin of horses in Great Britain ; but it is certain that, upon the invasion of Julius Caesar, the natives had horses, which they used, with much effect and skill, in their war- chariots, and as beasts of burden. In the history of the invasion, as given by Caesar him- self, he speaks in the highest terms of the power and activity of our horses. On his departure, he carried many of them with him to Rome, where they were so esteemed, that British chargers became in great request throughout the Roman empire. Horses must have been numerous in Britain at the time of the Roman conquest, for we are informed by historians, that when King Cassibellanus disbanded the main body of his troops, he retained on service four thousand war-chariots, to annoy the enemy when their necessities forced them to forage. At that period, there can be little doubt but that they were crossed by the various foreign horses that formed the cavalry of the Romans, which was very numerous, the better to enable the conquerors to maintain a chain of posts, and also to 64 SKETCH OF THE PROGRESS OF restrain, as much as possible, the frequent insurrections of the turbulent Britons. The venerable Bede informs us, that the English began to saddle horses about the year 631, and that people of rank distinguished themselves by appearing frequently on horseback. In the reign of Athelstan, natural son to Alfred the Great, and second in succession to him, horses were held in high estimation, and he paid considerable atten- tion to the improvement and breeding of them, as he had seen the great utility of cavalry in his army, when reducing into subjection the factious portions of the Heptarchy. For his success in this affair, he was much applauded and congratulated by several European monarchs. Hugh Capet of France, who asked Athel- stan's sister in marriage, sent him a present of several good German running horses : so that in all probability the steeds of Britain were again crossed by those of Germany. At this period, English horses were held in great repute on the continent, and were highly prized by the natives themselves ; so much so, that a law was made in the year 930, prohibiting their exportation, except as royal presents. In this reign, horses were also imported from Spain, and other continental states, with a view, no doubt, of improving the native race by crossing them. Howell, Prince of Wales, surnamed the good, made a law, whereby he restricted the value of horses when sold; from which it would appear, that, in his principality at least, these animals were pretty much alike in their qualities, and that fewer varieties must have then existed. Fraud in horse flesh seems also to have been common in those early times ; for he HORSES IN GREAT BRITAIN. 6* enacted, that the purchasers should have three nights to ascertain if the horse was free from the staggers ; three months to prove that his lungs were sound ; and a year to determine he had not the glanders. Each blemish discovered after the purchase, entitled the buyer to a deduction of one-third of the money ; which, however, did not extend to the tail or ears. The price fixed for a foal under fourteen days, was fourpence ; when one year and a day old, forty-eight pence ; and at the age of three years, sixty pence ; at which time they were either to be trained to the saddle, or brought up as serving horses.* At that remote era, horses were lent out on hire in Wales, and the same benevolent prince enacted a law for the protection of hacks from brutal treatment, to which this valuable servant of man has been too often subjected. It was decreed, that " Whoever shall borrow a horse, and rub the hair so as to gall the back, shall pay fourpence ; if the skin be forced into the flesh, eightpence ; and if the flesh be forced to the bone, sixteen pence." In a curious document, bearing date the year of Christ 1000, that is, sixty-six years before the Norman con- quest, we have an account of the relative value of horses ; for it was held at that time, if a horse were either wilfully destroyed, or lost through neglect, the compensation for the value thereof was thirty shillings ; * The Anglo-Saxons computed their money at forty-eight shillings to a pound, equal in silver to about three pounds of our present money, in value to fifteen or sixteen pounds ; and five- pence made one shilling. 66 SKETCH OF THE PROGRESS OF a mare or colt, twenty shillings; a wild or untrained mare, sixty pence ; a mule or ass, twelve shillings ; an ox, thirty pence ; a cow, twenty-four pence ; a pig, eight- pence ; and a man, one pound ! The historical records of the Welsh and Anglo-Saxons, are silent as to the use of the horse in agriculture. About the latter end of the tenth century, they began to work this animal in the plough, which gave rise to a Welsh statute, prohibiting the use of horses, mares, or cows, in ploughing, which was to be executed by oxen alone. When William Duke of Normandy made a conquest of England, considerable improvement took place in the breed of horses, as many fine steeds were introduced from Normandy, Flanders, and even Spain ; those from the two former countries being larger and more power- ful than our own. Normandy has, for many ages, been celebrated for a race of tall, bony horses, of great strength and action, which superiority they have retained to the present day. In this province were bred a great proportion of the heavy cavalry chargers of France during the late wars. The Emperor Napoleon preferred these to all others as carriage horses, and always kept them in his stud.* * When Napoleon abandoned his carriage on the field of Waterloo, four of these horses were captured along with it. They were of a brown colour, well matched, of a large size, and each appeared to combine more strength, speed, and spirit than are usually found together in one animal. These animals, together with the carriage, were bought by Mr Bullock, and exhibited throughout Great Britain. I witnessed their great physical powers, and rode one of them twenty miles upon one occasion, when he evinced great action as well as speed. HORSES IN GREAT BRITAIN. 67 William the Conqueror owed his success and victory, at the battle of Hastings, to the superiority and num- bers of his cavalry. His favourite horse was of the Spanish breed. A considerable portion of England was divided amongst his followers, both the barons and soldiery. From their superior knowledge of husbandry, the face of the country soon assumed a more cultivated aspect, which in some measure compensated for the severities they used towards the English. The first notice we have of horses being used to field labour, is in a representation of a man driving a horse attached to a harrow, on a piece of tapestry, woven at Bayonne, during this reign. To Roger de Belseme, who was created Earl of Shrewsbury by this monarch, in particular, great credit is due, for the national benefits conferred by him, in bringing Spanish stallions into his estate of Powisland. From these, a breed was produced, whose high qualities were justly celebrated by Giraldus Cambrensis and Drayton. It was warlike purposes, and the pageantry of tilts and tournaments, that prompted this nobleman to pay such attention to the excellence of his horses. In the reign of Henry the Second, tournaments and horse races began to be of frequent occurrence. The theatre for these sports was at Smithfield, at that time the first market, in England, for all kinds of horses, William Fitzstephens, a monk, gives the following de- scription of horse races at that time, when hackneys and charging steeds were opposed to one another: — "When a race is to be run by this sort of horses, and perhaps by others, which also in their kind are strong and fleet, €8 SKETCH OF THE PROGRESS OF a shout is immediately raised, and the common horses are ordered to withdraw out of the way. Three jockeys, or sometimes only two, as the match is made, prepare themselves for the contest. The horses, on their part, are not without emulation ; they tremble, and are impatient, and are continually in motion. At last, the signal once given, they start, devour the course, and hurry along with unremitting swiftness. The jockeys, inspired with the thought of applause, and the hope of victory, clap spurs to their willing horses, brandish their whips, and cheer them with their cries." From this animated picture, we may be fairly allowed to draw the conclusion, that our horses possessed the same ardour as at the present day, and that before they had received any improvement from eastern blood. Fitzstephens gives a no less interesting account of the pastimes of the Londoners, in the same reign. Every Sunday in Lent, after dinner, a company of young men rode out into the fields, on accoutered horses fit for war, and at the same time possessing speed ; when every one among them was taught to run the rounds with his horse. The sons of the citizens issued through the gates by troops, each individual furnished with a lance and war-shield ; the pikes of the younger were, however, not headed with iron or steel. They were all taught to skirmish, and make representations of mock battles. These scenes were the fashionable resort of the nobility, and the personal suite of the king, when his court happened to be in the capital. The sons of the barons, who had not yet attained the warlike girdle, also par- ticipated in these sports. Hope animated their young HORSES IN GREAT BRITAIN. 69 minds; while the neighing, prancing, and curvetting of their fiery war-steeds, in their rich and gorgeous trappings, added grandeur to the scene. Then began the races, when the youths divided themselves into troops, each striving who should outstrip his fellows, and in this attempt, all sorts of dexterity were admissible, such as unhorsing, and using other annoying expedients. Richard Cceur de Lion, who, in the year 1190, was driven on shore with his fleet on the island of Cyprus, brought from that country two horses, which were celebrated for their great beauty and action: they were, no doubt, eastern coursers, but, from what country, we have no mode of determining, although from an old metrical romance, we are led to believe it was Arabia, for they are thus described: — " Yn this worlde they had no pere, * Dromedary nor Destrere,f Stede Rabyte, \ ne Cammele, Goeth none so swifte, without fayle : For a thousand pownd of golde, Ne should the one be sold." The great fluctuation in the price of horses during this and the previous reign, is remarkable ; for we find, in 1185, that fifteen breeding mares were sold for the small sum of L.2, 12s. 6d. ; they were purchased by King Henry the Second, and distributed amongst his principal tenantry; and he charged the sum of 4s. each for them. In the year 1205, ten horses, of a good kind, were sold for L.20 each ; and we are told of a pair of * Peer, equal. f War-horse. \ Arabian. E 2 10 SKETCH OF THE PROGRESS OF Lombardy steeds, which were imported in 1217, at the extravagant price of L.38, 13s. 4d. The ordinary- price of a horse, of the best quality, at that time, seems to have been about L.10. The usual hire of a car with two horses was lOd. a- day. King John, who had scarcely a redeeming quality in his composition, conferred essential benefits on Eng- land, by the attention he paid to the extension of agriculture ; as well as by his anxiety to improve the breed of horses in his dominions. To him we are unquestionably indebted for the foundation of our now unrivalled draught-horses. Aware of the superiority in bulk and strength of the Flemish steeds, he imported a hundred of their finest stallions. Such was his ardour for improving and increasing the numbers of strong horses, that he never failed to possess himself of every steed which became noted for its physical powers. He even accepted strong chargers, in lieu of rent for crown lands, and for payment of forfeitures, and renewal of grants. It was his chief ambition to render horses of the superior kinds as perfect as possible, for the improvement of his cavalry, the pomp of tournaments, and the pleasures of the chase. His personal stud was both numerous and excellent. Edward the Second was much attached to horses : we have an account of his procuring thirty war-steeds, and twelve heavy horses of the draught kind from Lombardy. That country, with Spain and Italy, sup- plied the greater part of Europe with horses in those days. They were the most celebrated as chargers, while Flanders produced the best for agricultural purposes. , HORSES IN GREAT BRITAIN. 71 The warlike genius of Edward the Third prompted him to procure large supplies of chargers from foreign states. He appropriated one thousand marks to the purchase of fifty Spanish steeds : and the better to secure their safe transport through Spain and France, he made a formal application to the kings of these countries, to have them protected in their route. He considered their safe arrival as of the utmost importance to the improvement of the native breeds of England. They all landed safely, and it was computed, that they cost the king not less than thirteen pounds six shillings and eightpence each — a sum corresponding with one hundred and sixty pounds, at the present day. Historians inform us, that this valiant sovereign was at one time indebted to the Count of Hainault twenty- five thousand pounds, for horses he had bought of him. Edward had many running horses, a term much used in former times, but the precise meaning of which we do not know. But we must suppose, that it applied to light and speedy animals, used in racing, and other active sports, when taken in opposition to the war- steed. The price of a running horse, at that time, was three pounds six shillings and eightpence. It was this king who first saw the propriety of crossing our heavy chargers with lighter animals, as he was passion- ately fond of the pleasures of the chase, and perceived the utility of speed in this sport. But one thing contri- buted mainly to retard the progress of lighter horses, which was the necessity of heavy chargers for the purposes of war ; for, besides the weight of the rider, they had also to sustain his ponderous armour and accoutrements ; which, when on a stout man, were 72 .' SKETCH OF THE PROGRESS OF computed at about twenty-five stone weight: so that it was not till some time after the introduction of gun- powder, which was invented by Swarth, a monk of Cologne, in 1330, that a complete revolution took place in the breed of British horses. It was during this reign that the different varieties of horses in England were classified; namely, those managed, or those disciplined for war; coursers, amblers, palfreys, nags, and ponies. Edward was unquestionably one of the greatest princes that ever swayed the sceptre of England : But there is no character without alloy. The love of glory was his predominant passion : and while he was eager to possess himself of the best foreign stallions, he was so selfish, as to deny his neighbour princes any par- ticipation in the improved horses of England. He imposed heavy penalties .^on those who dared to, export the breed. A curious instance, however, of his abating his rigour in this respect, is mentioned in the case of a German dealer, who had imported some Flanders horses on speculation, and not answering his expec- tations, he became desirous to re-export them, which the king permitted him to do ; but one of the conditions was, that he should not send any of them into Scotland. To so great a length was the jealousy betwixt the sister kingdoms carried, that it was felony to send horses from England to Scotland. This act was in force till the reign of Elizabeth. The knowledge of breeding the horse now widely extended itself, and dealing in these animals became an important trade : cheating, tricks, and fraud were practised, and, as at the present day, too often success- HORSES IN GREAT BRITAIN. IS fully. So widely did this evil exist, that Richard the Second, in 1386, passed a statute regulating the price of horses ; and caused it to be published in the great breeding counties, which are celebrated to this day, namely, Lincoln, Cambridge, and the East and North Ridings of Yorkshire. Little can be gleaned of the progress of the horse from this time till that of Henry the Seventh ; except that post-horses and stages were first established, in the year 1483, during the reign of Richard the Third. In chivalrous times, knights and gentlemen would not be seen riding on a mare, as it was not only considered dishonourable, but also disgraceful. I have not been able to trace any satisfactory reason for this absurd prejudice. Some authors, however, imagine, that it originated with the clergy, who appropriated the use of mares to themselves, under the pretence of humility, as they were less spirited than horses. After this time, horses greatly increased in England. In the reign of Henry the Seventh, extensive herds of them were possessed by the commonalty, and fed in their pastures and commons. It was the practice in those times, after the harvest had been gathered in, to allow the cattle of different proprietors to feed pro- miscuously together; on which account, all the males, except those required for keeping up the stock, were castrated. This, therefore, may be considered as the age of geldings. The entire horses were kept apart from the herd, in enclosures or stables. This king continued the prohibition against exporting stallions ; but permitted mares, when more than two 74 SKETCH OF THE PROGRESS OF years old, and under the value of six shillings and eightpence, to be sent out of the kingdom. Under the succeeding sovereign, great attention was devoted to the raising a breed of powerful horses ; and laws were even enacted to enforce the completion of that design. The statute pointed out the proportions, size, and mould of both sire and dam, which were to be bred from, to secure strength and stature in their progeny. Severe penalties were enforced against those who attempted to breed in opposition to the established sizes prescribed. The following is a quotation from that Act, being the 32d of Henry the Eighth, cap. 13, by which it is enacted, " that no person shall put in any forest, chase, moor, heath, common, or waste, (where mares or fillies are used to be kept,) any entire horse above the age of two years, not being fifteen hands high,* within the shires and territories of Norfolk, Suffolk, Cambridge, Buckingham, Huntingdon, Essex, Kent, South Hampshire, Berkshire, North Wiltshire, Oxford, Worcester, Gloucester, Somerset, North Wales, South Wales, Bedford, Warwick, Northampton, York- shire, Cheshire, Staffordshire, Lancashire, Salop, Lieces- ter, Hereford, and Lincoln ; nor under fourteen hands in any other county, on pain of forfeiting the same ! " The above statute was altered and amended from time to time, by various succeeding sovereigns. By the 21st of James the First, cap. 28, sect. 12, Cornwall is excepted ; and by the 8th of Elizabeth, cap. 28, the statute of the 32d of Henry the Eighth, cap. 13 r * A hand is four inches. HORSES IN GREAT BRITAIN. 75 shall not extend to the marshes in the counties of Cambridge, Huntingdon, Suffolk, Northampton, Lincoln, and Norfolk, provided that the horses be of thirteen hands ; cap. 2, sect. 10. By the said statute of Henry the Eighth, cap. 13, it is enacted, that " Any person may seize any horse, so under size, in manner following : he shall go to the keeper of such forest, or (out of such forest) to the constable of the next town, and require him to go with him to bring such horse to the next pound, there to be measured by such officer, in the presence of other three honest men, to be appointed by the officer ; and if he shall be found contrary to what is above expressed, such person may take him for his own use ;" sect. 3. " And any such keeper, constable, or other of the three persons, who shall refuse to do as aforesaid, shall forfeit 40s. ; " sect. 4. Also, by the same statute, sect. 6, " All such commons, and other places, shall, within fifteen days after Michaelmas, yearly, be driven by the owners and keepers, or constables respectively, on pain of 40s. ; and they may also drive the same at any other time they shall see meet." " And if there shall be found, in any of the said drifts, any mare, filly, foal, or gelding, which shall not be thought able, nor like to be able, to bear foals of reasonable stature, or to do profitable labours, by the discretion of the drivers, or the greater number of them, they may kill and bury them ;" sect. 7. Infected horses are also prohibited from being turned into such commons by the same statute of 32d of Henry the Eighth, cap. 13, sect. 9. " No person shall have, or 76 SKETCH OF THE PROGRESS OF put to pasture, any horse, gelding, or mare, infected with the scab, or mange, in any common, or common fields, on pain of 10s. ; and the offence shall be enquirable in the leet, as other common annoyances are, and the forfeitures shall be to the lord of the leet." The consequence of this salutary enactment, at such a period, was the furnishing of England with a race of stout and useful horses, and thus laying a permanent foundation for superlatively excellent breeds, of many varieties, now common to Great Britain and Ireland. From the earliest times, Cornwall had a race of small horses peculiar to it, that have now become nearly extinct, which Carew, in his history of that county, supposes to have resulted from the above Act of Parlia- ment. And it is well known to have had the same effect on Wales, where there was also a race of small horses. These animals were certainly extremely useful in that mountainous country, but their merits beyond it are by no means to be put in competition with the more beautiful and able-bodied horses we now possess. In war, in the chase, and in racing, these diminutive little creatures are of little or no use ; and certainly were by no means fitted for the splendid tournaments of the times of Henry the Seventh and Henry the Eighth, when they were perhaps more gorgeous than at any other period. Henry the Eighth was the most ostentatious monarch that ever sat on the throne of England. His vanity led him to impose on his nobility and gentry, burdens of much hardship, of which one was, to oblige all orders of men to keep a certain number of horses, in proportion to their rank and circumstances. The archbishops and HORSES IN GREAT BRITAIN. 77 all the dukes, were enjoined to keep seven trotting entire horses for the saddle, each of which was to be at least fourteen hands in height. Every clergyman possessing a living to the amount of one hundred pounds per annum, or a layman, whose wife should wear a French hood, or a bonnet of velvet, was to keep one trotting entire horse, under the penalty of twenty pounds. Others of this king's regulations were equally singular, minute, and oppressive. He was solicitous to provide, from different countries, skilful and experienced persons to preside in his stables, so that he might circulate the elements of horsemanship throughout the kingdom. He delighted in chivalry : its tournaments gratified his taste for magnificence, and his passion for arms. On these amusements, in which he frequently engaged, his father's treasures were pro- fusely expended. His weapons sometimes were unusual, at least at tournays, — the battle-axe and two-handed sword ; but these were rebated, or blunted, as were also the spears with which the combatants were furnished. At his interview with Francis, in the Champ de drap dor, * his strength and dexterity were both abundantly conspicuous in a tournament, perhaps the most splendid of the age. The two monarchs had undertaken, along with fourteen of their nobles, sumptuously arrayed in the richest tissues, and in presence of their queens, to encounter all who might appear to accept their challenge. There they waited the appearance of those knights whom the fame and splendour of their tournament was supposed to have attracted. And, as they anticipated, there did * The field of the cloth of gold. F 78 SKETCH OF THE PROGRESS OF appear, ready for the attack, twelve gentlemen, richly attired. Francis commenced the encounter ; and, after performing several courses, and breaking several spears, was succeeded by Henry, who shivered his spear at the first encounter ; and, at the second, he demolished his antagonist's helmet. Their justings were continued for five days, with equal splendour, and similar success. The minute descriptions of the habits of the kings, knights, and esquires, with the gorgeous trappings and accoutrements of the horses, leave no doubt as to the uncommon grandeur of these magnificent feats, which were highly estimated by all who had the pleasure to witness them. The following curious particulars of the horses of England in this reign, are taken from " The Regulations and Establishments of Algernon Percy, the fifth Earl of Northumberland," which was begun in 1512 : " This is the ordre of the chequir roul of the nombre of all the horsys of my lordys, and my ladys, that are appointed to be in the charge of the hous yerely, as to say, gentill hors, palfreys, hobys, naggis, clothsek hors, male hors. " First, gentill hors, to stand in my lordis stable, six. Item, palfreys of my ladis, to wit, oone for my lady, and two for her gentillwomen, and oone for her chamberer. Four hobys and nags for my lordys oone saddill, viz. oone for my lorde to ride, oone to led for my lorde, and oone to stay at home for my lorde. " Item, chariot hors, to stand in my lordis stable yearly. Seven great trottynge hors to draw in the chariott, and a nag for the chariott man to ride, eight. Again, hors for Lord Percy, his lordship's son and heir. A great HORSES IN GREAT BRITAIN. 79 double trottyng hors, called a curtal, for his lordship to ride on out of townes. Another trottynge gambaldyn horse for his lordship to ride upon when he comes into townes. An arablynge hors for his lordship to journeye on dayly. A proper amblynge little nag for his lordship when he goeth on hunting and hawking. A gret amblynge gelding, or trotting gelding, to carry his male." The gentill horse was one of superior blood, in contradistinction to those of a meaner caste. The Italians to this day call their finest horses razzi gentile, or gentleman. Palfreys were an elegant kind, remarkable for their easy paces, and were used upon ordinary occasions. They were much in use amongst ladies, particularly before the use of coaches. The great horses were reserved for the more arduous duties of war. Hobys were strong, active horses, of a small size, and are said to have been originally from Ireland. It is supposed that this breed, from the high repute they were in, gave origin to the phrase, by which any thing that a person is passionately fond of, is called his hobby. Clothsek was a cloak-bag horse, as male horse was one that carried the portmanteau. Horses to draw the chariots were waggon-horses, from the French word charotte, from which is derived the English word cart ; for neither coaches nor chariots were known at that time in this country. They were first introduced in the year 1580, during the reign of Elizabeth. A gret doble trottynge horse was a tall, broad, and well spread horse, whose best pace was the trot, but 80 SKETCH OF THE PROGRESS OF too unwieldy in himself, or, as employed in carrying too great weights, to be able to gallop ; as doble, or double, signifies broad, big, swelled out, from the French word double. A curtal was a horse whose tail was cut or shortened ; in the French language, curtaud. A gambaldynge horse was one of show and parade, a managed horse ; from the Italian word gamba, a leg. An amblynge, signified a horse trained to ambling, the favourite pace with ladies. The earliest treatise, in the English language, on the management of horse and cattle, together with obser- vations on agriculture, was written during this reign, by Sir John Fitzhubert, Judge of the Court of Common Pleas. It contains many good things, and many that are curious. It is entitled the " Boke of Husbandry." He takes care thus to warn all, who have to purchase horses, to beware of the impositions of dealers. He says, " Thou grasyer, that mayst fortune to be of my opinion or conditions to love horses, and young colts and foals among thy cattle, take heed that thou be not beguiled, as I have been a hundred tymes and more. And, first, thou shalt know that a good horse has fifty-four pro- perties ; that is to say, two of a man, two of a badger, four of a lion, nine of an ox, nine of a hare, nine of a foxe, nine of an asse, and ten of a woman." Edward the Sixth, convinced that horses were now of more value than ever they had been, was the first who made stealing them a capital offence. By the 1st of that king, cap. 12, it is enacted, that " No person convicted for felonious stealing of horses, geldings, or mares, shall have the privilege of clergy." HORSES IN GREAT BRITAIN. 81 This enactment being only in the plural number, a doubt arose, whether a person convicted of stealing one horse, mare, or gelding, was entitled to benefit of clergy. This was remedied in the statute of 2d and 3d of Edward ; and it was distinctly stated, that " All and singular person and persons feloniously taking or stealing any horse, gelding, or mare, shall not be permitted to enjoy the benefit of clergy, but shall be put from the same." Both these acts are still in force, and are only supplemental to the first. It is remarkable, that between the death of Henry the Eighth, in 1547, and the middle of Elizabeth's reign, there should have been such an immense falling off in the number of cavalry horses ; more especially as England had not been at peace during that interval. In 1588, when England was threatened by the Spanish Armada, the queen could not muster more than three thousand cavalry, in her whole kingdom, to oppose the invasion. Blundville, who wrote his work on the art of riding during this time, says, that these horses were very indifferent as chargers. The same author mentions, that our horses were in general strong and bulky animals, of slow action, and fit only for the purposes of agriculture or draught. The lighter kinds, which were very scarce, wanted physical strength. He, however, mentions one of these, that travelled eighty miles in a day. This is the more extraordinary, as, at that time, roads were few and bad, and wheel-carriages large and unwieldy. It was not till nearly the close of Elizabeth's reign, that coaches were introduced by Fitz-Allan, Earl of Arundel, their inventor. Up to that period, Elizabeth F2 82 SKETCH OF THE PROGRESS OF rode behind her master of the horse, when she went in state to St Paul's. It is surprising what a demand for horses was occa- sioned by the invention of carriages. Such was the number of them employed in this service, that towards the end of this queen's reign, a bill was proposed in the House of Lords, to restrain the excessive and superfluous use of coaches. It was, however, thrown out on the second reading. The Lords directed the attorney-general to peruse the statutes for the pro- moting the breed of horses, and to consider some proper bill in its stead. It is quite certain, that the judges rode on horseback to Westminster Hall, in term time, all the reign of James the First, and possibly a good deal later. At the Restoration, King Charles the Second rode on horseback between his two brothers, the Dukes of York and Gloucester, attended by a numerous and very splendid cavalcade. In the romantic age of Elizabeth, all kinds of chival- rous exercises, such as tilts and tournaments, were practised with ardour, and received every encourage- ment from the queen, whose vanity and love of splendour were gratified by such exhibitions. In the reign of James the Sixth, horsemanship was still more practised and encouraged. Refinements and improvements, of various kinds, were introduced by different accomplished masters in that art, who taught it throughout Europe. It was about this period that public races were esta- blished ; and horses that had given proofs of their superior swiftness, became known and celebrated throughout the kingdom. The breed was cultivated, HORSES IN GREAT BRITAIN. 83 and their pedigree, as well as those of their posterity, (in imitation, perhaps, of the Arabian manner,) was preserved and recorded with the most minute exactness. Gartenly, in the county of York, Croydon, near London, and sometimes Theobald's, on Enfield Chase, were, at that time, the usual places of exhibition allotted for the fleetest racers. At that time, races were conducted upon the same principles, and nearly with the same rules and training, as at the present day ; the usual weight of the rider was stated at ten stone. Bell courses were the most respectable, all over the kingdom ; so named from the prize being a bell, usually made of wood, adorned with flowers. A silver one was afterwards substituted for it. Shrove Tuesday was a favourite day for such races. The phrase of " bearing off the bell," applied to him who has the superiority, took its rise from these sports. The first Arabian horse, which is said to have reached England, fell into the hands of a Mr Markham, a merchant, in the reign of King James the First, who purchased it of him for the sum of five hundred pounds; certainly a most extravagant price in those days. I think this circumstance the more remarkable, consi- dering the various expeditions of our nobility to the Holy Land, and other eastern countries, during the cru- sades. The Duke of Newcastle, who saw the Arabian, informs us, in his treatise on Horsemanship, that he was a horse of low stature, of a bay colour, and his points by no means elegant, which agrees with the description of that celebrated barb, called the Godolphin Arabian, one of the best racers ever known in this country. The Duke was considered the first judge of 84 SKETCH OF THE PROGRESS OF horses in his day ; and the unfavourable account he gave of the Arabian, had the effect of preventing, for many years, its introduction into England. At this period, Henry Prince of Wales, son of James, had an early and eager inclination to excel in the art of horsemanship, which he cultivated with much assi- duity, under the tuition of an experienced and dexterous equestrian, named St Antonius. In this art the prince promised to make a distinguished figure, but a prema- ture death deprived England of a zealous promoter of the manage. Prince Henry got his lessons in a riding- house, in St James's palace. Various authors speak of his attachment to, and skill in hunting ; and great hopes were then conceived, that much benefit would be derived from the excellent stud he had formed, and the different races he had established. That celebrated south-eastern courser, White Turk, was afterwards brought to England, and purchased by King James, from Mr Place. Soon after this, the Duke of Buckingham introduced the Helmsly Turk ; which was followed by that fine horse called the Morocco barb. These celebrated animals speedily wrought a great change in the character of the British horses ; and their excellence attracted the attention of our neighbours the French, who purchased many of them, and this was the commencement of an extensive trade, which has continued ever since. Even the Germans, who possess a fine race of horses, acknow- ledge the superiority of ours, and are at the expense and trouble of frequently importing them, especially hunters. They are also eagerly sought after by the Poles, Hungarians, and Dutch. HORSES IN GREAT BRITAIN. 83 In the interesting memoirs of Bassompiere, we have the following account of their first introduction into France. " The Count, being at Fontainbleau, it was the practice to play for large and serious sums ; and the circulation being extremely brisk, the courtiers called the counters which represented money, Quinterots, because they passed and repassed from one player to another with as much celerity and rapidity as the English horses were known to run. They were called Quinterots, from the name of the person who had brought them into France the year before." He farther observes, " that English horses were so much admired for their speed, that they have been always employed in hunting, and on the road ; a practice till then unknown." It is remarkable, that the method of keeping horses was on such an improved plan, compared with that practised on the continent, that France, and other European states, soon followed it. And English grooms are now to be met with in most pafts of Europe, where there are large studs kept, being considered superior to all others in the management of blood horses. The distracted and unsettled state of the reign of King Charles the First, prevented that cultivation of horses and horsemanship to which his inclinations led him. His majesty was, however, an excellent equestrian, and fond of field sports. As a proof of his atten- tion to equestrian exercises, he issued a proclamation in the third year of his reign, ordering the use of bits instead of snaffles, whioh were used in the army at that time. The following is the tenor of that order : " His majesty, finding by experience that such horses as were employed, are more apt and fit to be managed by such 86 SKETCH OF THE PROGRESS OF as shall ride them, by being accustomed to the bit than to the snaffle, he therefore strictly charges and com- mands that no person, (other than such only as his majesty, in respect of their attendance of the royal person in times of disport or otherwise, shall license hereunto,) shall in riding use any snaffle, but bits." We cannot but admire the propriety of this regula- tion, as no bit is more becoming than the snaffle, or so well fitted for troops ; it is as much so as the latter are better adapted for the sports of the field and racing. Charles, shortly before his rupture with parliament, had established horse races at Hyde Park, and also at Newmarket. On the Restoration, arts, sciences, and amusements followed in the train of the monarch, which the pre- ceding reign, and Cromwell's interregnum, had nearly banished from the kingdom. This cheerful king, who is said to have been an excellent judge of horses, and an expert rider, gave every encouragement to racing, instituted public rewards and prizes, and delighted in being a spectator of the course. While Charles resided at Windsor, the horses ran on Datchet-mead. But Newmarket, from the firmness of the turf, became the favourite resort, and has continued so ever since. This race-course is, in magnitude, superior to all others in the kingdom. It was at this time that Newmarket burst forth in all its splendour. The king not only honoured the races with his presence, but even condescended to become a competitor, by keeping and entering horses in his own name. His assiduity and generosity added dignity and lustre to this institution, of which he was so zealous a HORSES IN GREAT BRITAIN. 87 patron. Bells were abolished, and a bowl or cup, of one hundred guineas value, substituted in their stead, with the exploits of the successful horse, together with his pedigree, engraven on them, to perpetuate his fame. Several of these still remain in the possession of descendants of sportsmen of that age. The practice of keeping horses at Newmarket by the sovereign still exists, but the plate is now discontinued, and one hundred guineas paid in cash to the winner, which is a more judicious prize, the accumulation of cups, &c. which frequently fell to one individual, being thereby prevented. James the Second was an excellent horseman, but his reign was too short and unsettled to enable his subjects to judge of his sentiments and inclinations, in respect to hunting and racing. When he retired to France, he devoted a considerable portion of his time to hunting, and preferred English horses, several first- rate ones being always in his stud.- When William the Third ascended the throne of England, he added many plates to different places of his kingdom, and erected a riding academy under the management of a French gentleman, of great skill in horsemanship, Major Foubert. Even Queen Anne encouraged equestrian exercises, and was in munificence not inferior to her predecessors. She not only continued their bounty, but also instituted several new plates, which were considerably augmented through the influence of her husband, Prince George of Denmark, who took great delight in horse-racing. The art of breeding had now made manifest improve- 88 SKETCH OF THE PROGRESS OF ment ; but still the prejudice against foreign blood, established by the Duke of Newcastle, held its sway, till Mr Darley had the fortitude again to introduce Arabian blood into England, towards the end of this reign. That celebrated horse, the Darley Arabian, which was the first he employed to reduce that preju- dice, s6on attracted universal notice. His value began to be recognized, and his produce sought after. From him have sprung horses of unequalled beauty, strength, and speed, and he appears to have been all that was wanted for perfecting a race of horses, now equal to any in the world. King George the First, towards the end of his reign, discontinued the practice of giving plates, and gave prizes entirely in specie, allotting one hundred guineas instead of each plate. In the 13th year of the reign of George the Second, cap. 19, an act was passed for the twofold purpose of preventing the paltry breed of horses, and also of removing from the lower class of people all temptation to attend races, to their great injury and loss of time. In the year 1784 a tax was imposed upon running horses, and a statute was obtained for that purpose in the 24th year of the reign of George the Third, cap. 26, whereby it is enacted, that, for every horse entered to start or run for any plate, prize, sum of money, or any other thing whatsoever, in addition to the duties laid upon horses by former acts, shall be paid the further sum of two pounds two shillings ; and the owner of every such horse shall previously pay the sum of two pounds two shillings, as the duty for one HORSES IN GREAT BRITAIN. 89 year, to the clerk of the course, or other person autho- rized to make the entry ; which if he shall neglect or refuse to pay, he shall forfeit twenty pounds. The history of the horse in Great Britain may be arranged under two distinct periods of time. In the first era, it was an universal custom for horsemen to fight in armour; the burden was so heavy, and the service so severe, that only large and powerful horses were fit for the purpose ; and the badness of the roads rendered inferior sized horses of little or no use, either for war or for draught. It was consequently the chief aim of the English, during this period, to raise horses fitted for these purposes. The improved plan of breeding commenced about the reign of Henry the Second, and was in practice till nearly the close of the reign of Elizabeth, which terminates the era of large horses. In stocking the kingdom with these, there appears to have been con- siderable difficulty, since so many acts of parliament were passed for the furtherance of this end ; yet it seems strange to suppose, that there could be much difficulty in attaining this object, when large and powerful horses could easily have been imported from the Netherlands, Holland, and Germany. That England could not produce large horses is not to be believed, for it possesses almost every variety of pasture in abundance, therefore every size of horse might easily be produced at the will of the breeder ; the draught horses of Lincolnshire, Staffordshire, Lei- cestershire, Northamptonshire, Hampshire, and various other counties, are of gigantic stature ; and those to 90 SKETCH OF THE PROGRESS OF be seen in the drays of the London brewers are of elephantine size. The Duke of Newcastle, in his treatise on Horses, says, that in his time many of them were too large, which he accounts for, from the mois- ture of the air and wetness of the ground. It seems evident, therefore, that when small horses were produced, that it must have been from some mismanagement in the breeding. Light horses began to be bred about the reign of James, when the general use of gunpowder, and the change in the art of war, had rendered armour super- fluous. Since the commencement of this second era, we have certainly gone to the opposite extreme ; arising from the increased desire for the pleasures of horse- racing. The emulation of having the best horses, has caused the breed to be cultivated rather for speed than strength, as if swiftness were the only requisite in a horse. This practice has spread itself over every part of Great Britain and Ireland, so much so, that all horses used for riding, have been too much refined, and are little qualified for undergoing the fatigues of war. By proper attention, however, the horses of this country might be made to combine both strength and speed. At the close of the reign of George the Second, the art of horsemanship was greatly neglected. Amongst our nobility and gentry, elegant and accomplished horse- men were almost unknown. But, on the ascension of George the Third, things took a different turn. Many public riding-schools were established and encouraged, which led to the institution of several private menages, by the princes of the blood, the nobility, and gentry. HORSES IN GREAT BRITAIN. 91 The king himself had one erected for the royal person, in which he practised the art with much assiduity, and became an accomplished horseman. He not only patronized this elegant art during his long and happy reign, but also instituted a Veterinary College for the reformation and improvement of farriery, and the treatment of cattle in general, with a school, of which M. Vial de St Bel was professor. This example has led to various others in different parts of the kingdom ; and, recently, a lectureship on this art has been esta- blished in Edinburgh, by the Highland Society of Scot- land : The chair is at present ably filled by Mr Dick, an accomplished professional gentleman. This monarch contributed, in an especial manner, to the encourage- ment of racing, as well as all kinds of field-sports. His amiable consort, entering into the pleasures of her virtuous and excellent husband, was graciously pleased to give a plate of one hundred guineas, at Chelmsford ; the last allowed by any queen, since the death of Queen Anne. But it may be justly said, that, since our present beloved and most excellent sovereign, George the Fourth, ascended the throne, horsemanship, in all its departments, has attained a degree of excellence, unknown at any former period, and unequalled by any nation in Europe. From his earliest years, he has devoted himself to this elegant accomplishment ; and whether we behold him in the sporting field, or re- viewing his troops, he acquits himself with the utmost skill and dexterity in the one, and with peculiar ease and elegance in the other. He has given his warmest 92 SKETCH OF THE PROGRESS OF patronage to all sorts of field diversions, and racing; and has unremittingly participated in both. But, what has he not patronized, which could add lustre and honour to his empire ? Since the termination of the French war, many of the foreigners of every country who have visited this kingdom, have become enamoured of the refined and elegant amusement of horse-racing. A great demand for our race-horses has been the consequence. France, which, during the reign of our late sovereign, had established races, has now acquired a great taste for them, and they are regularly run on the Plains des Sablons. The Duke of Orleans was the first, by whose example the costume of an English jockey was worn in France. This taste has extended itself to Vienna, and even to the transatlantic plains of America. In Scotland, from the earliest ages, a race of horses existed, which have been highly valued on account of their fine symmetry : and a breed called Galloways, from their being first known in the county of that name. These were so much esteemed in former times, that it became necessary to restrict their exportation. These horses are of a low stature, but greatly celebrated, on account of their fine shape and action. This breed is getting extremely scarce, owing to the wild mania for crossing, which has thus deprived us of the best roadsters, that any country ever produced. Tradition says, that they sprung from some Spanish stallions, that swam to the shores of Galloway from some of the ships of the Spanish Armada, which were wrecked on the western coast. These, coupling with the mares of the HORSES IN GREAT BRITAIN. 93 country, produced the fine animals so universally and justly esteemed. They were strong, active, nervous, and hardy. There is also a breed of horses, of a small but beautiful form, to be met with in all the islands, and northern counties of Scotland, called shelties : they are bred in vast numbers, and run wild in their native mountains. Some of them are not much larger than a Newfoundland dog, and their figures are beautiful miniatures of the Arabian breed. They are of much use in some of the higher ranges of mountains ; but of little value in arable plains and hills, having so little physical power. The Duke of Argyll has used every means to abolish this small breed, and to substitute larger and more powerful animals in their stead. To the casual observer, these diminutive creatures have great similarity, but those who live on the west coast can at once distinguish the produce of the different islands. They are of all colours, some of the most beautiful bay, and others of a fine chestnut. In the year 1131, Alexander the First presented to the Church of St Andrews, an Arabian horse, furnished with costly trappings, Turkish armour, a quantity of valuable trinkets, and an estate of considerable value. This is the first notice we have of any Arabian steed being brought to the island. For many centuries past, Ireland has presented a breed of celebrated horses, called hobbies, much esteemed and valued for their easy paces, and other useful qualities. They are of a middling size, strong, nimble, well moulded, and hardy. The humidity of 94 HISTORICAL SKETCH, &c. Ireland is considered rather unfavourable to the breed of horses ; that cause is supposed to hinder the elastic force and clearness of breathing, so essentially necessary for the exertion and continuance of extraordinary speed ; qualities, which seem to be produced by a dry soil, and an atmosphere more rarified and pure. This country nevertheless produces fine and noble horses. A fault, which many of them have is, being rather short and thick in the forehand. SUPERSTITIOUS NOTIONS, &c. 95 SUPERSTITIOUS AND FABULOUS NOTIONS OV THE ANCIENTS AND MODERNS, REGARDING THE HORSE. In early times, mankind had many fabulous and superstitious opinions connected with the horse, arising from some peculiar attributes attached to this animal. They have prevailed, to a certain extent, in all ages, and in almost every country ; and have been introduced with much effect by some of the classical authors. According to the heathen mythology, we are told that Pluto, the son of Saturn, who was refused by all the goddesses, determined to obtain by force what was denied to his solicitations. Having visited the island of Sicily, where he beheld Proserpine, the daughter of Ceres, gathering flowers, in the plains of Enna, with a crowd of female attendants, he became enamoured of her, and carried her away in a chariot drawn by four horses. The names of those horses were Alastor, Aethon, Nicteus, and Orneus. Agamemnon, king of Mycenae and Argos, had a celebrated mare, called Aetha, which he used at the siege of Troy. The chariot of the sun was supposed by the heathens to be drawn by five horses, named Aethion, Statio, 96 SUPERSTITIOUS AND FABULOUS NOTIONS Eous, Pyrois, and Phlegon, which last word signifies burning. The sun was an object of great veneration among the ancients ; and as it moved round the earth, (which was the belief of the ancients, till Galileo proved that the earth moved round the sun,) performing its diurnal revolution with such astonishing velocity, they supposed it could only be drawn by heavenly horses, possessing the greatest speed of all celestial animals, as the horse, on earth, outstrips all other quadrupeds in swiftness. In the beautiful fable of Phaeton, who is supposed to have been the son of Phoebus and Clymene, we are told that he requested of Phoebus permission to drive his chariot for one day, which the god could not refuse, having previously taken an oath that he would grant whatever request he made. No sooner had Phaeton received the reins from his father, than he betrayed his ignorance and incapacity to guide the chariot. The flying horses became sensible of the confusion of their driver, and immediately departed from the usual track ; when Jupiter, who perceived the disorder of the horses of the sun, struck the driver with a thunderbolt, and hurled him headlong from heaven into the river Po, as thus described in Addison's translation of Ovid : — " At once from life and from the chariot driven, The ambitious boy fell thunderstruck frbm heaven ; The horses started with a sudden bound, And flung the reins and chariot to the ground." This fable is alluded to by Shakspeare in the soliloquy of Juliet : — REGARDING THE HORSE. 97 * Gallop apace, you fiery-footed steeds, To Phoebus' mansion ; such a wagoner As Phaeton would whip you to the west, And bring in cloudy night immediately." * The Massagetae, a people of Scythia, a wandering nation, who lived in tents, and worshipped the sun, offered horses to it, on account of their swiftness. The goddess Aurora is generally represented by the poets, drawn in a rose coloured chariot, by white horses, opening with her rosy fingers the gates of the east, pouring the dew upon the earth, and making the flowers to grow. She wears a veil, and precedes the sun at his rising ; Nox and Somnus fly before her, and the constellations of heaven disappear at her approach. Diomedes, a king of Thrace, son of Mars and Cyrene, is said to have fed his horses with human flesh. It was one of the labours of Hercules to destroy him ; and accordingly the hero, attended with some of his friends, attacked the inhuman tyrant, and gave him to be devoured by his own horses. Hercules is said to have overcome Cycnus, the son of Mars by Penelope, by means of the horses of Erymus, called Lampus, Xampus, Podargus, and Arnon. Boreas, whose name was given to the north wind, is said to have changed himself into a horse, to unite himself with the mares of Dardanus, by which he had twelve mares, so swift, that they ran, or rather flew, over the sea, scarcely wetting their feet. Seneca tells us, that Pollux or Castor had a horse of exceed- ing swiftness, which was called Cyllarus, probably after * Romeo and Juliet, Act III. Scene 2. 98 SUPERSTITIOUS AND FABULOUS NOTIONS the most beautiful of all the Centaurs. Mars, the god of war, was generally represented in the naked figure of an old man, armed with a helmet, pike, and a shield. He generally rode in a chariot, drawn by furious horses, called Flight and Terror. His altars were stained with the blood of a horse, on account of his warlike spirit, and of a wolf, on account of his ferocity. Ocyrrhoe, a daughter of Chiron by Chariclo, who was gifted with prophecy, for predicting the success of iEsculapius, so incensed Jove, that he turned her into a mare. Ovid thus describes the metamorphosis : — " Her tongue no more distinct complaints affords, But, in shrill accents and mis-shapen words, Pours forth such hideous wailings, as declare The human form confounded in the mare : Till by degrees, accomplish'd in the beast, She neigh'd outright, and all the steed exprest. Her stooping body on her hands is borne, Her hands are turn'd to hoofs, and shod in horn ; Her yellow tresses ruffle in a mane, And in a flowing tail she frisks her train. The mare was fmish'd in her voice and look, And a new name from the new figure took." * Palaephatus, in his book De Incredibilibus Historiis, relates, that in the reign of Ixion, king of Thessaly, a herd of bulls on Mount Pelion went mad, and ravaged the whole of the neighbouring country. A great reward was therefore promised by Ixion, to any one who would slay the bulls. In consequence of this, some young men belonging to a village called Nephele, turned their attention to the training of horses, a thing which * Addison's Translation, book ii. line 832. REGARDING THE HORSE. 99 had not been done before that time, chariots only having been in use. They attacked the bulls on horse- back, and cleared the mountains of them ; from this circumstance, they were called Centaurs, on roug ravgovg xarsxzvrovv, because they goaded the bulls. Having obtained the promised reward, they became insolent, wrought much evil, and even attacked Ixion himself, who inhabited the city of Larissa. They who dwelt in that part of the country were called Lapithae. The Centaurs having been invited by them to a feast, got drunk, carried off the wives of their entertainers, and mounting their horses, rode home with them. Being now at war with the Lapithae, they descended into the plains in the night time, and lay in ambush ; at break of day, they hurried back to the mountains with whatever booty they could collect. At their departure, only the tails of the horses, and the heads of the men were seen, and hence arose the incredible story, that the Centaurs were half men, half horses. From the Centaurs inhabiting Nephele, which in Greek signifies a cloud, seems to have arisen the fable, that they are the offspring of Ixion and a cloud. Virgil terms them " The cloud-born Centaurs, and the monster crew."f Some of the ancients have maintained, that monsters like the centaurs can have existed, in the natural course of things. Plutarch, in Sympos. mentions one seen by Periander, tyrant of Corinth ; and Pliny, lib. vii. chap. 3, says, that he saw one embalmed in honey, which had been brought to Rome from Egypt, in the reign of f Dryden's Trans, book viii. line 390. 100 SUPERSTITIOUS AND FABULOUS NOTIONS Claudius. This opinion is refuted by the philosophical poet Lucretius, in the following lines : — Principio, circum tribus actis impiger aniiis Floret equus ; puer baud ita quaquam : saepe etiam nunc libera mammarum in somnis lactantia quaerit. Post ubi equum validae vires, aetate senecta, Membra que deficiunt, fugienti languida vita ; Turn demum, puerili aevo florente, juvantas Obficit, et molli vestit lanugine raalas : Ne forte ex bomine et veterino semine equorum, Confieri credas Centauros posse, neque esse. * The steed, o'er whom the year has thrice revolved, Grows firm and vigorous ; but the babe, a babe Still proves, and haply still explores, asleep, The dulcet breast whose stores were late his own. When, too, the steed's strong fibres, faint with age, And every member feels the coming fate, Youth o'er the boy his fairest flower expands, And the soft down sprouts earliest from his chin. Deem not that man, then, and the servile horse, Seeds mixed with seeds, can Centaurs e'er create, f The Centaur Chiron was son of Philyra and Saturn, who had changed himself into a horse, to escape the inquiries of his wife Rhea. He was wounded on the knee with a poisoned arrow, by Hercules, in his pursuit of the Centaurs. Hercules flew to his assistance ; but as the wound was incurable, and caused the most excruciating pains, Chiron begged Jupiter to deprive him of immortality. His prayers were heard, and he was placed by the god among the constellations, under the name of Sagittarius. * Lib. v. v. 881. f J. Mason Good's Translation. REGARDING THE HORSE. 101 It is said that Neptune, by striking the ground with his trident, produced a horse. This god was worshipped by the Libyans, who looked upon him as the greatest and first of the gods. The Greeks and Romans were also attached to his worship. He was generally repre- sented sitting in a chariot made of shells, and drawn by sea horses, or dolphins ; sometimes by winged horses. The ancients generally sacrificed a bull and a horse on his altar. Neptune became a horse to enjoy the company of Ceres, who, to avoid the impor- tuning addresses of that deity, had taken the figure of a mare, when she travelled over the world, in quest of her daughter Proserpine, and from their union arose a daughter, called Hera. Arion was a horse who was also said to have sprung from Ceres and Neptune. The feet of Arion, on his right side, were like those of a man, and the rest of the body like a horse. He was brought up by the Nereides, who often harnessed him to his father's chariot, which he drew over the sea with uncommon swiftness. Neptune gave him to Copreus, who presented him to Hercules. Adrastus, King of Argos, received him as a present from Hercules, and won the prize with him at the Nemasan games. Arion is often therefore called the horse of Adrastus. In the Consualia of the Romans, horses were led through the streets finely equipped, and crowned with garlands, as Neptune, the god in whose honour the festivals were instituted, had produced the horse, an animal so beneficial to mankind. Homer affirms that the horse of Achilles deplored the loss of Patroclus : 102 SUPERSTITIOUS AND FABULOUS NOTIONS " Meantime, at distance from the scene of blood, The pensive steeds of great Achilles stood ; Their godlike master slain before their eyes, They wept, and shared in' human miseries. In vain Automedon now shakes the rein, Now plies the lash, and soothes and threats in vain ; Nor to the fight, nor Hellespont they go, Restive they stood, and obstinate in woe ; Still as a tombstone, never to be moved."* Achilles's horse Xanthus foretold what was afterwards to happen to him, when he commanded his steeds how to bear him in battle, as Homer thus relates : — " ' Xanthus and Balius ! of Podarge's strain, (Unless ye boast that heavenly race in vain,) Be swift, be mindful of the load ye bear, And learn to make your master more your care ; Through falling squadrons bear my slaughtering sword, Nor, as ye left Patroclus, leave your lord.' The generous Xanthus, as the words he said, Seem'd sensible of woe, and droop'd his head ; Trembling he stood before the golden wain, And bow'd to dust the honours of his mane, When, strange to tell ! (so Juno will'd,) he broke Eternal silence, and portentous spoke : * Achilles ! yes ! this day at least we bear Thy rage in safety through the files of war : But come it will, the fatal time must come ; Not ours the fault, but God decrees the doom. the fates thy death demand, Due to a mortal and immortal hand.' " Virgil says of the horses of Pallas : — " Post bellator equus, positis insignibus, iEthon It lachrymans, guttisque humectat grandibus ora. f * Pope's Homer's Iliad, book xvii. line 484, &c. f Virgil's JEn, lib. ». v. 89. REGARDING THE HORSE. 10S which is thus translated by Dryden : — " To close the pomp, iEthon, the steed of state, Is led, the funeral of his lord to wait. Stripp'd of his trappings, with a sullen pace He walks, and the big tears run rolling down his face." Hector thus addresses his steeds: — " Furious he said ; then bending o'er the yoke, Encouraged his proud steeds, while thus he spoke : ' Now, Xanthus, iEthon, Lampus ! urge the chase ; And thou, Podargus ! prove thy generous race ; Be fleet, be fearless, this important day, And all your master's well-spent care repay. For this, high-fed in plenteous stalls ye stand, Served with pure wheat, and by a princess' hand. For this my spouse, of great iEtion's line, So oft has steep'd the strengthening grain in wane.* Now swift pursue, now thunder uncontroll'd ; Give me to seize rich Nestor's shield of gold ; From Tydeus' shoulders strip the costly load, Vulcanian arms, the labour of a God.'"f Strabo, quoted by Plutarch, mentions the supersti- tious belief of Pyrrhus, of his future success in arms, from a dream he had of Alexander the Great appearing to him, and mounting a Nisaean horse. He says, " And Pyrrhus, taking up arms at the same time, marched against Beroea, expecting that Demetrius would go to meet Lysimachus, and leave the lower Macedonia unguarded, which fell out accordingly. The night before he set out, he dreamed that Alexander the Great called him, and that when he came to him * At the present day, it is the practice to give horses a bottle of wine after racing, t Pope's Translation, book viii. line 224, &c. 104 SUPERSTITIOUS AND FABULOUS NOTIONS he found him sick in bed, and was received with many obliging expressions of friendship, and a promise of sudden assistance. Pyrrhus said, < How can you, sire, who are sick, be able to assist me ?' Alexander answered, < I will do it with my name ;' and, at the same time, he mounted a Nisaean horse, and seemed to lead the way."* We are told by Tranquillus, and others, that three days before the death of Caesar, he found his favourite horse, on which he ordinarily rode, weeping in the stable, which was supposed to be a forewarning of his death. Pliny says, that Julius Caesar had a horse with palmated hoofs, resembling the human fingers, because he was foaled when the soothsayers had pronounced that he should be governor of the world. Caesar took great care of this horse, and would allow no man to mount him but himself. He afterwards dedicated this animal to the temple of Venus, because he conceived that an animal, so strangely formed, and produced in his own stud, predicted great honour to him. Rodatus, a celebrated captain of the Emperor Charles the Great, is said to have had a horse, which would suffer no man to mount him but his master, who, after the death of the Emperor, became a monk. The monastery was assailed by some pagans, and Rodatus, though he had given up riding for many years, took to his horse, who willingly allowed him to mount, and, with the assistance of his followers, he discomfited the enemy. * Strabo, lib. xi. REGARDING THE HORSE. 105 When Perseus cut off the head of Medusa, a winged horse is said to have sprung from her blood : this horse was called Pegasus. He fixed his residence on Mount Helicon, where, by striking the earth with his foot, he raised a fountain called Hippocrene ; and he afterwards became the favourite of the Muses. Being tamed by Neptune or Minerva, he was given to Bellerophon to conquer the Chimaera. The author of " L' Histoire du Ciel," * gives the explanation that follows : " A vessel with its sail was denoted, in Egypt and Phoenicia, by the figure of a winged horse. On this account, the people of Cadiz, who were originally from Phoenicia, gave of old the name of horse to a vessel, whether large or small ; and both poor and rich, when speaking of their ships, called them horses. What then can be the meaning of Pegasus, or the winged horse, which they placed beside the three Graces, and the nine Muses ? If these goddesses preside over gratitude and the sciences, our winged horse becomes unintelligible. But if our Graces be the three months of separation or interruption of free communication between one city and another, Pegasus comes here to our assistance ; and if the nine Muses be the nine figures which announce what must be done in the nine months during which Egypt is free from water, the figure of the winged horse, that is to say, the ship placed near them, announces the end of the time for sailing, and the return of rural labours." Lord Byron, in his Childe Harold, compares a vessel careering on the waters to a bounding steed : - — * Paris, 1740 ; second edition, page 309. H 2 106 SUPERSTITIOUS AND FABULOUS NOTIONS " Yet once more upon the waters, yet once more, And the waves bound beneath me as a steed That knows his rider — Welcome to their roar ! Swift be their guidance, wheresoe'er it lead !" Mr Bruce informs us, that the powerful tribes of Arabs who inhabit the desert of Poncet, called the Beni Faisara, Beni Gerar, and Cabba-Beesh, came from the westward, from the neighbourhood of Kordofan, from a superstitious fear of the black horses there, which have taken possession of all the wells in that desert, so that it is impossible for travellers to avoid them. In the Hindoo mythology there are many sublime fictions ; and among them it is an article of belief, that the deity Brama has descended nine times upon the world in various forms, and that he is yet to appear a tenth time, in the figure of a warrior upon a white horse, to cut off all incorrigible offenders ; and the anticipation of that event is thus beautifully alluded to by Campbell in his Pleasures of Hope: — " He comes ! dread Brama shakes the sunless sky "With murmuring wrath, and thunders from on high ! Heaven's fiery horse, beneath his warrior form, Paws the light clouds, and gallops on the storm ! Wide waves his flickering sword, his bright arms glow Like summer suns, and light the world below ! Earth, and her trembling isles, in ocean's bed Are shook, and nature rocks beneath his tread !" The Scandinavians had a god, called Odin, whose exploits and adventures furnish the greater proportion of their mythological creed. This hero, who is sup- posed to have emigrated from the East, was the supreme REGARDING THE HORSE. 107 deity of that people ; he is represented as the god of battles, and as slaughtering thousands at a blow. Sleepner, his horse, is no less celebrated than his master, and is depicted as performing wondrous feats. Gray, in his " Descent of Odin," says : — " Up rose the king of man with speed, And saddled strait his coal-black steed ; Down the yawning steep he rode, That leads to Hela's drear abode." A fabulous being is supposed to have existed among the Italians, called the HippogrifF, or winged horse. This animal was imagined by Ariosto. Milton thus alludes to him : — " He caught him up, and without wing Of HippogrifF, bore through the air sublime." In Scotland, there is a superstitious belief, that the spirit of the waters appears in the shape of a horse, which is called the Water Kelpie. It is thus described in the beautiful ballad of that name, by Dr Jamieson : * " Like some wild staig,f I aft stravaig, And scamper o'er the wave : Quha with a bit my mow can fit, May gar me be his slave. To him I'll wirk, baith morn and mirk, Quhile he has wark to do ; * Minstrelsy of the Scottish Border, vol. iii. p. 392. f In the Scottish language, staig signifies a horse not yet broken in, nor employed in work ; also a stallion. 108 SUPERSTITIOUS AND FABULOUS NOTIONS Gin tent lie tak I do nae shak His bridle frae my mow. * Quhan Murphy's laird his biggin rear'd, I carryit aw the stanes ; And mony a chiell has heard me squeal For sair brizz'd back and banes, f Within nude-mark, I aft do wark Gudewillit, quhan I please; In quarries deep, quhile uthers sleep, Greit blocks I win with ease." The unicorn is another animal which we must regard as fabulous ; for although it is mentioned in the Scrip- tures, yet we have but an imperfect account of it, and * Dr Jamieson says, " the popular tradition is here faithfully described ; and, strange to tell, has not yet lost all credit. None of the historical circumstances mentioned are older than half a century. It is only about thirty years since the bridge referred to was built." f " ' For sair brizz'd back and banes.' " It is pretended that Kelpie celebrated this memorable event in rhyme, and for a long time after, he was often heard to cry, with a doleful voice, " ' Sair back, and sair banes, Carrying the Laird of Murphy's stanes ! ' " In the neighbourhood of Arbroath there is a rhyme, which is exactly the same as the above, with the exception, that the " Kirk of St Vigins" is substituted for the Laird of Murphy, as follows : — " Sair back, and sair banes, Carrying the ' Kirk o' St Vigins' stanes !'" The peasantry of the parish of St Vigins say, that these lines have been handed down to them from their grandfathers. If this is correct, then the superstition is of much greater antiquity than the learned gentleman supposes ; for the Kirk of St Vigins is said to have been built prior to the Abbey of Arbroath. REGARDING THE HORSE. 109 whether it ever existed, it is impossible now to say. We would, from the situation of its horn being in the middle of the forehead, be inclined to pronounce it extremely improbable that there ever was such a quadruped, from the suture running up the middle of the forehead. Some vague accounts of an animal with one horn inhabiting Africa, have reached us in modern times, but these have not been sufficient to dispel the doubt. The head, neck, mane, body, and legs, were said to be exactly those of a horse ; differing, however, in having a long horn growing from the middle of its forehead ; in its tail being naked, from its source in the vertebrae, to nearly the tip, which was furnished with a thick tuft of hair ; and in its hoofs being cleft like those of an ox. The ancients ascribed very high qualities to the horn of the unicorn, which, they imagined, performed won- derful supernatural charms. These were, however, entirely fabulous. 110 HISTORICAL ACCOUNT HISTORICAL ACCOUNT OF HUNTING. From the remotest ages of the world, mankind have been addicted to the pleasures of the chase; and hunting has been practised by all nations, — by some as a means of procuring a subsistence, by others as a sport. Man seems to have assumed a right to hunt and appropriate to himself the beasts of the field ; and founded this right, in all probability, on the words in the first chapter of Genesis, where power is given by the Almighty to man over every living thing. And in the ninth chapter of the same book, there are still stronger grounds for confirming this right; for not only was Noah told that the fear of him should be upon every beast ; but moreover, that " every moving thing that liveth shall be meat for you." From the Bible we learn, that hunting was practised more than four thousand years ago. For we are told, in the book of Genesis, that Nimrod, the third in descent from Noah, was a great hunter ; that he was very bold and dexterous in the pursuit of animals of the chase : in the words of Tickell, — " Bold Nimrod first the lion's trophies bore, The panther bound, and lanced the bristling boar ; He taught to turn the hare, to bay the deer, And wheel the courser, in his mid career." OF HUNTING. Ill It was his occupation, to hunt and destroy the wild beasts, that infested the neighbourhood of Babylon. Ishmael, the son of Abraham, by Hagar, his female slave, took up his abode in the forests, where he became a skilful hunter, and was the progenitor of the Bedouin Arabs, who, to this day, lead a wild and unsettled life, in tents amid the deserts and forests, where they live by hunting, and pasturing their flocks, which they drive from one place to another, as necessity requires. Esau is also said to have been very expert in this art. The Israelites hunted in the wilderness; for it is said in Exodus xxvi. 14, — " And thou shalt make a covering for the tent of rams' skins dyed red, and a covering above of badgers' skins." These must have been killed in vast numbers, for the size of the tent, as specified in that chapter, was great, and would require many to cover it. And we are told in 1 Samuel, that Saul hunted partridges in the mountains. Sampson set fire to the standing corn of the Philistines, and burnt it, by tying firebrands to the tails of foxes, which he had taken in the chase, and letting them run about the fields. David, when a young man, hunted the wild beasts, that preyed upon the flocks of his father. In the common translation of the Bible, the meaning of the passage, 1 Samuel, xvii. is misinterpreted, and ought to run thus : — " And David said unto Saul, Thy servant kept his father's sheep, and there would come a lion or a bear, and take a lamb out of the flock : and I would go after him, and smite him, and deliver it out of his mouth : and, when he arose against me, I would catch him by his beard, and smite him, and slay him. Whether lion or bear, thy servant slew him," &c. 112 HISTORICAL ACCOUNT The Mosaic writings are in perfect accordance with the fabulous mythology in establishing the antiquity of the chase. It was, according to the pagan theology, an occupation of the deities themselves. Diana was the goddess of hunters. It was the custom of the pagans to invoke her, when going out to the chase; and, on their return, they sacrificed to her their bows, arrows, and quivers. Apollo participated with Diana, in the homage of hunters ; and in the celebrated statue of the Vatican Apollo Belvidere, he is represented with a bow in his hand, and in an attitude as having just discharged an arrow from it. The glory of being the first who cultivated the art of hunting as a science, and training dogs to the regular pursuit of game, is attributed to Pollux ; and his brother Castor was the first who broke and trained horses to the chase of the stag. The Greeks held that Perseus was the oldest hunter of antiquity ; but that honour was justly disputed with him by Castor and Pollux. Hercules fought with and conquered the furious lion of the forest of Nemsea, and hence he has been represented by the Grecians with a lion's skin as a cloak, the head answering for a hood. Adonis, the youth who was beloved by Venus on account of his beauty, hunted the wild boar, and was killed in a con- test with one. Orion matched hounds in packs, and Hippolitus invented toils. During the glory of the Grecian republic, it was a common saying with them, that dogs badly broke, were sufficient to make even the most zealous huntsman halt, and abhor the chase. Their method of hunting was, however, very different from what it is in modern times, and was more like that OF HUNTING. 113 now practised, in northern countries, for rein-deer, the animal pursued being seldom hunted at force, but drawn with bloodhounds, and forestalled with nets and other engines. This method they adopted with all animals ; whence a dog was never commended by them for opening^ before he had discovered where the beast lay; and therefore they were not in any way curious as to the music of their dogs, or the composition or matching of the pack, which is a very material point with modern hunters. When Alexander the Great had any intervals from his military labours, he filled them up with the exercise of hunting. He had an old dog, on which he reposed the utmost confidence, and he had him always carried to the chase : If the rest of his dogs were at fault, or embarrassed, he was immediately placed on the ground, when, from the fineness of his olfactory sensations, he quickly found the prey. After the chase was over, he was in like manner carried home again, and attended with the utmost care, by a servant specially employed to wait upon him. Albert the Great mentions, that Alexander com- manded Aristotle to write a treatise on the chase. For supplying that author with the expenses necessary to make himself acquainted with this pursuit, and for maintenance during its progress, he was furnished with a gratuity of eight hundred talents ; and not only had he this allowance, but a great number of huntsmen and fishermen were ordered to work under his orders, and to bring him, from all parts, whatever subjects he might require, for forwarding his observations. Cyrus, king of Persia, was extremely fond of hunting. 114 HISTORICAL ACCOUNT In pursuit of this, he was constantly attended by the young noblemen of his court. In time of peace, he took with him soldiers of his army, to afford them exercise, to render them prompt on horseback, dex- terous, and agile, and inure them to the fatigues of war, by invigorating their bodies. He issued orders to the governors of the different provinces of his kingdom, to lead out, in person, to the chase, all the young satraps under their jurisdiction ; he filled all the honourable offices of the monarchy of Babylon with his huntsmen ; he ordered parks to be laid out, for the breaking and training of dogs, according to the plans invented by the ancients, and for assorting the packs, in which he was very particular and much skilled. Before the reign of Artaxerxes, no one but the master of the dogs had the right to kill or to maim the animal pursued ; that prince permitted all who hunted with him, to strike and to kill, if in their power, the first animal that they had in pursuit. However, it appears that this monarch was not much attached to the sport of hunting in itself, and only followed it for the benefit of air and exercise ; since the young king, Cyrus, to induce the Lacedemonians to league with him against his brother, alleged, among other reasons, that he was not a hunter. Xenophon, the celebrated philosopher, was also a great general, and after that famous retreat, which he so skilfully conducted, with 10,000 men, who had been led against the Persians, he retired to Scillus, where he built a place of worship, dedicated it to Diana, and amused himself, his sons, and friends, with the pleasures of the chase. The book, which he wrote OF HUNTING. 115 on hunting, was composed during this period, as well as several others of his writings, wherein he lauded his favourite amusement. He was of opinion, that this healthful exercise formed the best soldiers ; and that there was no art, nor profession, which bore so much resemblance to warlike movements, as hunting : besides, that it habituated men to cold, heat, and fatigue ; that it kindled courage, elevated the soul, and invigorated the body ; made the limbs more pliant, muscular, and agile ; rendered the senses more acute : that it retarded the stiffening effects of old age ; and that the pleasure it afforded was a sovereign remedy against all mental uneasiness. In this last sentiment, he is seconded by a modern author of celebrity, who says, " the chase fortifies the heart as well as the body." The ancients represented Diana as a foe to love, and with justice ; for the languors of love are felt only in indolent repose, while violent exercise stifles all soft and tender sensations. In the forest, amid novel scenes, the lover and the hunter are very differently affected by the same objects. The shady groves, the fragrant bowers, the soft retreats of the former, are to the latter only pastures for deer, or haunts of game ; where nothing is heard by the one but nightingales, linnets, and warbling birds, the other fancies only the sound of the horn, and the yells of the hounds ; one imagines only dryads and nymphs, the other only hunts- men, packs, and horses. Lycurgus and Agesilaus were very solicitous that their huntsmen should be well fed on their return from the chase. The Spartans took great delight in hunting parties, and such as could not attend, lent their dogs 116 HISTORICAL ACCOUNT and their horses to those who had none. The huntsmen of antiquity were ordinarily very devout ; it was a tenet with them, that the gods took pleasure in beholding men attaching themselves to so innocent and salutary an exercise, and they consecrated the first fruits of their chase to their patron goddess, the chaste Diana. It was the business of Roman warriors, from their earliest years, to make hunting one of the chief concerns of their lives ; in this school were all their great men formed. People of every denomination, in that empire, had the full liberty of hunting, whenever they pleased, both on their own estate, and on that of others. The Roman jurisprudence, which was formed on the primeval state of society, made a law of hunting ; and established it as a maxim, that as the natural right of all things, which have no master, belongs to the first possessor, all wild animals are the property of him who first takes them. This law was afterwards reversed by the northern barbarians, who overran the Roman empire. They brought with them a stronger taste for this diversion, and having the means of subsistence otherwise, from the rich and fertile lands they had conquered, their leaders appropriated what before had been held as a natural right, to a royal one, which has been continued to the present time. There is scarcely a community on earth, emerged from a state of bar- barism, that has not found it necessary to establish laws for restraining the natural ardour of man for this pursuit, to prevent it being followed to an extent that might be injurious to society. L. iEmilius presented the young Scipio with a hunting equipage equal to those of the kings of Macedonia ; OF HUNTING. 117 and, after the defeat of Perseus, Scipio spent in hunting, all the time that the troops remained in that kingdom. " All the amusement of the Roman youth," says Pliny, in his panegyric to Trajan, " and the school in which all their great commanders were formed, was the chase ; at least it may be advanced, that courage made them hunters, and ambition warriors." The Greeks and Romans always considered hunting as the source of health and glory, and the pleasure of the gods ; and consequently the proper pastime for kings and heroes. When Julius Caesar was speaking in commendation of the people of the north, he praised their expertness in hunting and war. After Pompey subjugated the Africans, he introduced among them the sports of the chase. Pliny says that the chase gave rise to monarchical states. In the earliest ages, says that historian, men had no private possessions. They passed their lives devoid of fear and envy, having no other enemies than the beasts of prey ; and consequently, the hunting and destroying these were their principal occupations ; so that he who exhibited most dexterity, courage, and power, naturally became the chief of the hunters of his country, and presided in the assemblies, which they convoked for grand hunting occasions, making a general havoc among the ferocious animals which infested their countries, and also for pursuing beasts on which they fed. But, in the sequel, these bands of hunters began to contend for the retreats most abundant in game ; they fought for these places, and the vanquished necessarily remained in subjection to the victors ; and thus it was that dominations were 12 116 HISTORICAL ACCOUNT formed. Accordingly, it may be naturally inferred, that the first kings, and the first conquerors, were hunters. The collection of Philippe d'Inville presents us with numberless evidences, drawn from antiquity, in favour of the chase ; and the encomiums that have been bestowed upon it by Plato, Xenophon, Polybius, Pollux, Cicero, Virgil, Horace, Seneca, Pliny the younger, Justin, Symmachus, Vegetius, &c. are sufficient demon- stration how highly the chase was regarded by the princes and young nobility, designed, by their prowess and valour, to support the state. The Romans made use of a trap of the ordinary kind ; they laid mirrors in the track of the beasts of prey, and, while they were amusing themselves, by contemplating what they supposed a fellow, the hunters, being con- cealed behind or on neighbouring trees, shot them with their arrows. The stratagem thus employed for entrapping wild animals, is represented in the sepulchre of the Nasos, discovered in Rome, is figured in the antiquities of Grsevius, and is also confirmed by a passage in Claudian. We have the following account of the curious mode of hunting practised by the Sicilians.* When a herd of deer passed, the nobility and gentry gave notice to each other of their route, and appointed a place of meeting ; every one furnished with a cross-bow or long-bow, and bundles of staves shod with iron, the heads of which were drilled with holes, and a cord passing through the whole : with these they formed a large circle round the herd, the termination of each person's bundle being * Pier. Hieroglyphic, lib. vii. cap. 6. OF HUNTING. 119 fastened to that of his neighbour's on both sides. When these stakes were all driven into the ground, crimson coloured feathers were fastened by a thread to the cord, which were agitated by the slightest breeze. The hunters now withdrew, and concealed themselves in the nearest thicket. Rangers were then ordered within the pales with hounds, which raised the herd with their cry ; the animals, imagining themselves confined within the enclosures, and terrified at the moving of the feathers, kept running about, pursued by the ranger, who, as he passed the respective divisions, called to the owner to shoot at the first, second, or such other deer as he pleased to name, which, if he missed, was consi- dered a great disgrace. The exercise of hunting formed a great part of the business of the ancient Germans and Britons, during peaceable times. From the ancient historians we learn, that, so late as the third century, this was especially the case with the unconquered Britons beyond Adrian's wall, who subsisted almost entirely on game. And so far was this amusement carried by our ancestors, that even young ladies of rank and beauty spent much of their time in it. This sport afforded the youthful chieftains an opportunity of displaying their bravery and agility before their mistresses, and game thus taken in their presence, was considered a gift of high value by them, and formed the principal viands of their feasts. Long spears, javelins, bows and arrows, were the weapons then employed by hunters ; and they were followed by large packs of dogs, which, in those times, were highly esteemed, on account of their strength, courage, and exquisite sense of smelling. 120 HISTORICAL ACCOUNT From an illustrated manuscript, which was written early in the fourteenth century, it appears evident, that ladies at that period had hunting parties, without male attendants. These female Nimrods rode astride upon the saddle ; but this indecorous custom, it is pre- sumed, was never general, nor had it been long followed even by heroines who were addicted to the chase. An author of the seventeenth century remarks, that " the ladies of Bury, in Suffolk, that used hawking and hunting, were once in great vein of wearing breeches." And we know that Queen Elizabeth was passionately fond of the chase, and often indulged in it, even up to her seventy-seventh year. In early times, hunting was considered as a pursuit of primary consequence, and men of rank were always appointed huntsmen by the kings and petty princes of most parts of Europe. The practice is kept up still in Great Britain, and various other states. In Wales, there were high privileges attached to this office. In hunting, the huntsman was entertained, together with his servants and dogs, by the tenants who held lands in villanage from the king. From the ninth day of November, he brought his hounds, and all appurtenances, for the inspection of the king ; and then the skins of the animals, which he had killed in the preceding season, were divided, according to a settled proportion, between the king, himself, and his attendants ; and such were the high powers of this personage, that he had a right to divide all shares, and the king had only the right to choose his share. A little before Christmas, he returned to the court, to support his rank, and enjoy his privi- leges. During his residence at the palace, he was lodged OF HUNTING. 121 at the kiln-house, where corn was prepared by fire for the dogs. His bugle was "the horn of an ox, valued at one pound. Whenever his oath was required, he swore by his horn, hounds, and leashes. He could not be summoned before a court of judicature, unless at an early hour in the morning, before he had put on his boots ; for, after they were on, he was beyond the reach of the law. It was also his duty to accompany the army on its march, with his horns, and to sound the alarm, and the signal for battle. His protection extended to any distance which the sound of his horn could reach. The laws declared, that the beaver, the martin, and the stoat, were the king's, wherever killed ; and that, with the furry skin of these animals, his own robes were to be bordered. The legal price of a beaver's skin was stated at ten shillings. Hinds were hunted from the middle of February to midsummer, and stags from that time to the middle of October. We are informed by Pennant, that the Welsh had several animals, which were objects of the chase ; such as y carw, the stag; kaid weny?i, a swarm of bees ; and y gleisiad, the salmon. Yr arth, the bear ; y dringhedydd, climbing animals, which included wild cats, martins, and squirrels ; and ceiling coed, cock of the wood. And the last division was: y uwynot, the fox ; ysgyfarnog, the hare ; and yr yivrch, the roe. Some of the above are by no means suited to our ideas of hunting, yet they were comprehended in the code of laws relative to the diversion, formed, as was supposed, by Gryfryd ap Cynan. The bird mentioned here is the cock of the wood, whose nature is to sit perched on a 122 HISTORICAL ACCOUNT bough, where they will gaze till they are shot, as they were, in old times, by the bow or cross-bow. It is supposed that the otter was also an animal of the chase, there being a cylch dyfrgivn, or an annual pay- ment, by the Welsh, for the prince's water-dogs. The three first were helfa gyfridyn, or the common hunt. The stag was the first, because he was the noblest animal of the chase, and because every body who came by at his death before he was skinned, might claim a share in him. The next animals were helfa gyfarthfa, or the animals which could be brought to bay, such as the bear, &c. which were hunted with hounds till they ascended a tree. The third division was helfa ddolef or the shouting chase, because attended by the clamour of the sportsmen, and in it were comprehended the fox, the hare, and the roe. The method of hunting was either with hounds or greyhounds, which they let slip at the animals, holding the dogs in leashes. There is every reason to believe, that the greyhounds of Wales were of the Scottish- Highland breed. No one was to slip his greyhound when the hounds were in chase, unless he had a hound in the pack, on penalty of having the greyhound hamstrung : neither was it allowed to kill any animal of chase on its form, or at rest, on pain of forfeiting his bow and arrow to the lord of the manor. WTien several greyhounds, the property of different persons, were slipped at any animal, the person whose dog was nearest the beast, when last in sight, claimed the skin. A bitch was excepted, unless it was proved she was pregnant by a dog that had before won a skin. This practice only prevailed in the most remote periods, for OF HUNTING. 123 the skins were afterwards the property of the king or his huntsman. Every person, who carried a horn, was obliged to give a scientific account of the nine objects of the chase, or else he was looked upon as a pretender, and forfeited his horn. The same penalty attended the cynllafan, or leash ; he was never again to wear it round his middle, on pain of forfeiture, but was only suffered to wear it round his arm. The ancient Welsh held the flesh of the stag, hare, wild boar, and the bear, to be the greatest delicacies among the beasts of the chase. The prince had his peneynwydd, or chief huntsman. He was the tenth officer of the court. He had for his own supper one dish of meat ; and after it three horns of mead, one from the king, another from the queen, and a third from the steward of the household. He was never to swear, but by his horn and his leash. He had the third of the fines and heriots of all the other huntsmen ; and likewise the same share of the amobr, on the marriage of any of their daughters. At a certain time of the year, he was to hunt for the king only ; at other seasons, he was permitted to hunt for himself. His horn was that of an ox. He had in winter the hide of an ox to make leashes, and in summer a cow's to cut into spatterdashes. The king exercised the liberty of hunting where he pleased ; but if a beast were hounded and killed on the estate of any gentleman, and not followed and claimed by the huntsmen that night, the owner of the land might convert it to his own use, but was to take good care of the dogs, and preserve the skin. 124 HISTORICAL ACCOUNT The penalty of killing a tame stag belonging to the king was a pound ; and a certain fine if it was a wild one, — if it was killed between a fixed day of November and the feast of St John, the value was sixty pence ; but the fine for killing it a hundred and eighty pence. A stag was also deemed equivalent to an ox ; a hind to a well-grown cow ; a roe to a goat ; a wild sow to a tame sow : a badger had no value, because in some years it was measled : wolves and foxes, and other ravenous animals, had no value, because every body was allowed to kill them ; and there was none set upon a hare, for a very singular reason, because it was believed that every other month it changed its sex. Our first kings reserved to themselves the great forests of the kingdom ; and in these they passed whole seasons in following the sports of the field. When William obtained his dominion over England, and settled the Norman line upon the throne, his passion, and that of his family, for the pleasures of the chase, involved, in one general vortex of ruin, all civil and religious rights. The establishment of the New Forest may serve as an example. But happily these scenes of desolation and oppression have gradually disappeared, and despotic sway has now yielded in our happy land, to the freedom and security of the subject in his inviolable right of property. Pope has described, in his poem of Windsor Forest, the desolation caused by the making of the New Forest : — " In ages past A dreary desert, and a gloomy waste, To savage beasts and savage laws a prey, And kings more furious and severe than they." OF HUNTING. 125 We read in Gregory of Tours, that King Gontran became so jealous of his chase, that three of his courtiers were condemned and executed for having killed a buffalo without his permission. He was, at that time, in the mountains de Vauges, where he had made one of these preserves for hunting. Charlemagne, and his first suc- cessors, had no fixed abode, as, on account of the pleasure which hunting afforded them, they roamed abroad in quest of the situations best adapted for that amusement. These monarchs passed the whole of their time in going successively from Aix-la-Chapelle to Aquitaine, and from the palace of Casenveil to that of Verberie, in Picardy. It was the universal practice, that the whole general assemblies of the nation, or the great parliaments, where the kings presided in person over all that was illustrious among the French, were regularly terminated by a grand hunting party. The lovers of the chase being desirous of choosing a saint, under whose auspices they might celebrate their feasts, they claimed, with all France, the patronage of St Martin. Afterwards, that kingdom having changed its protector, the hunters but partially adopted St Denis, whom all the orders of the state had chosen. They would have a patron who had shewn the same taste with themselves, and had practised their exercise ; they therefore had recourse to St Hubert, whose call from heaven, it is pretended, was announced to him by an apparition which he saw while hunting a stag that bore a cross between his antlers. The festival of this saint, which falls at present on the third of November, has suffered some variations ; or rather, the body of the saint having had several translations, each of them has 126 HISTORICAL ACCOUNT been kept as a festival. Accordingly, there was a feast of St Hubert in April, one in May, which is the true time of his death, another in September, and again another in November, which is that still retained, and, finally, one in December. However, of these various festivals, only those of May and November were cele- brated with solemnity and splendour, — at the springing of the verdure, and the fall of the leaf, — because they happened at the time of the two grand assemblies of the nation. That of the spring was held in the Champ de Mars, and also that of autumn ; these two occasions being the most favourable for forming numerous hunting parties, while the grande noblesse were together, and in train for acting in concert. We are assured, from authentic documents, that, ever since the eleventh century, St Hubert, now the patron of hunters, has been claimed also as the preserver from hydrophobia ; dogs being more liable to that distemper than other animals, from the extreme thirst they fre- quently suffer in the chase, or when neglected in their kennels. Those who had the care of the packs, invoked the saint to preserve their dogs from madness ; and the devotion of the valets passing on to their masters, they addressed their prayers to the same saint, that he would guard them from all evil accidents in the pursuit of their sport. The English Barons were very jealous of encroach- ments on their hunting grounds ; and as war and the chase were their chief employments, an undue liberty was often followed by the most deadly feuds. Such an encroachment led to the fatal day of the Chevy <- Chase ; a fact which, though only recorded in a ballad, is never- OF HUNTING. 127 theless true. But the poet has taken the liberty — which has always been claimed in heroic verse — of introducing striking incidents, to give effect to the history ; for on that eventful day, neither a Douglas nor a Percy fell. The chieftains in the Highlands of Scotland, in early times, hunted in a style of oriental splendour, as in their grand hunting excursions they were often followed by some thousands of their clansmen, who surrounded great tracts of country, and drove the game to where the chiefs had taken their station, who destroyed them at their leisure. Wild cats were formerly reckoned amongst the beasts of chase, as appears by a charter of Richard the Second to the Abbot of Peterborough, giving him leave to hunt the hare, fox, and wild cat ; and in much earlier times it was the object of the sportsman's diver- sion. It appears, from different authorities, that the bear was once an inhabitant of this island. In an old Welsh manuscript, relating to hunting, it is stated, that this animal was second among our beasts of chase, and its flesh was held in as high estimation as that of the hare to the wild boar. The wild boar was also a native of Britain. In the laws of Hoeldda, a Welsh prince, his grand huntsman was permitted to chase the boar from the beginning of November to the end of December. Charles the First, who was fond of hunting, was at the trouble to procure from the forests in Germany, a boar and his mate, and it is said they propagated rapidly in the New Forest. In that neighbourhood, up to a very recent date, there 1^8 HISTORICAL ACCOUNT was a breed of pigs, having all the characteristics of the wild boar, and called Forest pigs. We are informed by Arrian, that there were hunters in Gaul, who made annual sacrifices to Diana. To this end, they had a kind of trunk, into which they put, for every hare that was taken, two oboles ; for a fox, a drachma ; for a deer, four drachmas : then, every year on the feast of Diana, they opened their trunk, and, with the money they found in it, they purchased a victim. Some bought a sheep, others a goat, and some others a calf. The sacrifice being ended, and having offered the primitke of the victim to the goddess, the hunters made a jovial repast of the rest, feasting the dogs on the offal, whom they crowned with flowers — betokening thereby that the festival was kept for them. The Mexicans, to whom have been imputed great indolence, were nevertheless very expert hunters ; and we are informed, that on the first landing of the Spaniards, they had very large hunting parties, and killed vast quantities of game. The kings convoked these parties, followed by a numerous train of chiefs, with their dependents, amounting to several thousands. Such scenes generally took place in some large wood near the capital — that of Lacatapec being the most frequent resort. The best adapted spots were set with nets and snares, the hunters forming a circle of six or eight miles ; the grass was set fire to in several places, and a dreadful shouting and whistling then burst forth from the multitude, accompanied by the sound of horns, and beating of drums. The circle was gradually diminished, until a very small space was left, when the animals were either taken in the nets and OF HUNTING. 129 snares, or destroyed by the hunters. Such were the vast numbers of game killed on these occasions, that the first Spanish viceroy of Mexico would not credit the reports of their extent, and therefore resolved on being an eye-witness to one of them, in a great plain in the country of the Otomies, lying between Xilotepec and St Giovanni del Rio. The Indians were commanded to follow their usual Pagan customs. The viceroy direct- ed a vast retinue of Spaniards to accompany him, and wooden houses were erected for their accommodation. Eleven thousand of the Otomies, were ordered to form a circle of fifteen miles. The quantity of game started was so immense, that the viceroy was much astonished at the sight, and ordered that the greater part of them should be allowed to escape ; and, after all, there were taken six hundred deer and wild goats, one hundred cajotes, with an amazing number of hares, rabbits, and smaller animals. This plain still retains the Spanish name of Cazadero, or the place of the chase. At an interview between Queen Jane of Bourbon, wife of Charles V., and the Duchess of Valois, his mother, the Duke de Bourbon gave a grand hunt to the two princesses, in the neighbourhood of Clermont. In the course of the chase he caught a stag, and its foot he caused, with great gallantry, to be presented to them by his grandveneur. Francis I. whom Feuilleux styles the father of hunters, having separated from his companions, while out on a chase, and lost himself in a wood, was obliged to take shelter in the cottage of a charbonnier, (a collier,) from whose mouth he had the pleasure of hearing the truth, 130 HISTORICAL ACCOUNT perhaps for the first time in his life. The same story is told of Antiochus. At this period, the Scottish monarchs hunted in the Highlands, sometimes in a state of eastern magnificence. For the reception of James V., the queen, his mother, and the pope's ambassador, the earl of Athol constructed a palace of green timber, interwoven with boughs, moated around, and provided with turrets, portcullis, and draw- bridge, and furnished within with whatever was suitable for a royal abode. The hunting continued for three days, during which, independently of roes, wolves, and foxes, six hundred deer were captured — an incredible number, unless we suppose that a large district was surrounded, and the game drawn into a narrow circle to be slain, without fatigue, by the king and his retinue. On their departure, the earl set fire to the palace — an honour that excited the ambassador's surprise ; but the King informed him, that it was customary with High- landers to burn those habitations which they deserted. The earl's hospitality was estimated at the expense of a thousand pounds daily, — at present equivalent, at least, to three thousand pounds sterling. We are informed by Lord Herbert, that the manner of hunting in France, during the early part of the sixteenth century, was as follows : — " The Duke Mont- morency having given orders to the tenants of the town of Merlou, and some villages adjoining, to attend me when I went a-hunting, they, upon my summons, usually repaired to these woods, where I intended to find my game, with drums and muskets, to the number of sixty or eighty, and sometimes one hundred or more persons ; OF HUNTING. 131 they entering the woods on that side, with their noyse, discharging their pieces, and beating their said drums : we on the other side of the said wood, having placed mastiffs and greyhounds, to the number of twenty or thirty, which Monsieur de Montmorency kept near his castle, expected those beasts they should force out of the wood ; if stags or wild boars came forth, we commonly spared them, pursuing only the wolves, which were there in great number, of which we found two sorts ; the mastiff-wolf, thick and short, though he could not indeed run fast, yet would fight with our dogs ; the greyhound-wolf, long and swift, who many times escaped our best dogs, though, when he was overtaken, easily killed by us, without making much resistance." A stag which has had the honour of being hunted by the king or queen, is styled a hart-royal, and doubtless many harts enjoy this title in Windsor Forest, which have been saved from the hounds, while his Majesty was hunting. In the earlier reigns, when the king lost a stag, open proclamation was made in all towns and villages, near the place where the deer was supposed to remain, that no person should kill, hurt, or chase him, that he might safely return to the forest again; and the foresters were ordered to harbour the lost hart, and to bring him back to the forest by degrees ; and that deer, when restored, was ever afterwards called a hart-royal proclaimed. Not long since, an old record remained at Nottingham Castle, which bore, that in a. d. 1194, Richard the First chased a hart from Sherwood Forest, to Barnsdale, in Yorkshire, and there lost him. He made proclamation at Tunhill, in York- shire, and various other places in the neighbourhood of 132 HISTORICAL ACCOUNT Barnsdale, that no person should chase, kill, or hurt the said deer, that he might safely return to his lair, in the Forest of Sherwood. A heavy fine was laid on the proprietor of certain lands in the neighbourhood of the forest of Blackmore, in Dorsetshire, during the reign of Henry III., for having destroyed a white hart which had afforded that monarch much amusement, (and probably had been proclaimed.) This fine is termed white-hart-silver; and an acknowledgment of which has been paid into the Exchequer so late as the reign of Queen Elizabeth. Such has been the zeal of mankind, from the most remote periods of history, for preserving favourite stags, and the frequency of punishment awarded to those who injured them, that Virgil thought an incident of this kind a proper one for the whole plot of the iEneid to turn on. " quse prima malorum, Causa fiiit, belloque animos accendit agrestes, Cervus erat, forma prsestanti. Et cornilius ingens." « a favourite stag Was of the dire distress the leading cause. It raised suspicions first, then roused the sons Of violence to war." To this day, the Laplanders live almost entirely by sporting, and neglect the cultivation of their lands. In Tartary, the people support themselves principally by the chase ; and, when game is scarce, they resort to their horse's flesh, and to drinking mare's milk. In China, it is said, that the hunting parties consist of whole armies of several thousand men. The Indians of America are continually hunting, while their women OF HUNTING. 133 are employed, at home, in domestic concerns. These savages, in performing a journey, never provide them- selves with provisions for the occasion, but depend on the prey which they may destroy on their route, and the fruits which are to be met with every where, growing in native luxuriance. Even in the present advanced state of civilization, we may safely affirm, that nearly a half of the inhabitants of the world subsist by hunting. The style of hunting in India, by the native princes, is something like that of the ancient Mexicans. Mr Blane, who attended at a grand hunting party of Asoph Ul Dowlah, vizier of the Mogul empire, and nabob of Oude, in 1785-6, gives the following account of it: — The time chosen for the hunting party is about the beginning of December ; and the diversion is continued till the heats, which commence about the beginning of March, oblige them to stop. During this time, a circuit of between four and five hundred miles is generally made ; the hunters bending their course towards the skirts of the northern mountains, where the country is wild and uncultivated. The vizier takes along with him not only his court and seraglio, but also a great part of the inhabitants of his capital. His immediate atten- dants may amount to about two thousand ; besides these, he is followed by from five to six hundred horse, and several battalions of regular sepoys with their field- pieces. Four or five hundred elephants are also in his train ; of which, some are used for riding, others for fighting, and some for clearing the jungles and forests of the game. About as many sumpter horses, of the beautiful Persian and Arabian breeds, are carried with 134 HISTORICAL ACCOUNT him. A great many wheel carriages also attend, chiefly for the convenience of the women. The animals used for the sport are principally greyhounds, of which there may be about three hundred ; with about two hundred hawks, and a few trained leopards for hunting deer. There are a great many marksmen, whose profession it is to shoot deer ; with numbers of fowlers, who provide game, as the native Indians do not know how to shoot birds with small shot. A large bazar attends the camp, and the entire followers of this magnificent and extra- vagant scene, cannot be computed at less than twenty thousand individuals. The quarters are always shifted in the direction where there is most game ; and when the vizier gives up his day's pleasure, he finds the camp removed, and pitched to receive him. Charles III. of Spain, who died in January 1789, was excessively fond of hunting, and there were scarcely three days in the year, that he did not indulge either in that sport, or in shooting. Neither storm, heat, nor rain, could prevent him from pursuing these favourite amusements. Besides a numerous retinue of persons belonging to the hunting establishment, several times a year, all the idle fellows, in and about Madrid, were hired to beat the country, and drive the wild boars, deer, and hares, into a ring, where they passed before the royal family. A very large annual sum was distributed among the proprietors of land, about the capital, and near the country palaces, by way of indemnification, for the damage done to the corn. It cost £70,000 for the environs of Madrid alone, and £ 23,000 for those of St Ildefonso. OF HUNTING. 135 There is certainly no country in the world where the sport of hunting on horseback is carried to such a height as in Great Britain, at the present day, and where the pleasures of a fox chase are so well understood, and conducted on such purely scientific principles. It. is considered the beau ideal of hunting by those who pursue it. There can be no doubt that it is infinitely superior to stag hunting, for the real sportsman can only enjoy that chase when the deer is sought for, and found like other game, which are pursued with hounds. In the case of finding an outlying fallow-deer, which is unhar- boured in this manner, great sport is frequently afforded; but this is rarely to be met with in Britain. So that fox hunting is now the chief amusement of the true British sportsman ; and a noble one it is : the artifices and dexterity employed by this lively, crafty animal, to avoid the dogs, are worthy of our admiration, as he exhibits more devices for self-preservation than any other beast of the chase. In many parts of this and the sister island, hare hunting is much followed, but fox hunters consider it as a sport only fit for women and old men. But although it is less arduous than that of a fox chase, there are charms attached to it which compensate for the hard riding of the other. I think in all probability it is much more ancient, and was much practised, on account of the delicacy of the flesh of the hare. Xenophon, who flourished three hundred and fifty years before the birth of Christ, speaks of it in high terms in his treatise on hunting, and gives a minute account of the sport, with directions for the pursuit of it. In modern times, hares 136 HISTORICAL ACCOUNT OF HUNTING. are either hunted by packs of harriers or beagles, or coursed with greyhounds. I shall close this subject by the reflections of the great King of Prussia, who says — " The chase is one of the most sensual of pleasures, by which the powers of the body are strongly exerted, but those of the mind remain unemployed. It is an exercise which makes the limbs strong, active, and pliable, but leaves the head without improvement. It consists in a violent desire in the pursuit, and the indulgence of a cruel pleasure at the death, of the game. I am convinced that a man is more cruel and savage than any beast of prey. We exercise the dominion given us over these our fellow- creatures in the most tyrannical manner. If we pretend to any superiority over the beasts, it ought certainly to consist in reason ; but we commonly find that the most passionate lovers of the chase renounce this privilege, and converse only with their dogs, horses, and other irrational animals. This renders them wild and unfeel- ing, and it is probable that they cannot be merciful to the human species ; for a man who can in cold blood torture a poor innocent animal, cannot feel much com- passion for the distresses of his own species. And, besides, can the chase be a proper employment for a thinking mind ? " OF BRITISH FORESTS. 137 OF BRITISH FORESTS. The term forest implies a large extent of wood ; in French it is called lieu foretier et sauvage ; in Latin locus sylvestris et saltus. Manwood, in his Forest Laws^ Cap. i. No. 1. gives the following definition of it : — " A forest is a certain territory of woody grounds, and fruitful pastures, privileged for wild beasts, and fowls of forest, chase, and warren, to rest and abide there in the safe protection of the king, for his princely delight and pleasure ; which territory of ground so privileged, is meered and bounded by unremoveable marks, meeres, and boundaries, either known by matter of record or else by prescription, and also replenished by wild beasts of venery, or chase ; and with great covert of vers* for the succour of the said wild beasts; for the preservation and continuance of which said place, together with the vert and venison, there are certain particular laws, privileges, and officers, belonging only to the same." Forests are instituted in the following manner : — " The king sends out his commission, under the great seal of England, directed to certain discreet persons, * Vert, which in the French signifies green, comprehends every thing which bears green leaves in the forest. Manw. 51. L 138 OF BRITISH FORESTS. for the view, perambulation, meeting and bounding, of the place he mindeth to be a forest, which being returned into the chancery, proclamation is made throughout all the shire where the ground lieth, and none shall hunt or chase any manner of wild beasts in that precinct, without the king's special license ; after which he appointeth ordinances, laws, and officers, fit for the pre- servation of the vert and venison ; and so it becometh a forest by matter of record." Strictly speaking, a forest cannot be in the hands of any one but the king; because no other person has power to grant a commission to be a justice in eyre, to hold courts, &c. Canute made a law, that every freeman, who hunted a stag until he panted, was punished by the loss of liberty for one year; and if he was a bondsman, he was outlawed. The Norman kings not only enclosed forests, but also punished, with the utmost severity, those who hunted and killed any of the beasts. As an instance of which, we are informed by Brompton, that William I. caused the eyes of a man to be plucked out, who took either a buck or a boar. In some cases, they were punished by death ; and Knighton tells us, that William Rufus would hang a man for taking a doe. Henry I. considered it as great a crime to kill a buck as a man, and punished those who destroyed the game, (though not in the forest,) either by forfeiture of their goods, or by the loss of a limb. Henry II. was less arbitrary, and restricted it to personal imprisonment for a limited time. Richard I. revived the old laws of cas- tration, and pulling out the eyes of the delinquent. He, however, afterwards abolished these cruel punishments. OF BRITISH FORESTS. 139 and appointed those convicted to abjure the realm, be committed, or pay a fine. The following are properly the beasts of the forest : viz. The hart, hind, hare, boar, wolf, and fox; but legally all animals are beasts of venery. 1. Just. 233. We are informed by those historians who wrote at the time the New Forest in Hampshire was formed, that it was done at the expense of breaking up twenty-two parish churches, and many villages, chapels, and manors, for the space of thirty miles.* To this circumstance, some attributed the misfortunes which befel various princes in that forest. Robert, the eldest son of William the Conqueror, was hung on a bough in the forest ;f William Rufus was shot by Tyrrel ; and Prince Richard the brother of Henry I. was killed by a soldier. The total number of forests in England is sixty-nine ; * Walter Mapes, a historian, who wrote in the following age, gives what we must suppose to be rather an exaggerated account of that event : he says, " The Conqueror took away much land from God and men, converted its use to wild beasts, and the sport of dogs, demolishing thirty-six mother-churches, and driving away the inhabitants of many towns, measuring together fifty miles in compass." f In this instance the sins of the father seem to have been visited upon his son; and Judge Blackstone, in commenting upon the Forest Laws, says, — " From a simple principle, to which, though the Forest Laws are now mitigated, and by degrees grown entirely obsolete, yet from this root has sprung a bastard slip, known by the name of the Game Laws, now arrived to, and wantoning in its highest vigour ; both founded on the same unreasonable notions of permanent property in wild creatures, but Math this difference, that the Forest Laws established only one mighty hunter throughout the land, the Game Laws have raised a little Nimrod in every manor." 140 OF BRITISH FORESTS. amongst the most noted are, New Forest, Windsor, Berkshire, Pickering, Sherwood, Englewood, Cumber- land, Lancaster, Wolmere, Gillingham, Knaresborough, Wallham, Caral, Breden, White Hart, Wiersdale, Lownfall, Dean, St Leonards, Wybridge, Sapler, Whit- ney, Feckenham, Rockingham, Forest de la Mer, Hucke- flow, Ashdown, Sussex, Whittle wood, Swacy, Frousel- wood, Watterdown, Andelworth, and Darlington. TERMS AND PHRASES USED IN HUNTING. 141 TERMS AND PHRASES USED IN HUNTING. 1. For animals that are in company, — A head of harts ; a bey of roes ; a sounder of wild boars ; a rout of wolves ; a richess of martins ; a brace, or leash, of bucks, foxes, or hares ; a couple of rabbits. 2. For their abode, — A hart harbours ; a buck lodges ; a roe beds ; a hare seats, or forms ; a rabbit sits and burrows ; a fox kennels and earths ; a martin trees ; an otter ivatches ; a badger earths ; a boar couches. From these are the terms, unharbour the hart; rouse the buck; start the hare ; bolt the rabbit ; unkennel the fox ; untree the martin ; vent the otter ; fi% the badger ; and rear the boar. 3. The noise they make at rutting time: — A hart belleth ; a buck groans, or troats ; a roe bellows ; a hare beats, or taps ; an otter whines ; a boar freams j a fox barks ; a badger shrieks ; a wolf howls. 4. jFor the footing, or treading, — We say the slot of a hart ; the ^'ez# of bucks and fallow deer. Of deer when on the grass, and hardly visible, the foiling. The print of a fox ; the footing of other animals, called vermin ; the track of a boar ; the soreing of a hare, and, when she bounds about, doubling; pranking, when her feet are seen on the high-way; and the traces, when her foot- marks are in snow. L2 142 TERMS AND PHRASES USED IN HUNTING. 5. The tail of a fox is called the brush, or drag ; of all the deer tribe, the single ; of a boar, the wreath ; of a wolf, the stern ; of a hare and rabbit, the scut. 6. The ordure and feces of all kinds of deer, the fetametSyOrfewmishing ; of a hare, the crotiles, or crotising; of a boar, lesses ; of a fox, the billiting ; of an otter, the spraints ; of other vermin, the fuants. 7. The attire, or horns, of deer. — A stag has the bur, the pearls, which are little knobs on it ; the beam with the gutters ; the antler, sur-antler, sur-royal, royal, and the top are the croches. A buck has bur, beam, brow- antler, black-antler, advamen palm, and spellens. If the croches grow in the form of a hand, it is called a palm head. 8. We say a litter of cubs ; a nest of rabbits ; the dray of a squirrel. 9. In speaking of dogs in society, — Two are a brace of greyhounds, and three are a leash. A couple of hounds, and when three, a couple-and-half Greyhounds are let slip. Hounds are cast off. The string wherewith a grey- hound is led, is called a leash, and that of a hound a lyome. We speak of the collar of a greyhound, and the couples of hounds of all kinds. Speaking of stag or fox-hounds, we say a kennel ; and of beagles a. pack. In Great Britain, the different chases which are pursued are, hart, buck, doe, fox, badger, and otter. When hounds are cast off, and find the scent of game, they begin to open, and cry, which is termed challenging. When they make much ado about scent which is not good, they are said to babble ; and when too busy even when it is good, they are said to bawl. When they run merrily and orderly in pursuit, they TERMS AND PHRASES USED IN HUNTING. 143 are said to be in full cry. When they run without opening, they are said to run mute. When beagles bark and cry at their prey, they are said to yearn. When dogs hit the scent the contrary way to that which the animal ran, they are said to draw amiss. When dogs run at a whole herd of deer, without singling out one, it is called running riot. When dogs are set in readiness where the game is expected to come by, and cast off after the other hounds are passed, it is called a relay. If they be cast off before the other dogs come up, it is termed a vauntlay. When the horn is blown to encourage the hounds, it is termed a call, or a recheat. When blown at the death of all kinds of deer, it is called the mort. The part of animals given to the dogs is termed the reward. They say take off a. deer's skin ; strip or case a hare, fox, and all sorts of vermin, which is done by beginning at the snout, and turning the skin over the ears down to the tail. With respect to the seasons for pursuing different animals, — Hart and buck hunting begins a fortnight after Mid-summer, and lasts till Holyrood day ; that for the hind and doe begins on Holyrood day, and lasts till Candlemas. Fox hunting begins at Christmas, and holds till Lady-day. Roe hunting begins at Michael- mas, and ends at Christmas ; hare hunting begins at Michaelmas, and lasts till the end of February ; and where the wolf and wild boar are hunted, the seasons commence at Christmas ; the first ending at Lady-day, and the last at the Purification. 144 CHARACTER OF THE GENUS EQUUS, CHARACTER OF THE GENUS EQUUS, OR THE HORSE. The generic character of horses, according to Lin- naeus, is, that the fore-teeth are twelve in number, the upper six erect and parallel, the lower six more promi- nent ; the tusks are solitary, included, remote ; teats two, inguinal ; they fight by biting, and kicking with their hind feet ; and they have the singular property of breathing only through the nostrils, and not through the mouth. The horse genus, according to the Cuvierian arrange- ment, is placed in the Class Mammalia, which contains those animals that suckle their young, and forms the ninth genus of his sixth order,* called Pachydermata. The following are his characters of this order : — Skin very thick, whence the name of the order ; some of the genera are partially without teeth, others with the three sorts of teeth ; quadrupedal, generally with hoofs, and the toes varying in number ; stomach simple, and they do not ruminate ; without clavicles, or collar- bones. They are either herbivorous or omnivorous, and their habits are various. They generally inhabit the temperate and torrid zones. The genus Equus, or Horse, contains six species, OR THE HORSE. 145 agreeing in their essential characters, which are thus defined by Cuvier, in his Regne Animal: — Incisory teeth, six in the upper jaw, and six in the under ; two canines, one above and one below, on each side of the cutting or incisory teeth, (the females of some of the species with no canine teeth,) and six cheek teeth, or grinders, on each side, on both jaws ; they are furrowed on both sides with flat crowns and several ridges of enamel. Between the canines and cheek teeth is a void space ; the upper lip is suscep- tible of considerable motion ; the eyes are large ; the pupil oblong-ovate, placed laterally ; their sight excel- lent, and, although not formed for seeing in the night, they can distinguish objects very clearly in the dark ; ears rather small, pointed, and erect, having great mobility in the external conch, so that their hearing is very acute, and is the sense which, in all proba- bility, they possess in the greatest perfection ; feet, with a single apparent toe, covered with a thick hoof; the tail is furnished with long hair, or with a tuft at the extremity ; mammae two, inguinal ; the stomach is simple and membranaceous, and the intestines and caecum very large. This genus forms a very natural, though isolated, division in the Class Mammalia. Its characters are so distinct, that it cannot be grouped with any other genus. This is strongly exemplified by the different places the genus has occupied in the arrangements of authors ; to none of which it had the slightest alliance. In the Linnaean arrangement, it is placed with the hippopo- tamus, as a genus of the order Belluce. The method of Erxleben, ranks it between the elephant and drome- 146 CHARACTER OF THE GENUS EQUUS. dary. Storr made a distinct order of it, to follow the ruminantia, under the name Solipedes, which was followed by Baron Cuvier in his first edition of the Hegne Animal, and has been, subsequently, placed by him in the order Pachydermata. The feet of all the species are monodactylous, or having but one toe ; however, the rudiments of two other toes are to be seen under the skin. From their acute sense of hearing, their attention is speedily arrested by any new sound, at which they will instantly halt, and listen with great attention. Their sense of smell is also very delicate, and it is frequently exercised on objects with which they are unacquainted. The thickness of their hides must render their sense of feeling less acute. The horse is the only quadruped, with a thick and round body, which is graceful ; and his head, although not so elegant as that of some other quadrupeds, is, nevertheless, capable of manifesting the varied emotions of pride, docility, courage, and caution. The species of this genus are six, namely, the horse, ass, common zebra, zebra of the plains, quagga, dzhiggtai, with the mule, which may be regarded as a sub-species. It is not possible to determine whether the fossil bones of horses, which are found, in strata, associated with the bones of other extinct species of animals, are really of a distinct species from any that at present exist; but, judging from analogy, we are warranted in supposing them to be so. There is so little difference in the bones of this genus, that the most skilful osteo- logists are unable, from them, to determine the species, which they can distinguish with ease and certainty in almost every other animal. SPECIFIC ACCOUNT OF THE HORSE. 147 SPECIFIC ACCOUNT OF THE HORSE. Species I. — Equus Caballus. — Linnaeus. THE COMMON HORSE. The horse, in Hebrew, is called Sus, and the mare Susah ; in Syriac, he is called Rckesh and Sousias ; by the Arabians, Bagel ; by the Chaldeans, Ramakim and Susuatha; by the Persians, Asbaca ; by the ancient Greeks, Hippos, and, in the modern Greek, Alogo ; in Latin, Equus and Caballus ; by the Italians and Spaniards, Cavallo ; by the French, Cheval ; by the Germans, Kossz ; by the Bohemians, Kun, The following is the specific distinction of the horse : — The tail is long, with hair all over; the mane is long, and he is without any humeral stripe. According to Linnaeus, the horse is a native of Europe, and the East ; a generous, proud, and strong animal; fit either for the draught, the course, or the road; he is delighted with woods ; he takes care of his hinder parts ; defends himself from the flies with his tail ; scratches his fellow ; defends his young ; calls by neigh- ing ; sleeps after night-fall ; fights by kicking, and also by biting ; rolls on the ground when he sweats ; eats the 148 SPECIFIC ACCOUNT OF THE HORSE. grass closer than the ox ; wants a gall-bladder ; never vomits ; the foal is produced with the feet stretched out ; he is injured by being struck on the ear, upon the stifle, by being caught by the nose in barnacles, by having his teeth rubbed with tallow, and by various herbs. His diseases are different in different countries. A con- sumption of the ethmoid bones of the nose, called the glanders, is, with us, the most infectious and fatal disease. He eats hemlock without injury ; he has no canine teeth till five years of age. " Of all quadrupeds," says Buffon, " the horse pos- sesses, along with grandeur of stature, the greatest elegance and proportion of parts. By comparing him with the animals above or below him, we find that the ass is ill made, and that the head of the lion is too large ; that the limbs of the ox are too slender, and too short in proportion to the size of his body ; that the camel is deformed ; and that the grosser animals, as the rhinoceros, hippopotamus, and elephant, may be con- sidered as rude and shapeless masses. The great difference between the head of man and that of the quadruped, consists in the length of their jaws, which is the most ignoble of all characters. But, although the jaws of the horse be very long, he has not, like the ass, an air of imbecility, nor, like the ox, of stupidity. The regularity and proportion of the parts of his head, give him a light and sprightly aspect, being gracefully attached to his finely arched neck, which is well supported by the beauty of his chest. He elevates his head, as if anxious to exalt himself above the condition of other quadrupeds. In this noble attitude he regards man, face to face. His eyes are open, lively, and SPECIFIC ACCOUNT OF THE HORSE. 149 intelligent ; his ears handsome, and of a proper height, being neither too long, like those of the ass, nor too short, like those of the bull. His mane adorns his graceful neck, and gives him the appearance of strength and courage. His long bushy tail covers, and terminates with advantage, the extremity of his body. His tail, very different from the short tails of the deer, elephant, and hippopotamus, and from the naked tails of the ass, camel, and rhinoceros, is formed of long, thick hairs, which seem to rise from his crupper, because the trunk from which they proceed is very short. He cannot, like the lion, elevate his tail ; but, though pendulous, it becomes him better ; and, as he can move it from side to side, it serves him to drive off the flies, which incommode him ; for though his skin is very firm, and well garnished with close hair, it is, nevertheless, very sensible." The attachment of the horse's head, above all, especially contributes to give him a graceful aspect : its most advantageous position is, when the front is perpendicular to the horizon. The superior ridge of his neck, from which the mane issues, should first rise in a straight line from the withers, and then, as it approaches the head, form a curve nearly similar to that of a swan's neck. The inferior part of the neck should have no curvature, but rise in a straight line from the poitral, or breast, to the under jaw, with a small inclination forward. If it rose in a perpendicular direction, its symmetry and gracefulness would be greatly diminished. The superior part of the neck should be thin, with little flesh near the mane, which ought to be decorated with long, flowing, and delicate 150 SPECIFIC ACCOUNT OF THE HORSE. hair. The neck, to be fine, must be long, elevated, and proportioned to the general size of the animal. When too long, the horse commonly throws back his head ; and, when too short and fleshy, the head is heavy to the hand in riding. The head of the horse should not be too long, and it ought to be rather thin than otherwise. The front should be narrow, and a little convex ; the eye-pits well filled, and the eye-lids thin ; the eyes large and prominent, clear, lively, and sparkling with fiery glances ; the pupil should be large ; the under jaw should be a little thick, but not fleshy ; the nose slightly arched ; the nostrils open and deep, and divided by a thin septum, or partition ; the ears should be small, erect, and narrow, but not too stiff, and placed on the upper part of the head, at a proper distance from each other, but not too wide, as this always gives a horse a dis- agreeable aspect ; the mouth should be delicate, and moderately split ; the withers sharp and elevated ; the shoulders flat and not confined ; the back equal, a little arched lengthwise, and raised on each side of the spine, which should have the appearance of being slightly sunk ; the flanks short and full ; the crupper round and plump ; the haunches well furnished with muscular flesh ; the dock, or fleshy part of the tail, firm and thick ; the thighs large and muscular ; the hough round before, broad on the sides, and tendinous behind ; the shank thin before, and broad on the sides ; the tendo Achillis prominent, strong, and well detached from the leg -bone ; and the fetlock somewhat prominent, and furnished with a small tuft of long hair behind ; the pasterns should be of a middling length, and pretty SPECIFIC ACCOUNT OF THE HORSE. 151 large ; the coronet a little elevated ; the hoof black, solid, and shining ; the instep high ; the quarters round ; the heels broad, and a little prominent ; the frog thin and small, and the sole thick and concave. The colours of horses are extremely variable, and they are generally distinguished by this mark. — Bay is of various shades, viz. — a black-bay, brown-bay, and dapple-bay; these have always black manes and tails. Dun, and mouse-dun; these have frequently a black list along the spine. Flea-bitten, which is white, spotted with a reddish colour. Grey, dapple- grey, silver-grey, sad, or powdered grey, black-grey, branded-grey, sandy-grey, and iron-grey. Grissel, or rount, is a light flesh colour, intermixed with white. Peach colour, or blossom colour. Piebald consists of two colours, one of them white. Roan, is bay, black, or sorrel, intermixed with white hair. Rubicund, black, or sorrel, with a few white hairs scattered about his body. Chestnut, light and dark. Sorrel, common sorrel, red sorrel, bright, or red coloured sorrel, burnt sorrel. Starling colour, resembling a blackish, or brownish grey, only more freckled, or intermixed with white. Tiger colour, something like branded grey, only the spots smaller. Wolf colour, cream colour, deer colour, black, white, &c. with many other modifications of all these. White horses were most esteemed in ancient times, being considered a mark of pre-eminence, or sover- eignty ; and cream coloured horses were much sought after by people of high rank. We are informed by Herodotus, that the Sicilians paid an annual tribute of three hundred and sixty white horses to Darius, king of Persia. Marcus Paulus tells us, that in Persia, in the 152 SPECIFIC ACCOUNT OF THE HORSE. march of Xerxes against Greece, the chariot of Jupiter was drawn by eight white Nyssean horses, this being the colour religiously appropriated to the deity ; there were studs of ten thousand white horses together, very fleet, with their hoofs so hard, that shoeing was unne- cessary. Livy and Diodorus Siculus inform us, that white horses were highly esteemed, both in Sicily and Rome ; this was also the case in Naples and in Britain in the middle ages. Our late sovereign, King George the Third, had a great liking to white, as well as cream coloured horses, and he had always a set of these for grand state occasions. The horse, when properly trained, and treated with kindness, shews much attachment to man, and his moral qualities are, like that of other animals in a state of domestication, extremely varied. Some pos- sess great courage, others are extremely timid ; some have great memory, others are devoid of it ; some are lively, obedient, intelligent, playful, and generous, while others are dull, stupid, obstinate, and vicious.* * I am indebted to the kindness of Sir Walter Scott, for calling my attention to James Sullivan, who possessed the art of training the most furious horse, by being permitted to be alone with him for a short time ; this fact is recorded in " Townsend's Survey of the County of Cork," who remarks, that although the following circumstances appear almost incredible, yet they are never- theless true, as he was an eye-witness to them : — " James Sulli- van was a native of the county of Cork, and an awkward, ignorant rustic, of the lowest class, generally known by the appellation of the Whisperer, and his profession was horse-breaking. The credulity of the vulgar bestowed that epithet upon him, from an opinion that he communicated his wishes to the animal by means of a whisper ; and the singularity of his method gave some colour to the superstitious belief. As far as the sphere of his controul SPECIFIC ACCOUNT OF THE HORSE. 153 But we do not find, as some authors have stated, that these are the characters of distinct breeds, although there can be little doubt but they are hereditary, and ought to be guarded against in breeding. extended, the boast of Vent, Vidi, Vici, was more justly claimed by James Sullivan, than by Caesar, or even Buonaparte himself. How his art was acquired, or in what it consisted, is likely to remain for ever unknown, as he has lately left the world without divulging it. His son, who follows the same occupation, pos- sesses but a small portion of the art, having either never learned its true secret, or being incapable of putting it in practice. The wonder of his skill consisted in the short time requisite to accomplish his design, which was performed in private, and without any apparent means of coercion. Every description of horse, or even mule, whether previously broke, or unhandled, whatever their peculiar vices or ill habits might have been, sub- mitted, without show of resistance, to the magical influence of his art, and, in the short space of half an hour, became gentle and tractable. The effect, though instantaneously produced, was generally durable. Though more submissive to him than to others, yet they seemed to have acquired a docility unknown before. When sent for to tame a vicious horse, he directed the stable in which he and the object of his experiment were placed, to be shut, with orders not to open the door until a signal given. After a tete-a-tete between him and the horse for about half an hour, during which little or no bustle was heard, the signal was made ; and, upon opening the door, the horse was seen lying down, and the man by his side, playing familiarly with him, like a child with a puppy-dog. From that time he was found perfectly willing to submit to discipline, however repugnant to his nature before. Some saw his skill tried on a horse, which could never before be brought to stand for a smith to shoe him. The day after Sullivan's half-hour lecture, I went, not without some incredulity, to the smith's shop, with many other curious spectators, where we were eye-witnesses of the complete success of his art. This, too, had been a troop horse; and it was supposed, not without reason, that, after M2 154 SPECIFIC ACCOUNT OF THE HORSE. The rut takes place in the spring ; and the mare goes with foal usually about eleven months, but sometimes exceeds it a few days. She brings forth but one at a birth; the colt is covered with hair, with its eyes open, and it has sufficient strength to enable it to walk. There are, however, instances where she has been known to produce twins, but this is exceedingly rare. The following remarkable instance is recorded in the Sporting Magazine, for August, 1794 : — " In the season of ninety-three, Bergem, who keeps a house known by the sign of the Wrestlers, on Alderham Common, Herts, had a pony-mare covered by a horse of Ricketts Johnston, Esq. of Busbey, named Sceptre, and after having offered her the horse at regular periods, which she refused to take, naturally supposed she held, and, as usual, turned her upon the Common to graze among the herds of ponies with which it abounds. A little while previous to the time he expected she would foal, he removed her, for the convenience of pasture, regimental discipline had failed, no other would be found availing. I observed that the animal seemed afraid whenever Sullivan either spoke or looked at him. How that extraordinary ascendency could have been obtained, it is difficult to conjecture. In common cases, this mysterious preparation was unnecessary. He seemed to possess an instinctive power of inspiring awe, the result, per- haps, of natural intrepidity, in which, I believe, a great part of his art consisted ; though the circumstance of the tete-a-tete shows, that, upon particular occasions, something more must have been added to it. A faculty like this would, in other hands, have made a fortune, and great offers have been made to him for the exercise of his art abroad ; but hunting, and attachment to his native soil, were his ruling passions. He lived at home, in the style most agreeable to his disposition, and nothing could induce him to quit Dunhallow and the fox-hounds." — Pp. 438, &c. SPECIFIC ACCOUNT OF THE HORSE. 155 &c. from the Common to a close adjoining his home, where she shortly after dropt a foetus, (if I may so use the expression,) in the form of a foal, from the small- ness of which it was apparent she had not gone her full time, although more than eleven months were elapsed since she was covered by Sceptre ; it was also so extremely weak and feeble, as not to give any hopes of its ever attaining maturity, and so frightfully ill formed, that Bergem, from an idea that it was not worth any care or attention, and that as long as it lived it would remain a horrid fright, was inclined, and universally advised, to destroy it. He, however, permit- ted it to continue with the mare, who, after an interval of fourteen days, to the astonishment of every one, produced a colt-foal of the most lively and promising appearance, which, with the foetus, still suck their dam." In 1824, a mare, in the possession of Mr William Biles, of Gatewood farm, the property of Mr Thomas Benwell, of Wimborne, Dorset, produced twin colts. Some days after the birth of the foal, the two middle incisory teeth appear in each jaw ; within three and four months, two others appear, at the right and left, and the last two within six months. These are termed the milk teeth, and are reproduced at intervals of six months, between the years of two and three. The colt is suckled twelve months, and arrives at its adult state in five years. In the Limerick Evening Post for 1829, it was stated, that there was then in the possession of Mr Thomas Kepper, in the parish of Athnakisha, county of Cork, a 156 SPECIFIC ACCOUNT OF THE HORSE. mare, which had advanced to the extraordinary age of forty-nine years, having a foal in June that year. On the 12th May, 1826, a very fine foal was dis- covered at the feet of a mare, belonging to Mr Archibald Hamilton, Broomhill, parish of Wamphray, Dumfries- shire, although the mother, at the time mentioned, wanted some days of being two years old ; a circum- stance altogether unprecedented in English breed- ing. The opposite extremes in the growth of the horse are surprising ; for we find him sometimes of the magnitude of a camel, with the corpulence of an ox ; and, at other times, reduced to the size of a Newfoundland dog, in height and bulk. In 1824, there were at the riding school of Valenciennes, two of the smallest horses in France, and perhaps in Europe. They were well matched, and only measured thirty inches in height. The horse, if properly treated, will live to a great age. The best time of his life is considered to be betwixt that of five and ten years, although there have been many instances where he has proved highly serviceable until twenty years; and it is on record that some horses have wrought till upwards of thirty years old. Mr Ganly mentions, " in addition to the many recorded instances of a longer life in the horse than is commonly met with, I can adduce the following one of my own, and the best I ever possessed, whether in the field or on the road, and which I bought when he was twenty-two years old ; and, after this, he was hunted hard three seasons, as well as rode as a hackney during the summers." Mares are said to be aged at SPECIFIC ACCOUNT OF THE HORSE. 157 seven years old, and horses at eight. The mark* leaves both at seven. When they arrive at twelve or fourteen, they are considered in old age. Albertus mentions, that in his time there was an instance of a charger proving serviceable at the advanced age of sixty ; and Augustus Nephus says, there was a horse in the stable of Ferdinand the First, that had attained the extra- ordinary age of seventy years. This is the oldest horse which I have ever heard of, and, in all probability, the only one on record which had reached that age. The senses of the horse are acute and delicate ; his intellectual character is marked by a quick perception, an excellent memory, and a benevolent disposition. It is very rarely, indeed, that a horse will tread on a human being, if left to his own will. Such is the disposition of the horse, although endowed with vast strength and great activity, that he rarely exerts either to his master's prejudice ; on the contrary, he will endure fatigues, or even death, for his benefit. Providence seems to have implanted in him a bene- volent disposition, and a fear of the human race, with a certain consciousness of the services man can render him. Though the horse is naturally bold and intrepid, he does not allow himself to be hurried on by a furious ardour. On proper occasions he represses his move- ments, and knows how to check the natural fire of his temper. He not only yields to the hand, but seems to * I shall give a minute description of the teeth of the horse, with the marks which distinguish them, from the colt state till they arrive at the age of fifteen. These will be found in the " Sketch of the Anatomy of the Horse." 158 SPECIFIC ACCOUNT OF THE HORSE. consult the inclinations of his rider. Always obedient to the impressions he receives, he flies or stops, and, in general, regulates his motions solely by the will of his master. There are several parts of a horse that he cannot reach with his teeth to scratch when they itch : when these parts do itch, he usually goes to another horse, and bites him on the spot where he wishes to be scratched himself; the sagacious companion generally takes the hint, and performs the office for him. Dr Darwin, who was an attentive and acute observer of nature, once observed a young foal bite its dam, to indicate its wish to be scratched. But the mare, not choosing to lose a mouthful of grass, which she was in the act of chewing, merely rubbed the place on the foal's neck with her nose. So that there can be little doubt but it was from reflection that she rubbed where she was bitten. The affections of the horse are not confined to man, for he, in general, extends his attachment to other animals who are associated with him. The familiarity that subsists between him and the canine species is too well known to require any comment; and numerous historians might be adduced, to shew the friendship between horses and cats, which happen to be the inmates of stables; we need only refer to the well known one of the Godolphin Arabian. There is fre- quently much natural regard exhibited by the horse and goat towards each other, the latter being a frequent accompaniment to stable-yards, in this country, as well as on the continent. Horses are extremely fond of music ; those of field- SPECIFIC ACCOUNT OF THE HORSE. 159 officers seem to listen to a military band with the greatest delight, and they not unfrequently approach close to it when playing. The effect of music on the horse has been known to mankind from the earliest ages. Gratius says, the Libyan shepherds used to allure the wild horses by the charms of music. A remarkable proof of the effect of sweet sounds will be found in an anecdote in our account of the hunter. Gibbon* says, " Olearius, as quoted by M. de Buffon, (Histoire Naturelle, torn xi. page 241.) rejects with scorn the antipathy which the ancients have supposed between the horse and camel, and of which they have related such celebrated instances. Every caravan and every stable in Persia is, according to Olearius, a proof of the contrary. But this reasoning is very fallacious. The instances mentioned by the ancients, suppose these animals unacquainted with each other, meeting for the first time, and left entirely to their natural impressions. But it is not the least proof of the empire of man over the animals, that, by habit and education, he can esta- blish a degree of harmony between the most discordant natures. The dog and the cat are domestic evidence of this assertion." M. Sante, in a memoir on the camels of San Rossora, published at Paris, in 1811, confirms the natural anti- pathy of the horse to the camel. It is necessary, at Pisa, gradually to accustom young horses to the sight of camels ; and it is a general practice to place them together when training. Without this precaution there would be constant accidents from the meeting of these * Miscellaneous Works, vol. iii. page 57, 4to. 1815. 160 SPECIFIC ACCOUNT OF THE HORSE. animals. For, if a strange horse passes through Pisa, and sees a] camel, which is a frequent occurrence both in the town and neighbourhood, he immediately starts, stops, and elevating his mane and ears with terror, trembles, paws the earth, and, in many instances, takes the bit in his teeth, and flies off with the utmost precipitancy. This terror on the part of the horse, may also be frequently witnessed in this country, when camels are exhibited on the streets. I have myself observed it, — in one instance in particular, in 1828. A camel was led about by a man; one day, in the Lothian Road, Edinburgh, a cart-horse, on perceiving the animal, exhibited every mark of terror, and set off, with the empty cart, at full gallop, which all the efforts of the driver could not restrain, till it had run upwards of two hundred yards from the spot. It may be adduced, in opposition to this, that at Smyrna, and other parts of the East, horses and camels frequently form part of the same caravan. But in these countries they have been associated for many ages, and their natural antipathies subdued by habit. We are borne out in this opinion from what is related by Herodotus. He says, that when Cyrus met the Lydian army, under the command of Crcesus, under the walls of Sardis, in battle array, with a powerful cavalry, which he dreaded, he devised a stratagem to defeat their attack. He ordered all the camels to be disencumbered of their baggage and provisions, assembled them toge- ther, each with a soldier on his back, and marched them against the cavalry of Crcesus, followed first by the infantry, and with the Persian horse in their rear. This was done, says Herodotus, to confuse the enemy, SPECIFIC ACCOUNT OF THE HORSE. 161 as the horse can neither bear the sight nor smell of a camel. It had the desired effect ; for the cavalry of Crcesus became unmanageable, immediately on feeling the smell of the camels, and ran away from them. iElianus and Aristotle assert, that the bustard has a great attachment for horses. They say that, as soon as a bustard sees a horse, on a pasture ground, he immediately flies to him, and if the horse should move off from him, probably from being startled at his approach, the bird will follow. According to these authors, this has been known from the earliest ages ; for they say, that when the Egyptians represented a weak man driving away a stronger, they depicted a bustard flying to a horse, in act of galloping before it. The horse certainly reasons on consequences, for he at all times shews the greatest caution. If walking over boggy ground, it is next to an impossibility to urge him forward with speed, for every step betrays his fear of sinking ; and if on rocky or uneven ground, where the stones are moveable, he will also pick his steps with much caution, feeling with his foot before he puts it down. It is well known, that horses have a great dislike to cross muddy streams with which they are unacquainted. " I have often remarked," says Professor Hennings, " that when I have wanted to ride through clear water, where the bottom could be seen, the horse went through without hesitation, but when the water was muddy, he shrunk back, tried the bottom with one foot, and, in case he found it firm, advanced the other after it ; but if, at the second step he took, he found the depth to increase considerably, he went back. Why did he act in this manner ? Certainly for no N 5 162 SPECIFIC ACCOUNT OF THE HORSE. other reason than because he supposed the depth would increase still farther, and be attended with danger. Did not the horse then act upon premeditated grounds ? That horses proceed very cautiously over elastic turf, or marshy ground, is known to every one who has travelled on horseback over ground of that description. Pontoppidan says, that the Norwegian horses, in going up or down the steep paths among the rocks, feel their way very cautiously before them, to ascertain whether the stones upon which they are about to step are firm. In these cases the best horseman's life would be in danger if he did not let the animal act according to his own judgment." It is well known, that on " the extensive moorlands of Staffordshire, the horses stamp upon the gorse furze with their feet, in order to break the points of their thorns, and render them more easily eaten. Where the country is more fertile, no such precaution is taken by horses, because they have not had experience ; consequently, when they eat that shrub, of which they are excessively fond, their mouths may frequently be seen bleeding with the wounds from the thorns." A strong proof of the caution of the horse, oc- curred to me, some years ago, when on a visit to Mr Wilkie of Lady thorn, in Northumberland, near Berwick. I wished to pay my respects to a friend who lived near Bamborough, and was accordingly mounted on a strong chestnut horse for this purpose. On returning to Lady- thorn, as my time was limited, I endeavoured to make a near cut over the sand hills, in place of skirting close to the land. This obliged me to cross a sandy bay, on entering which the horse exhibited the utmost SPECIFIC ACCOUNT OF THE HORSE. 163 unwillingness to proceed, using every effort to keep by the land. However, I persisted, and had not proceeded far, when the horse suddenly sunk to the shoulders in a quicksand. I abruptly pulled his head out, and succeeded in returning to the hard beach, after which, neither spur nor whip could urge him to go beyond a walk, until I availed myself of the first bye road which presented itself, when he no sooner found himself on secure ground, than he willingly set off at a gallop. From many experiments made at St Petersburgh, in combats between different animals, it appears that a wild horse is more than a match for two hungry wolves ; and, if he has been shod, he can soon destroy the most crafty of these animals ; whereas a bear, that can with- out difficulty make himself master of an ox, or a tame horse, is soon killed if two wolves are let loose upon him. The barbarous and absurd practice of docking and nicking the tails of horses, and the hideous custom of cropping their ears, which was so prevalent some years ago, have ceased to be fashionable. The former was most commonly practised on waggon horses, under the pretence that a bushy tail collected the dirt of the roads. That of nicking was chiefly performed on hackneys and hunters, to make them carry their tails high ; and that of cropping their ears, from a notion that it made them appear more smart. Thus, from ideal necessity, the animal was deprived of two parts essentially necessary to himself, and useful to man ; for, by docking and nicking the tail, we destroy the utility of that organ in lashing off the flies and other insects, by which he is tormented in summer, and deprive him of a necessary 164 SPECIFIC ACCOUNT OF THE HORSE. protection against cold in winter. But, of all others, the useless and cruel operation of nicking, deserves our most severe censure. This cruel practice of wounding and tormenting the animal, for the purpose of adding to his appearance of smartness, could never be witnessed by the humane without creating a shudder. One can scarcely conceive the pain suffered in cutting the ver- tebral column, which, from containing the medullary substance, and the spinal cord, conveying to every part of the body the nerves of sensation, is consequently one of the most sensitive parts of the animal. After thus lacerating the tail in this most savage manner, it is held up by pullies for weeks together ; and all this the poor animal is subjected to, for the paltry consideration of making him carry his tail a little higher, and at the expense, besides, of depriving it of motion. By cropping the ears, the funnels which convey to the internal drum the impulses of sound, are rendered nearly useless, and hence a horse which has been thus treated is unsafe to be used either on a street, or a much frequented road. Mare's milk is a favourite food with the Tartars ; and a fomented liquor is made from it by them, as also cheese. It is well known, that the excrement of the horse is a valuable manure, especially for forming com- posts for agricultural purposes. We are told by Ure, that Major Spens of Stonelaw, a zealous agriculturist, " besides limeing and dunging in the ordinary way, he finds it his profit to purchase all the oyster shells he can procure in Glasgow. These he spreads in the gin- tracts at his coal-works, where, being broken to pieces SPECIFIC ACCOUNT OF THE HORSE. 165 by the feet of the horses, and mixed with their dung, they are reduced to an excellent manure." * The dung of the horse has been used as a substitute for money in a rude state of commerce. " We may add," says Smith in his Wealth of Nations, " another, hitherto unnoticed, though not so clearly a species of exchange, which is manure, that children and poor persons gather on the post-road in Yorkshire, and in the north, where, from the excellence of its quality, it is valuable to the farmer ; and I am told, that it is a very common practice for poor persons to exchange it for coals, or other necessaries — thus making horse-dung a species of money." The faeces of the horse is also used as fuel by the Tartars and Egyptians. It is not during his life only that the horse proves useful to man : for, when dead, his carcass is applied to various ends, his hide is tanned, and the leather is valuable for harness and coach work. The hair of his mane and tail is converted into a valuable article of commerce called hair-cloth ; of the same materials are made ropes and fishing lines. His bones are con- verted into magnesia, and they also make an excellent manure when ground. In Tartary, and other countries, his flesh is esteemed a superior food ; and, in Europe, is used for feeding hounds. * Ure's History of Rutherylen and East Kilbride, p. 116. OF ASIATIC HORSES. SECTION FIRST. OF ASIATIC HORSES. It appears to me, that the arrangement which is most natural, in a work of this kind, is to give, in the first place, an account of those horses which are nearest, and, in all probability, the genuine descendants of the wild stock, and afterwards to pass to the horses of Britain, and then to those of other countries. THE ARABIAN HORSE. After a careful consideration of all that can be gleaned from the writings of the earliest historians and natu- ralists, as well as of those who have visited Arabia in modern times, I think it indisputable, that that country is not the original abode of the horse, although it is there alone where he is to be found, in a domesticated state, in his greatest beauty and symmetry of form, — there that he is preserved without any foreign ad- mixture, possessing all the qualities for which this noble animal is so justly famed : exquisite proportions, elegant structure in every part of the body, fleetness THE ARABIAN HORSE. 167 and docility of disposition, are his genuine character- istics ; and these he seems to have preserved from his earliest introduction. Xenophon, in his " Treatise De Re Equestri," de- scribes almost exactly the eastern horses as they are to be found at the present time. The dry air and soil of Arabia seem peculiarly adapted to produce hard muscular fibre, both in man and ani- mals. The Bedouin Arabs are poor, lean, miserable looking people ; but, like their steeds, they can endure the most extraordinary privations and fatigue, travelling, in that parching climate, for days together, without having the means of allaying their thirst. Mr Smith properly observes, that " he should suppose it just as likely that a man would breed good runners (however good the blood) among marshes and bogs, as he would cart-horses in the deserts of Arabia. The former would get loaded with flesh and phlegm, and the latter would melt and starve." The pure Arabians are somewhat smaller than our race horses, seldom exceeding fourteen hands two inches in height. Their heads are very beautiful, clean, and wide between the jaws ; the forehead is broad and square ; the face flat ; the muzzle short and fine ; the eyes prominent and brilliant ; the ears small and hand- some ; the nostrils large and open ; the skin of the head thin, through which may be distinctly traced the whole of the veins, the neck rather short than other- wise. The body may, as a whole, be considered too light, and the breast rather narrow ; but behind the arms, the chest generally swells out greatly, leav- ing ample room for the lungs to play, and with great 168 OF ASIATIC HORSES. depth of ribs. The shoulder is superior to that of any other breed ; the scapula, or shoulder-blade, in- clines backwards nearly in an angle of forty-five de- grees ; the withers are high and arched ; the neck beautifully curved ; the mane and tail long, thin, and flowing : the legs are fine, flat, and wiry, with the posteriors placed somewhat oblique, which has led some to suppose that their strength was thereby less- ened — but this is by no means the case ; the bone is of uncommon density ; and the prominent muscles of the fore arms and thigh, prove that the Arabian horse is fully equal to all that has been said of its physical powers. The Arabian is never known, in a tropical climate, to be a roarer, or to have curbs, the shape, from the point of the hock to the fetlock, being very perfect. It is a remarkable fact, that the skin of all the light- coloured Arabians is either pure black, or bluish black, which gives to white horses that beautiful silvery gray colour so prevalent among the coursers of noble blood. Bay and chestnut are also common, and considered good colours. It has been remarked in India, that no horse of a dark gray colour was ever known to be a winner on the turf. If an Arabian horse exceed fourteen and a half hands in height, the purity of his blood is always doubted in India. Captain Home, of the Madras Horse Artillery, who has been extremely successful on the turf, and has had some of the best Arabian horses, tells me, he never knew one above that height. Esterhazy was fifteen hands, but universally believed to have descended from English stock. Some of the fastest horses which he remembers were even under fourteen hands, viz. Wilclblood was thirteen hands, three and THE ARABIAN HORSE. 169 seven-eighth inches ; Pyramus, thirteen hands, three and a half inches ; and Fadlallah, thirteen hands, three and three-eighth inches. In Arabia they have different breeds of horses, and reckon three of these as very distinct. A tradition among them is, that the two inferior kinds were the produce of horses introduced from India and Greece ; but little dependence can be put on this. The coursers of the second class, although ancient, have been mixed with plebeian blood, and are nevertheless deemed semi-noble by the natives. The last class comprehends the common horses, which are sold at a cheaper rate ; and there is not an Arabian, how poor soever, but is possessed of a horse. The coursers, or superior kind, bring five hundred French crowns, and some have even been sold so high as from four thousand to six thousand livres. Sometimes they are to be had very cheap, when they have certain marks, which are regarded by the superstitious Arabs as signs of bad fortune. M. Rosetti, late Austrian consul in Egypt, has com- municated, in his work on the Mines of the East, some interesting particulars relative to the various breeds of Arabian horses. These, M. Rosetti says, are five in number. The most noble is the Saklavi, which are distinguished by their long necks, and fine eyes. The tribe of Rowalla has the most beautiful and the greatest number of horses. The author affirms, what he himself witnessed, that the animals are aware when they are to be sold, and will not permit the buyer to come near them, till the seller has formally delivered them up with a little bread and salt. 170 OF ASIATIC HORSES. A late traveller in Arabia informs us, that there is a very small breed of horses in that country, which may be considered as Arabian ponies ; they are excellent on account of their hardiness and speed, and the great strength of which they are possessed. It is not unfrequent for these little animals to be ridden for a week together, without the saddle being removed from their back, or the girths loosened, — treatment which is likely to knock up a horse in any climate, but especially under a burning sun, and among arid plains. This traveller mentions having performed a journey of five days with one of these ponies, and on the first day, he lost the small supply of corn he had taken with him, so that the poor animal was obliged to subsist, during the following four, on the little grass he could pick up at the different stages. To illustrate the disposition of the Arabian horse, I quote the following account from the Memoir of Count Rzeiousky. It is descriptive of the Kohlan, or superior race. " Above all the horses in the world, the Kohlan is distinguished for the goodness of his qualities, and the beauty of his form. " An uncommon mildness of temper ; an unalterable faithfulness to his master ; a courage and intrepidity, as astonishing as they are innate in his noble breast ; an unfailing remembrance of the places where he has been, of the treatment he has received ; not to be led, not to be touched, but by his master ; in the most horrid confusion of a battle, cool and collected, he never for- gets the place he came from, and, though mortally wounded, if he can gather up sufficient strength, he THE ARABIAN HORSE. 171 carries back his desponding rider to his defeated tribe. His intelligence is wonderful : he knows when he is sold, or even when his master is bargaining to sell him. When the proprietor and purchaser meet for that pur- pose in the stables, the Kohlan soon guesses what is going on, becomes restless, gives from his beautiful eye a side-glance at the interlocutors, scrapes the ground with his foot, and plainly shews his discontent. Neither the buyer, nor any other, dares to come near him ; but, the bargain being struck, when the vender taking the Kohlan by the halter, gives him up to the purchaser, with a slice of bread and some salt, and turns away, never more to look at him as his own — an ancient custom of taking leave of a horse, and his recognizing a new master — it is then that this generous and noble animal becomes tractable, mild, and faithful to another, and proves himself immediately attached to him whom his passion, a few minutes before, might have laid at his feet, and trampled under his hoof. This is not an idle story ; I have been a witness of, and an actor in, the interesting scene, having bought three Kohlans in 1810 and 1811, from Turkish prisoners. I made the bargain in the stables, and received personally, and led off the most fierce but intelligent animals, which, before the above mentioned ceremony, I should not have dared to approach. The fact has been confirmed to me by all the Turkish and Arab prisoners, and by several rich Armenian merchants who deal in horses, and go gene- rally to the desert to buy them. The Kohlans also evince great warlike qualities." Bishop Heber gives the following interesting account of the docility and mild temper of the Arabian horse. 172 OF ASIATIC HORSES. He says, " My morning rides are very pleasant. My horse is a nice, quiet, good tempered little Arab, who is so fearless, that he goes, without starting, close to an elephant, and so gentle and docile, that he eats bread out of my hand, and has almost as much attach- ment and coaxing ways as a dog. This seems the general character of the Arab horses, to judge from what I have seen in this country. It is not the fiery dashing animal I had supposed, but with more ration- ality about him, and more apparent confidence in his rider, than the majority of English horses." An exception to the gentle, and naturally tractable disposition of the Arabian, was the horse named Chillaby, the property of Mr Jennings, of whom he was a great favourite. He was termed the mad Arabian, from his furious disposition. At Clay Hall, in Essex, when he first arrived there, he was kept chained like a wild beast ; and to try his ferocity, a malkin was placed in his paddock, dressed in the apparel of a man, which he instantly ran at, kicked with fury, and tore to atoms with his teeth. He was afterwards purchased for the Circus, at the opening of that place of amuse- ment in London, and there tamed by Hughes, the famous riding master to that institution. With all his vicious habits, he was, nevertheless, much attached to a lamb, which he would allow to mount on his shoulders, and from whence the little creature would frequently beat off the flies, which would attempt to settle on him in a hot day. The action of the Arabian in his native plains is very beautiful. He carries his head high, which gives him a dignified aspect ; his tail is turned up in the air, and THE ARABIAN HORSE. 173 forms the most graceful curve, which our English dealers have vainly attempted to imitate, by the cruel practice of nicking the vertebrae. The grooms, and keepers* of horses, in that country, take infinite trouble with their steeds, and are most punctual in currying and feeding them morning and evening. They get a small quantity of drink two or three times a-day. They are turned out to pasturage, in spring, on the dry aromatic herbage, and, when that is over, are taken in, and kept during the rest of the year solely on barley, with a small proportion of straw, on which they can sustain great fatigue and long exertion. They are inured to exist upon little drink, as the Arabs conceive (and very justly) that much liquid has the effect of not only destroying their fine shape, but also of affecting their breathing. Under all circumstances, the Arabian horse receives but a moderate portion of food, seldom exceeding five or six pounds of barley, with sometimes a little minced straw. On this scanty allowance, they are accustomed to travel from eighteen to twenty leagues a-day, and sometimes even more — a great distance, when we consider the heat of the country. They do not per- spire much, and continue long fit for active service. Their lungs are capacious, and it may be said their wind is almost inexhaustible. In Arabia, the horse is treated with the utmost gentleness, kindness, and affection. He inhabits the same tent with his master and family. His wife and children, with the mare and her foal, associate together in indiscriminate friendship ; occupying the same bed, where the little children may be seen prat- o 174 OF ASIATIC HORSES. tling with, climbing over the bodies, and hanging round the necks of the docile creatures, who in their turn will frequently repose with their heads reclining on some one of the family. Whipping, by an Arab, is considered the greatest cruelty to horses, and it is by gentle measures alone that he secures their affections, and willing service. This friendship is mutual ; for if the rider falls, although in the most rapid career, the horse instantly turns round, and waits, till remounted by his master. It is this friendly intercourse, and kind treatment, which renders the Arabian so gentle and mild in his disposition. Trained by the man who is to ride him, and who can appreciate his invaluable services, he is only taught those things which can render him useful. The Arab loves his horse as he does a child, and secures his affections by caresses: — the bond is mutual. But in Europe, horses are almost entirely brought up by servants, whose too common practice is, to teach them vicious habits, either by harsh treatment, or playing tricks with them, for their own amusement. We have the following interesting account of the love of an Arab for his horse in Clarke's Travels : — " Ibrahim went frequently to Rama to inquire news of the mare, which he dearly loved ; he would embrace her, wipe her eyes with his handkerchief, would rub her with his shirt-sleeves, would give her a thousand benedictions, during whole hours that he would remain talking to her. < My eyes,' would he say to her, 6 my soul, my heart, must I be so unfortunate as to have thee sold to so many masters, and not keep thee myself? I am poor, my antelope ! Thou knowest it THE ARABIAN HORSE. 175 well, my darling ! I brought thee up in my dwelling as my child ; I did never beat nor chide thee ; I caressed thee in the proudest manner. God preserve thee, my beloved ! Thou art beautiful, thou art sweet, thou art lovely ! God defend thee from envious eyes ! r This man's name was Ibrahim ; being poor, he had been under the necessity of allowing a merchant of Rama to become partner with him in the possession of this mare. She was called Toaisa ; her pedigree could be traced, on the side of sire and dam, for five hundred years prior to her birth. The price was three hundred pounds — an enormous sum in that country." If the Arab lie down to sleep in his journey through the desert, as he is frequently obliged to do from fatigue, his faithful mare will either browse on such herbage as may be near the spot, or will watch her master with the utmost solicitude ; and if a man or animal approaches, she will neigh loudly till he is awakened. A strange inconsistence, however, is mixed up with the kindness and consideration manifested by the Arab to his horse ; for, on the first trial of a young steed, it is no uncommon circumstance to ride one hundred miles on end over their burning deserts, under an almost vertical sun, without ever stopping to refresh the poor animal. When at the end of the journey, he is plunged into water up to the middle, and if he will eat his barley immediately thereafter, the purity of his blood and staunchness are considered incontrover- tible. The Arabs never train their horses to trot, but only to walk, canter, and gallop ; and their action at an amble is exceedingly easy and agreeable. 176 OF ASIATIC HORSES. M. Chateaubriand, in his Travels in Greece, gives an interesting account of the hardihood of the Arabian horse. He says, " They are never put under shelter, but left exposed to the most intense heat of the sun, tied by all four legs to stakes driven in the ground, so that they cannot stir ; the saddle is never taken from their backs ; they frequently drink but once, and have only one feed of barley in twenty-four hours. This rigid treatment, so far from wearying them out, gives them sobriety and speed. I have often admired an Arabian steed thus tied down to the burning sands, his hair loosely flowing, his head bowed between his legs, to find a little shade, and stealing, with his wild eye, an oblique glance of his master. Release his legs from the shackles, spring upon his back, and he will ' paw in the valley, he will rejoice in his strength, he will swallow the ground in the fierceness of his rage,' and you recognize the original picture of Job. Eighty or one hundred piastres are given for an ordinary horse, which is, in general, less valued than an ass or a mule ; but a horse, of well-known noble blood, will fetch any price. Abdallah, Pacha of Damascus, had just given three thousand piastres for one. The history of a horse is frequently the topic of conversation. When I was at Jerusalem, the feats of one of these steeds made a great noise. The Bedouin, to whom the animal, a mare, belonged, being pursued by the governor's guards, rushed with him from the top of the hills that over- looked Jericho. The mare scoured at full gallop down an almost perpendicular declivity, without stumbling, and left the soldiers lost in admiration and astonishment. The poor creature, however, dropped down dead on THE ARABIAN HORSE. 177 entering Jericho, and the Bedouin, who would not quit her, was taken, weeping over the body of his faithful companion. This mare has a brother in the desert, who is so famous, that the Arabs always know where he has been, where he is, what he is doing, and how he does. Ali Aga religiously shewed me, in the moun- tains near Jericho, the footsteps of the mare that died in the attempt to save her master. A Macedonian could not have beheld those of Bucephalus with greater respect." The Bedouin Arabs, a wandering tribe, who call themselves descendants of Ishmael, are great breeders, and certainly, from all accounts, produce some first-rate horses ; but, from their unsettled mode of life, the same dependence cannot be placed on the account they give of the pedigrees of their coursers, as on the other more settled tribes. To this people, however, good horses are of great importance, and highly essential in their plundering forays. They have among them most won- derful stories of their astonishing speed, and long endurance of fatigue, even upon a scanty meal, assisted by the partial repasts they can procure, while crossing some of the wild and barren tracts which lie betwixt cultivated spots in that country. It has been the business of the Arabs of the desert, for many ages, to breed horses. From their skill and practice, they certainly have acquired superiority of knowledge in this art, unequalled in any country. This accumulated experience is handed down from father to son by oral instruction, as no written rules have ever been discovered in the Arabic language. They sell their horses at high prices ; but their mares they will 173 OF ASIATIC HORSES. not part with on any consideration : so that, when strangers do possess themselves of these, it is either through fraud or bribery. The genealogies are always reckoned from the mothers. In the pedigree of their horses, the Arabs are more particular than any other nation on earth. In this respect, they look upon it as of more importance than even that of their chiefs. Among the great dealers in horses, they pride themselves on being rigidly strict, and are more to be depended on than those of Europe, in the pedigree of the horses they offer for sale. In the union of these animals of the superior or " noble blood," a sort of marriage rite is performed, which must be first publicly announced. Men of the highest rank in their country are present to witness the consum- mation, and to testify the fact. The ceremony is also repeated at the birth of the foal, and a certificate is made out within seven days thereafter. But, if these prescribed formalities have not been strictly ad- hered to, the colt, however good his points, is considered to be Kadischi, which signifies, of an unknown race, and will never bring a good price, or be valued, although his action be ever so fine; so jealous are that people of not allowing their Kailhan, or noble race, to be con- taminated. It is an undoubted fact, that they have pedigrees among them of not less than five hundred years, with the succession distinctly traced. We are informed by Weston, in his Fragments of Oriental Literature, that the following pedigree of an Arabian horse was hung about his neck when bought by Colonel Ainslie, during the last campaign in Egypt : " In the name of God, the merciful and compassionate, THE ARABIAN HORSE. 179 and of Seed Mohammed, agent of the high God, and of the companions of Mohammed, and of Jerusalem ! Praised be the Lord, the omnipotent Creator ! This is a high-bred horse, and its colt's tooth is here in a bag about his neck, with his pedigree, and of undoubted authority, such as no infidel can refuse to believe. He is the son of Rabbamy, out of the dam Lahadah, and equal in power to his sire — of the tribe Zazhalah. He is finely moulded, and made for running like an ostrich, and great in his stroke and his cover. In the honours of relationship he reckons Zaluah, sire of Mahat, sire of Kallack, and the unique Alket, sire of Manasseth, sire of Alsheh, father of the race down to the famous horse the sire of Lahalala ; — and to him be ever abundance of green meat, and corn, and water of life, as a reward from the tribe of Zazhalah, for the fire of his cover ; and many a thousand branches shade his carcass from the hyena of the tomb, from the howling wolf of the desert ; and let the tribe of Zazhalah present him with a festival within an enclosure of walls ; and let thousands assemble at the rising of the sun, in troops, hastily, where the tribe holds up, under a canopy of celestial signs, within the walls, the saddle with the name and family of the possessor. Then let them strike the hands with a loud noise incessantly, and pray to God for immunity for the tribe of Zoab, the inspired tribe." The following is the literal translation of the pedigree of an Arabian horse, well known in Nottinghamshire a few years since : — " In the name of God, the merciful ! The cause of the present writing is, that we witness that the gray horse Derrish, of Mahomet Bey, is of the first breed of Nedgdee horses, whose mother is the 180 OF ASIATIC HORSES. gray mare Hadba the Famous, and whose father is the bay horse Dahrouge, of the horses of the tribe JBenhi- haled. We testify on our conscience and fortune, that he is the breed concerning which the Prophet said, * The true runners, when they run, strike fire ; they grant prosperity until the day of judgment.' We have testified what is known ; and ' God knows who are true witnesses.' " — This is followed by six signatures. They have a breed which they pretend is descended from King Solomon's stud. Some of this race are said to be so considerate, that when they have been wounded in battle, and find themselves too weak to carry their rider much longer, they will retire from the field, and convey him to a place of security. When the rider acciden- tally falls, his horse will generally stand still and neigh. It is the practice in Arabia, when the colts are about eighteen months old, to clip their tails, for the purpose of making the hair grow thicker and stronger ; and they begin to ride them when two, or two and a-half years old. The Arabs of the desert themselves ride principally upon mares, which, with their foals, at all times form part of their family. As they live constantly in tents, and are accustomed to be suddenly surprised by enemies, whom they either pursue, or are themselves pursued, the mares are generally turned loose saddled, with the bridle taken off, and are so docile, that they will come at their master's call. The stallions are of course less tractable, and, besides, are apt to neigh, which would betray their approach. As an additional reason, the Arabs say, that mares endure hunger, thirst, and fatigue better than the horses. These animals are frequently THE ARABIAN HORSE. 181 the only portions fathers are enabled to bequeath to their sons, which they consider as an ample provision. So we need not wonder that they are so averse to part with them. Fillies are consequently reared with especial care ; and, as nourishing food is very scanty in that country, they are allowed to suck the dam as long as prudence will permit ; and, besides, are plentifully supplied with camel's milk. The colt foals are not unfrequently destroyed ; and, at other times, are taken to a neighbouring town, at twelve or eight months old, and sold, sometimes for low prices, as they are in general half starved. On these occasions the Arab rides without either saddle or bridle, the poor colt bending under the weight of its rider. They are guided by a little crooked stick, which the Arabs always use. But, even in this miserable condition, they are always sure to find a purchaser, for their high blood is very apparent, even poor in flesh as they are. The following anecdote, related by Mr Smith, is illustrative of the aversion the Arabs have to part with their mares. Being once on the Euphrates, while a party of Arabs from the desert made a sudden sally on a village opposite the vessel he was in, which they immediately plundered, and having sufficient confidence in their hospitality and pacific laws towards any stranger who trusts himself among them, he ventured on shore, with the sole object of seeing their horses. They were all mounted on mares, chiefly gray, and certainly the most beautiful and high bred he had ever seen in that or any other country. Several of the horsemen accosted him, and he entered into conversation with two, who remained longer than the rest. After admiring their 182 OF ASIATIC HORSES. mares, he asked one of them if he would dispose of his, offering, at the same time, a higher price than he had ever given for a mare before. The wild Arab smiled, and asked if that was all he would give ; and where, added he, is the money ? He told him that he had not the money about him, but by sending a person on board the vessel to which he pointed, the money would be paid, and he would double the amount. The Arab then turned round to his companions, and said, " Let us go, or this infidel will persuade me to sell my mare ft and off he rode into the desert. The following well known story is another proof of the attachment of the Arab to his mare, and addresses itself to all who have a kindly feeling in their bosoms : The whole stock of a poor Arab of the desert consisted of a mare ; this the French consul at Said offered to purchase, with an intention of sending her to Louis XIV. The Arab hesitated long, but, being pressed by poverty, he at length consented, on condition of receiving a very considerable sum, which he named. The consul wrote to France for permission to close the bargain, and having obtained it, he immediately sent for the Arab, to secure the mare, and pay for her. The man arrived with his magnificent courser. He dismounted, a wretched spectacle, with only a miserable rag to cover his body. He stood leaning upon the mare ; the purse was tendered to him ; he looked at the gold, and gazing steadfastly at his mare, heaved a deep sigh ; — the tears trickled down his cheeks : — " To whom is it (he ex- claimed) I am going to yield thee up ? To Europeans, who will tie thee close, who will beat thee, who will render thee miserable ! Return with me, my beauty ! THE ARABIAN HORSE. 183 my jewel ! and rejoice the hearts of my children ! " As he pronounced the last words, he sprung upon her back, and was out of sight in a moment. What an amiable and affecting sensibility in a man, who, in the midst of distress, could prefer all the disasters attendant on poverty, rather than surrender the animal, that he had long fostered in his tent, and had been the child of his bosom, to what he supposed inevitable misery ! The temptation of riches, and an effectual relief from poverty, had not sufficient allurements to induce him to commit what he considered so cruel an act. An old Arab, who had been upwards of eighty years without having had a day's illness during that long life, had a valuable and favourite mare, that had carried him for fifteen years, through the perils of many a hard fought battle, and long march, and which had produced to him several excellent foals. Being now unable any longer to ride, he presented the mare, and a scimitar, that had been his father's, to his eldest son, and told him to appreciate their value, and never to lie down to rest, until he had rubbed them both as bright as a mirror. In the first skirmish in which the youth was engaged he was killed, and the mare fell into the hands of the enemy. When the news reached the old man, he said, " What is life to me, that have lost both my son and the favourite of my heart ; they equally share in my grief, and I would gladly meet death, as my life is no longer sweet to me." He almost immediately thereafter took ill, and died.* * Smith on Breeding for the Turf, p. 97. 184 OF ASIATIC HORSES. We are indebted to Sir John Malcolm for the follow- ing amusing anecdotes : — " When the envoy, returning from his former mission, was encamped near Bagdad, an Arab rode a bright bay mare, of extraordinary shape and beauty, before his tent, until he attracted his attention. On being asked if he would sell her, — « What will you give me ?' was the reply ; * That depends upon her age ; I suppose she is past five ?' ' Guess again,' said he. ' Four ?' < Look at her mouth,' said the Arab, with a smile. On examination she was found to be rising three. This, from her size and symmetry, greatly enhanced her value. The envoy said, < I will give you fifty tomans,' (a coin nearly of the value of a pound sterling.) * A little more, if you please,' said the fellow a little enter- tained. < Eighty — a hundred.' He shook his head and smiled. The officer at last came to two hundred tomans ! ' Well,' said the Arab, « you need not tempt me further — it is of no use. You are a rich elchee (noble- man,) you have fine horses, camels, and mules, and I am told you have loads of silver and gold. Now,' added he, ' you want my mare, but you shall not have her for all you have got.' " * " An Arab sheick, or chief, who lived within fifty miles of Bussorah, had a favourite breed of horses. He lost one of his best mares, and could not, for a long while, discover whether she was stolen or had strayed. Some time after, a young man, of a different tribe, who had long wished to marry his daughter, but had always * Malcolm's Sketches of Persia, vol. i. p. 41. THE ARABIAN HORSE. 185 been rejected by the sheick, obtained the lady's consent, and eloped with her. The sheick and his followers pursued, but the lover and his mistress, mounted on one horse, made a wonderful march, and escaped. The old chief swore, that the fellow was either mounted upon the devil, or the favourite mare he had lost. After his return, he found the latter was the case ; that the lover was the thief of his mare as well as his daughter ; and he stole the one to carry off the other. The chief was quite gratified to think he had not been beaten by a mare of another breed; and was easily reconciled to the young man, in order that he might recover the mare, which appeared an object, about which he was more solicitous than about his daughter."* In Major Denham, we have an agreeable instance of the regard which may be inspired by the docility and intelligence of a horse. He thus expresses himself, on the death of a fine Arabian, in the deserts of central Africa. " There are a few situations in a man's life, in which losses of this nature are felt most keenly ; and this was one of them. It was not grief, but it was something nearly approaching to it ; and though I felt ashamed at the degree of derangement I suffered from it, yet I was several days before I could get over the loss. Let it, however, be remembered, that the poor animal had been my support and comfort, nay, I may say, com- panion, through many a dreary day and night ; had endured both hunger and thirst in my service ; and was so docile, that he would stand still for hours in the * Malcolm's Sketches, vol. i. p. 45. P 186 OF ASIATIC HORSES. desert, while I slept between his legs, his body afford- ing me the only shelter that could be obtained from the powerful influence of a noon-day sun : — he was yet the fleetest of the fleet, and ever foremost in the chase." We are informed that Napoleon anxiously sought after these horses, and used every means to extend the importation of them into his empire ; but it was attended with many difficulties during the wars in which he was engaged. In early times, as I have already noticed, horses were imported into Arabia from Egypt ; now the reverse is the case, for the Arabians supply Egypt, Turkey, and Persia,, as well as other countries, with their best steeds. The value of a horse in Arabia, in former times, was equal to the present; — for nine, and if particularly good, fourteen bond slaves were often given for one. After they made the purchase, it was their practice to send for witches, to perform certain charms, to make him valiant and courageous in war. These consisted in kindling a fire with sticks, into which was thrown fuming herbs ; the horse was placed over it, and, anointed with a thin ointment, certain words were muttered, and then they hung charms about his neck. He was afterwards shut up for fifteen days. The first Arabian which was introduced into England, of which we have any authentic account, was in the reign of James the First, and was in the possession of Mr Markham, a merchant, from whom he was pur- chased by that monarch for the sum of five hundred pounds sterling. The only quality which this horse seemed to possess was his fine form, as he was by no means celebrated as a racer. This circumstance tended THE ARABIAN HORSE. 187 to bring the Arabian breed into disrepute in England, as few, if any, were imported betwixt that period and the reign of Queen Anne ; from the early part of which the great epoch in the history of the turf may be dated, as at this time that superlative horse, the Darley Arabian, was brought to England. He was procured from the deserts of Arabia by a Mr Darley, a rich and extensive merchant, settled at Aleppo, and strict reliance may be placed on the purity of his blood. From this admirable horse is descended a race of the finest steeds we possess ; and he was the sire of the fleetest racer that ever ran, the Flying Childers, whose descendants have, in general, been of the best quality. The Darley Arabian may therefore be considered the horse which turned the tide of fashion in favour of the Arabian breed amongst the lovers of the turf in Great Britain. The rage for importing these horses became excessive, and, in consequence, vast numbers were brought to this country from different parts of the East, on the purity of whose blood no dependence could be placed. Every young and fashionable sports- man must needs be possessed of an Arabian horse in his stud ; so that dealers found it their interest to im- port as many Eastern coursers as possible to satisfy the demand. Amongst them, therefore, were introduced Egyptians, Turks, Barbs, Syrians, and Persians, who all of them possess the general character and appearance of the Arabian ; hence the great diversity of shape, speed, and other qualities of our breed of race-horses, most of which contain a mixture of the blood of them all, although the Arabian and Barb blood undoubtedly 188 OF ASIATIC HORSES. predominates. There was a celebrated horse, called the Leedes Arabian, which was cotemporary with the Bar- ley Arabian, and was sire of Old Leedes, a very famous horse in his day. The importation of Arabian horses is still much in vogue, and considerable supplies are brought to this country, whose purity of blood is now particularly attended to. Marvellous Leap, Some years ago, a fine Arabian horse disengaged himself from the groom who had charge of him, at Greenock ; ran with great precipitation towards the dry dock, and being unable to restrain himself, on coming to the edge of it, leaped down, and lighted on all-fours at the bottom, which is covered with flags, without receiving the slightest injury. He trotted about the bottom of the dock, about thirty feet below the level of the ground, and after having surveyed, with much attention, every thing that lay within it, he, with the greatest ease, mounted to the top, by the flight of steps, or almost perpendicular projections, which sur- round the dock, and was secured on his arriving at the top. He was not the least the worse for this wonderful leap. The Wellesley Arabian. — Plate I. Fig. 1. This remarkably fine horse was, in figure and pro- portions, much resembling the war-horse, or charger, of Europe; at same time, possessing the delicate skin and fine nose of the eastern breed. He must have been originally from some of those fertile plains which TZSlixars saJp THE WBtLESIT ARABIAN. THE KODOiPHW BABB. THE ARABIAN HORSE. 189 border on Arabia, yielding more nutricious food than is usual in that arid region, and his race must, in conse- quence, have acquired that great size which seems only to appertain to horses fed in districts where the herb- age is luxuriant, as we find the European horses do in such pastures. His hoofs were like them also, much expanded. The Alcock Arabian Was sire of Crab, Gentleman, and Spot, and of the dam of Dismal and Trifle. Crab was one of the most noted horses of his day, (1728,) and gained many races ; and Spot, though not first-rate, was nevertheless an excellent horse. Honeywood's White Arabian Was sire of the two True Blues, both animals of very high form. The elder of these was the best plate horse in England of his day. This Arabian was the property of Sir John Williams, and is supposed never to have covered any other full-blood mares, except the dam of the True Blues. The Cullen Arabian Was presented to the British Consul by the Emperor of Morocco. He was bred in the imperial stud, and of the highest lineage. He was brought to England by Mr Mosco from Constantinople, and became the property of Lord Cullen. He was sire to Camillus, 190 OF ASIATIC HORSES. Mosco, Mr Warren's Whimsey, (Dragon's dam,) Basto, Pickpocket, Molotto, Madcap, Exotic, Prince Ferdinand, Hackney, Sourface, Hobby-horse, Harlequin, Matron, (dam of Delea, Cossamer, Bay Richmond, and other fine horses.) He was also sire of Turner's black filly Modesty, (out of Fishmonger,) who won the great stakes of 1000 guineas at York in 1759. He got the dam of iEolus, Lovely, (Stride's dam,) Principessa, Presto, Regulator, and others. He also got the dam of Mr Goodricke's Old England mare, the grand-dam of Conductor, Alfred, Dictator, Eyebright, &c. The Damascus Arabian Was in high repute, as a stallion, in 1766. He was sire to Signal, Flush, Trump, Mungo, Atom, Mufti, Pigmy, Magpie, Little Joe, and other horses. He also got the dam of Mary of Wakefield, (afterwards Mene- laus,) the dam of the Ancaster mare, which bred Allegro, Dapple, Miss Grimston, &c. The Oglethorp Arabian Was the sire of Makelass, an excellent runner, and much esteemed as a stallion. He was likewise sire to Bald Frampton, and the famous Scotch Galloway, which beat the Duke of Devonshire's Dimple. The Lonsdale Bay Arabian Was the property of Lord Lonsdale, and sire to Monkey, Jigg, Spider, Juba, Kouli Khan, Cyrus, Ugly, THE ARABIAN HORSE. 191 Sultan, Nathan, and others. He likewise got Veteran, Phoenix, Ramsden, who bred Eumenis, Woodpecker, Wormwood, Quicksand, Whipcord, the grand-dam of Diana, Creeping Kate, &c. Monkey's dam was got by the Curwan Bay Barb, grand-dam by the Beyerby Turk, out of an Arabian mare. Monkey was celebrated at Newmarket in 1730, and the following years. Wilson's Chestnut Arabian Was brought to England by the Earl of Kinnoul, when ambassador at Constantinople. He was consi- dered a very high bred horse, and cost his lordship above £200. He became the property of Mr Charles Wilson. He was sire of the Earl of Northumberland's Primrose, Narcissus, Polydore, Nimrod, Semiramis, Jingle, Negro, Jeffery, and other winning horses. The Newcombe Bay Mountain Arabian. Captain Burford purchased this horse from the Sheick of St John Dirackri, and sold him to Mr Newcombe. This horse was allowed by breeders to be one of the best and highest bred Arabians ever brought to Eng- land. He greatly resembled the Godolphin Barb, and, for bone and size, was superior to most Arabians which have reached this country. He was sire of Presto, Dupe, Newcombe, Jonas, Slender, Honest Billy, and Nestor, and other horses of note. 192 OF ASIATIC HORSES. The Coombe Arabian. This horse was first called Pigott's Gray Arabian, and afterwards Lord Bolingbroke's Gray Arabian. He was sire to Methodist, Pastime, of Lord Orford's Delia, Jansenist, and Europa, Minima, Phillippo, Millico, Mussulman, &c. He got the dam of Thetford, Eldon, Crop, Grace, iEsop, Freenow, Kiss-my-lady, Nobleman, and others. In 1771, Methodist excelled as a racer, and Pastime became famous in the following year ; both gained many matches. The Hampton Court Little Arabian Was sire of Justice, Bushy-Molly, (the grand-dani of Sir James Lowther's Babraham, &c.) Justice was sire of the dam of Atlas, Jack- of- Newbury, &c. The Bloody- Shouldered Arabian Was sire to Brisk, Duke of Bolton's Sweepstakes, and others. These horses were successful racers, and from Sweepstakes was produced some valuable runners. O'Kelly's famous Old Tartar mare descended from him, as he was sire to her grand-dam. Mr O'Kelly is said to have cleared thirty thousand guineas by the produce of this mare after she was twenty years of age. Bloody-shoulders was the property of Lord Oxford. THE ARABIAN HORSE. 193 BethelVs Arabian Was sire to Selima, the dam of Cypron, the dam of the famed King Herod, who was sire of more excellent racers, stallions, and brood mares, than any other horse in Britain, either before or after his time. In 1738, Se- lima ran the noted heat against Mopping Jenny, for the King's plate, at Hambleton. The heat was thought a dead one, but, by arbitration, it was decided against Selima. She afterwards gained various hard-contested cups and matches. The Northumberland Arabian Was afterwards called the Leedes Arabian, from a pur- chaser. This fine animal was purchased by Mr Phillips, a gentleman skilful in horses, from the king of Sennah, in Arabia Felix, at a high price. He was foaled in 1755. His produce turned out good racers, and, with the exception of two or three, were winners. He was sire of Ariadne, Actaeon, Nonsuch, Grizelda, Plato, Ultra- marine, Mittimus, Phileppo, Furioso, Dolly-O, &c. The Golden Arabian Was sire of Aurora, Ermine, Jew, and a few other racers. Although these were successful horses, his produce generally did not turn out well. The Golden Arabian was brought from Arabia by Mr Phillips. 194 OF ASIATIC HORSES. JBelVs Arabian Was sire of Mistake, Voltaire, Ticklepitcher, Bald, Orlando, Lazarus, Cobscar, Chose, Bellissemo, Belinda, Harlequin, Juliana, Atalanta, Shropshire Lass, and many other horses and mares of less note. Mistake, in 1771, beat some excellent horses, in a sweepstakes of 100 guineas each, for three-year-old fillies. The above named were generally winners. Bell's Arabian was purchased of Beny Suckr, prin- cipal chief of all the Arab tribes, with an undoubted testimonial of his high lineage, being descended from the most ancient and esteemed breed in Arabia. The Saanah Arabian Was sire of Mareschall, Monkey, and Stoic, all very successful horses on the turf. Sir Michael Newton s Gray Arabian Was sire of Elephant, who, in 1739, won the great stakes of 1000 guineas at Newmarket, for horses rising five years old. He was a successful horse. Sir Michael Newton s Bay Arabian Was sire of Czarina, who, at Newmarket, in 1740, won the royal plate for mares. She was otherwise successful. THE ARABIAN HORSE. 195 Pantoris Arabian Was sire of Virago, iEsop, Marcassin, Archer, &c. Virago, at Newmarket October meeting, in 1763, won £50 for three-year-olds. He afterwards won many plates and matches. iEsop and Archer were also ex- cellent runners, and gained several plates. The Buckfoot Arabian, This famous horse was sent to England by Colonel Robert Stevenson, as a present to his godson, A. R. Thornhill, Esq., and landed in September, 1828. He is a beautiful silver gray, fourteen hands and a half high, with extraordinary bone and muscular power, and shewing the highest blood, with the finest action in all his paces. He is supposed to be the best that ever ran in India. The following account of his performances, prove him to be a first-rate horse. He is known to have run three miles in six minutes and eight seconds, and two miles in three minutes and fifty-eight seconds. He was remarkable for his powers of continuance. At Bombay, in January, 1822, he won a sweepstakes of twenty gold mohurs each, for Arabian horses that had never started: Heats, two miles, carrying eight stone seven pounds each : Won by several lengths, beating Warton, Robin Hood, Legs, and Langolee. The same meeting, he won a subscription plate of one hundred pounds, added to a sweepstakes of one hun- dred rupees each ; beating Beningbrough, Marquis, and Recorder: Heats, two miles: Won by two lengths. 196 OF ASIATIC HORSES. From the known goodness of Beningbrough, this race excited great interest. At the second meeting, 22d January, 1822, a gold cup, value one hundred guineas, was given by H. Meriton, Esq., for all Arabian horses, to carry eight stone seven pounds each : those that had won one plate, &c. to carry seven pounds extra ; two or more, ten pounds extra. This race was won by Buckfoot by three or four lengths, beating Bening- brough and Proxy. On the third and last day, a gold cup was given by the Turf Club : Heats, two miles ; three hundred rupees, each carrying nine stone : Won by Buckfoot, beating Beningbrough. Buckfoot was afterwards sold for twelve hundred pounds to the Hon. Arthur Henry Cole, who changed his name to Grantham ; and at Madras, he beat nearly a distance the Hon. Mr Murray's Fairplay, considered the fastest horse in that side of India. The Humdanieh Arabian, This elegant horse was brought to England, in October 1829, by the ship Coromandel, from Madras, by Captain Home of the Madras Horse Artillery, his present owner, and is now in Edinburgh. He is a beautiful silver gray, fourteen hands and a half high, rising six years old, with great bone and muscular power, and has the finest action in all his paces, with a remarkably fine temper. He is of the highest blood. In contrasting Humdanieh with Buckfoot, (horses exactly of the same height,) it appears that the latter is deepest in the ribs ; but he wants the beautiful curvature, strength of loins, and depth of flanks of l THE ARABIAN HORSE. 197 Humdanieh; who is also remarkable for the great strength and cleanness of his hocks, from which, to the fetlock, he is considerably shorter than Buckfoot ; con- sequently, from the point of the hock to the setting on of the tail, he is much longer than the latter horse — a character which naturalists have found to prevail in animals of great speed, such as the greyhound, hare, &c. The feet of Humdanieh are particularly fine, free from the slightest approach to contraction. Taking him as a whole, he is perhaps more perfect in his points than any Arabian which has reached Great Britain. His present proprietor trained and tried him, both on the Bangalore and Hyderabad turf, and considered him the best horse for speed and bottom on that side of India. He had, however, no public trial, Captain Home having been obliged to leave the country on account of ill health. In the trials he made, he was found to be superior to the best winners at Madras, viz. Phantom, Scorpion, Warden, The Major, and Fadlallah, whose performances will be found in an account of the Indian turf. Hamdanieh is open to a challenge, by Captain Home, to run, on a public race-course, against any pure Arabian that may be now in Great Britain, or that may be imported within the next six months. 19S OF ASIATIC HORSES. THE PERSIAN HORSE, Persia, from the remotest ages, has been famous for its horses ; and at the present day they are excelled only by the Arabian breed. The former were, how- ever, in high estimation long before the latter existed. They were the best cavalry in ancient times, amongst all the eastern nations. We are informed by historians that Alexander the Great considered a Persian horse as a gift of the highest value ; it was one which he only bestowed on potentates, and favourites of the first class. Among the ancient Persians, the horse was not only an object of esteem, but also of reverence. We find, that in honour of the horse, many of the names of their ancient towns and villages end in Asb, such as Kurch- asb, Thamurasb, Lohrasb, Holasb, &c. which is highly confirmatory of their veneration for this animal. The Parthian kings used to sacrifice Persian horses to their divinities ; this they conceived the most costly offering they could make. It is said by Pollux that the Persians first taught horses to bend down on their knees to receive their riders. Xenophon says it originated from an intention to enable sick people to mount without exertion, when the exercise of riding became necessary to restore their health. Sir John Malcolm says, — " A variety of horses are THE PERSIAN HORSE. 199 produced in Persia. The inhabitants of the districts which border on the Gulf, still preserve pure those races of animals, which their ancestors brought from the opposite shore of Arabia. In Fars and Irak, they have a mixed breed from the Arabian, which, though stronger, is still a small horse, compared with either the Toorko- man or Khorassan breed, which are most prized by the soldiers of Persia. Both these latter races have also a great proportion of Arabian blood. " The price of horses in Persia varies extremely. The common horse is always to be purchased for from fifteen to forty pounds ; fine horses, particularly of the Toorkoman or Khorassan breed, are, in general, very dear ; a hundred pounds is a common price, and some- times a much larger sum is paid. They are often valued more from their breed than their appearance." In some points the Persian horse excels the Arabian. The head is nearly as beautiful, the crupper superior, and the whole frame more developed ; the neck is beautifully arched ; and the animal possesses much fire. They are about equal in speed; but the Arabian is capable of longer endurance. Sir Robert Ker Porter gives the following descrip- tion of the Persian breed: — " The Persian horses never exceed fourteen, or fourteen and a half, hands high; yet, certainly, on the whole, are taller than the Arabs. Those of the Desert, and country about Hillah, seem very small, but are full of bone, and of good speed. General custom feeds and waters them only at sun- rise and sun-set, when they are cleaned. Their usual provender is barley and chopped straw, which, if the animals are piqueted, is put into a nose-bag, and hung from their heads ; but, if stabled, it is thrown into 200 OF ASIATIC HORSES. a small lozenge-shaped hole, left in the thickness of the mud-wall for that purpose, but much higher up than the line of our mangers, and there the animal eats at his leisure. Hay is a kind of food not known here. The bedding of the horse consists of his dung. After being exposed to the drying influence of the sun during the day, it becomes pulverized, and, in that state, is nightly spread under him. Little of it touches his body, that being covered by his clothing, a large num- mnd, from the ears to the tail, and bound firmly round his body by a very long surcingle. But this apparel is only for cold weather ; in the warmer season the night- clothes are of a lighter substance ; and, during the heat of the day, the animal is kept entirely under shade. " At night he is tied in the court-yard. The horses* heads are attached to the place of security by double ropes from their halters, and the heels of their hinder legs are confined by cords of twisted hair, fastened to iron rings, and pegs driven into the earth. The same custom prevailed in the time of Xenophon, and for the same reason, to secure them from being able to attack and maim each other, the whole stud generally consis- ting of stallions. Their keepers, however, always sleep in their rugs amongst them, to prevent accident ; and, sometimes, notwithstanding all their care, they man- age to break loose, and then the combat ensues. A general neighing, screaming, kicking, and snorting, soon raise the grooms, and the scene for a while is terrible. Indeed, no one can conceive the sudden uproar of such a moment, who has not been in eastern countries to hear it, and then, all who have, must bear me witness that the noise is tremendous. They seize, bite, and kick each other, with the most determined fury ; THE PERSIAN HORSE. 201 and frequently cannot be separated before their heads and haunches stream with blood. Even in skirmishes with the natives, their horses take part in the fray, tearing each other with their teeth, while their masters are in similar close quarters on their backs." The Persians are at much trouble in preserving the breed of their horses ; and also keep their pedigrees with care. In the neighbourhood of Naisebour, and the alluvial flats of Chirvan and Mazendaren, there is a large race of horses, not unlike those of Normandy : they are considered good for cavalry, and are much used by the Persians for heavy field ordnance. These are allowed to pasture at large for eight or nine months in the year. Horse-racing has always been deemed an amusement worthy of the patronage of the king, in Persia ; and there are annual races, not only in the capital, but in all the principal cities of the kingdom. The distance they have to run is according to the age of the horses ; but it is seldom less than seven miles, or more than twenty-one. The object of these races is not so much to try the speed, as the strength of the horses, and to discover those that can be depended on for long and rapid marches. The coursers are always rode b}^ boys, between the ages of twelve and fourteen. Mares never run at the races in Persia, nor are they used in that country for military purposes. We have the following description of a Persian race, by Sir R. K. Porter : — " My curiosity was fully on the spur to see the racers, which I could not doubt must have been chosen from the best in the nation, to exhibit the perfections of its breed before the sovereign. The 2 202 OF ASIATIC HORSES. rival horses were divided into three sets, in order to lengthen the amusement. They had been in training for several weeks, going over the ground very often during that time ; and when I did see them, I found so much pains had been taken to sweat and reduce their weight, that their bones were nearly cutting the skin. The distance marked for the race was a stretch of twenty-four miles, and that his majesty might not have to wait, when he had reached the field, the horses had set forward long before, by three divisions, from the starting point, (a short interval of time passing between each set,) so that they might begin to come in a few minutes after the king had taken his seat. The dif- ferent divisions arrived in regular order at the goal, but all so fatigued and exhausted, that their former boasted fleeitness hardly exceeded a moderate canter, when they passed before the royal eyes." The Persians perform many ceremonies on horseback, arising from their love of show, and the pride that they have of being good horsemen. Their marriage-feasts are conducted with much pomp and parade by the wealthy. The bridegroom, of both rich and poor, on the wedding-day, is dressed in all the finery he can obtain, as is also the bride. The latter is covered with a scarlet veil, mounted upon horseback, and conveyed to her bridegroom's tent. If she is the daughter of a chief, or of an elder of a tribe, she is escorted by all the horsemen whose attendance he can command, attended by dancers and music. When they appear at a dis- tance, the bridegroom mounts his horse, accompanied by his friends, and proceeds to meet the cavalcade. He holds up an apple or orange in his hand, and, when THE PERSIAN HORSE. 203 sufficiently near to be certain of his aim, throws it at her ; when he instantly wheels round, and gallops off at full speed to his tent, followed by all the horsemen of the bride's cavalcade, striving who shall catch him ; and he that succeeds, is rewarded with the horse, saddle, and clothes of the bridegroom. He, hoAvever, is seldom taken ; for, as it is considered a point of honour to escape, he is either mounted on the best of his own horses, or that of his tribe. The first Persian horse which was introduced into England was during the reign of Queen Elizabeth. It was the means of improving our breed. THE TARTAR HORSES. Ix the vast plains and deserts of Independent Tartary, there are various breeds of wild horses, differing con- siderably in their external formation. These, in general, are ill made and clumsy animals, though said to possess great speed. In great open tracts near Borowsk, a town about one hundred wersts from Woronesch, are large herds of wild steeds, which are hunted by the inhabitants of these districts: those that are cross, or ill made, are eaten by the natives, who consider them a*great delicacy ; but the flesh of foals is prized above all other food. The better formed horses are tamed and domesticated. The largest of these wild coursers are scarcely the size of the smallest Russian horses : their heads are 204 OF ASIATIC HORSES. remarkably large in proportion to the size of their bodies ; their ears are very sharp, in some the size of a tame horse, in others they are very much elongated, and little less than those of asses ; their mane is very short and curled ; their tail more or less covered with hairs, but always a little shorter than that of a common horse. They are of a mouse colour, which is the characteristic mark of the wild horses of Tartary, although some are ash-grey, and even whitish ; their hairs are very long, and extremely thick, having totally a different texture from those of most other countries. They are said to run with great speed, take alarm at the least noise, and fly off with much precipitation. They consist of many distinct herds, which keep themselves quite separate from each other. Each herd is always headed by a stallion, who marches before them; and they never, on any occasion, quit him. If he be stricken down, the herd separates, and the horses all fly off in opposite directions, after which they become an easy prey to the hunters. These horses will venture very near to the towns in the neighbourhood of their savannas, and even approach the hay stacks, which the peasants build in the steppe, and feed on them with much voracity. They have never been seen to lie on the ground ; and the stallion is generally much attached to the domesticated Russian mares, and uses every means to entice them to follow the herd, which they not un- frequently do ; hence the mixed or bastard race which is to be met with amongst them. Wild horses, taken alive, which is accomplished by means of nooses of ropes, are very difficult to tame and rear to labour ; THE TARTAR HORSES. 205 they are mounted with the utmost difficulty. When harnessed they may be trained to move by the side of another horse, but this they always do with reluctance, and not unfrequently die in the second year of their captivity. We have been here speaking of the horses which inhabit the deserts between Persia and the Caspian Sea ; those which are to be found in the fertile plains, near the great desert of Core, are of a superior race, being well-formed and more approaching to the Barb, both in form and colour. They are, like those of the west, divided into herds, but with two males to lead them. They are strong, nervous, proud, full of spirit, bold, and extremely active. Their size is well adapted for the saddle, and their paces are naturally good. In Little Tartary, they have a breed of horses which is so highly esteemed, that the natives have made a compact among themselves never to sell any of them to strangers. The horses of almost all the wandering tribes which inhabit the great plains of Central Asia, are descendants of these wild herds. These people lead a pastoral life, and live in tents, and, when their flocks have consumed all the herbage of one district, they remove to another. Being accustomed to feed on horse flesh, they never keep steeds, unless they are strong and hardy, the feeble being always destroyed for food. Like the Arabs, they have an ordeal, and it is only such as have with- stood the fatigue of this, that they consider worth pre- serving for use and reproduction. This breed is, perhaps, equal to any in the world for endurance of privation, and withstanding the effects of excessive fatigue. Little 206 OF ASIATIC HORSES. attention is paid by the Tartars to breaking horses ; and it is frequently not until they are absolutely required, that they are mounted for the first time. When the Tartars ride far, and are annoyed with hunger or thirst, they open a vein of the horse they ride upon, and take a draught of his blood. The Tartar and Scythian cavalry " are always followed, in their most distant and rapid incursions, by an ade- quate number of spare horses, who may be occasionally used, either to redouble the speed, or to satisfy the hunger of the barbarians. The wines of a happier climate are the most grateful present, or the most valuable commodity, that can be offered to the Tartars ; and the only example of their industry seems to consist in the art of extracting from mare's milk a fermented liquor, which possesses a very strong power of intoxi- cation." * Baron de Tott, in his Memoirs, gives the following account of a meal he made in an encampment of the Noguais Tartars. " The man," says he, " soon returned with a vessel full of mare's milk, a small bag of the fla- men of roasted millet, some white balls, about as big as an egg and as hard as chalk, an iron kettle, and a young Noguai, tolerably well dressed, the best cook of the horde. I diligently observed his proceedings: He first filled his kettle three parts full of water, putting in about two pints ; to this he added six ounces of his meal. His vessel he placed near the fire, drew a spa- tula from his pocket, wiped it upon his sleeve, and turned his liquid all one way till it began to simmer. * Gibbon. THE TARTAR HORSES. 207 He then demanded one of the white balls, (they were cheese made of mare's milk, saturated with salt, and dried,) broke it in small bits, threw them into his ragout, and again began to turn. His mess thickened, he still turning, though at last with effort, till it became of the consistence of dough. He then drew away the spatula, put it again in his pocket, turned the mouth of his kettle on his hand, and presented me with a cylinder of paste in a spiral form. I was in haste to eat it, and was really better pleased with this ragout than I had expected. I likewise tasted the mare's milk, which, perhaps, I should have found equally good, could I have divested myself of prejudice." The Baron need not, however, have been so squeamish, as the milk of women, mares, and asses, agree very much in their qualities ; all of them contain a great quantity of saccharine matter, of a very ready acescency, and their coagulum is tender and easily broken down. The Bashkir Tartars make a kind of wine from mare's milk, which is called Koumiss. It is possessed of highly nutritious qualities ; for these people, who, towards the end of the winter become much emaciated, no sooner return in summer to the use of koumiss, than they be- come strong ; and this liquor answers the purpose of both food and drink. It has high medicinal quali- ties, particularly in consumptive diseases ; and, by the use of it for a month or two, those whose condition is thin and debilitated from chronic complaints, are restored to health and vigour. A nobleman, who laboured under a complication of chronic diseases, at the recommendation of his physician, went into Tartary, for the purpose of trying the effect of this liquor. He 203 OF ASIATIC HORSES. was so weak that he required assistance to get into the carriage in which he was to be conveyed to Tartary. After drinking koumiss for six weeks only, he returned perfectly free from disease, and was so plump and fresh- coloured, that, at first sight, it was with difficulty his friends could recognize him. Koumiss is made by the following process: — Any quantity of fresh mare's milk, the produce of one day, is taken, to which is added a sixth part of water ; these are poured into a wooden vessel ; an eighth part of the sourest cow's milk that can be got, is put to it as a fer- ment ; but, for any future preparation, a small portion of old koumiss will better answer the purpose of souring. The vessel is then covered with a thick cloth, and set in a place of moderate warmth ; it is left at rest twenty- four hours, at the end of which time the milk becomes sour, and a thick substance gathers on the top ; a stick, made with the lower end like a churn staff, is procured, and the liquor is beaten with it, till the thick consistence above mentioned is blended intimately with the subjacent fluid ; it is then left again at rest for twenty-four hours more ; after which it is poured into a narrower vessel resembling a churn, where the agitation is repeated as before, till the liquor appear to be perfectly homoge- neous, and in this state it is called koumiss : the taste of which is a pleasant mixture of sweet and sour. It must be agitated every time before it is used.* The custom of eating horse flesh, making curds and spirit from mares' milk, has been practised by the * See an interesting paper on Koumiss, by Dr Grieve, in the Transactions of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, vol. i. p. 181. THE TARTAR HORSES. 209 Tartars from very early times ; and they probably acquired these habits from the ancient Geloni, and the Sarmatians. For these people, from the most remote antiquity, ate the flesh of horses, made curds from the milk of mares, called, by the ancient writers, lac con- cretum, and also a fermented liquor, which they drank to intoxication.* * "We have the following account of the method of making this liquor in Clarke's Travels : — "A subsequent process of distil- lation afterwards obtains an ardent spirit from the koumiss. They gave us this last beverage in a wooden bowl, calling it vina. In their own language, it bears the very same remarkable appellation of rack and racky, doubtless, nearly allied to the names of the East India spirit, rack and arrack. We brought away a quart-bottle of it, and considered it very weak bad brandy, not unlike the common spirit distilled by the Swedes, and other northern nations. Some of their women were busy making it in an adjoining tent. The simplicity of the operation, and of the machinery, was very cha- racteristic of the antiquity of this chemical process. Their still was constructed of mud, or very coarse clay ; and, for the neck of the retort, they employed a cane. The receiver of the still was entirely covered by a coating of wet clay. The brandy had already passed over. The woman, who had the management of the distillery, wishing to give us a taste of the spirit, thrust a stick, with a small tuft of camel's hair at its end, through the external covering of clay ; and thus collecting a small quantity of the brandy, she drew out the stick, dropped a portion upon the retort, and, waving the instrument above her head, scattered the remaining liquor in the air. I asked the meaning of this ceremony, and was answered, that it is a religious custom, to give always the first drop of the brandy which they draw from the receiver to their god. The stick was then plunged into the receiver a second time, when, more brandy adhering to the camel's hair, she squeezed it into the palm of her dirty hand, and, having tasted the liquor, presented it to our lips. " The women confirmed what we had been before told concerning R 210 OF ASIATIC HORSES. THE TOORKOMAN HORSE. In Turkistan, or that part of South Tartary to the north of the Caspian Sea, there is a breed of horses which have been long famed for their physical powers. They are called in the east Toorkomans. Some tra- vellers affirm, that they are even superior to the Persian race, for enduring long continued exertion. They are, however, too small in the barrel ; their legs too long ; their heads too large in proportion to the size of the body; and their necks lank. This horse is so highly valued in Persia, that one of the pure blood is worth from two to three hundred pounds sterling even in that country. They are of good size, being from fifteen to sixteen hands high, of excellent temper, and of a shape like those of the highest bred English carriage-horses, lengtlry and strongly limbed, and often shewing a great deal of blood. Captain Frazer, in his Journey to Kho- rassan, says, " They are deficient in compactness. Their bodies are long in proportion to their bulk. They are not well-ribbed up. They are long in the legs, deficient in muscle, falling off below the knee ; narrow-chested, long-necked, head large, uncouth, and seldom well put on. Such was the impression I received from the first the material used for distilling ; and said that, having made butter, they were distilling the butter-milk for brandy." — Clarke's Travels in Russia, chap. xii. p. 239. 259. THE TOORKOMAN HORSE. 211 sight of them, and it was not for some time that their superior valuable qualities were apparent to me." The Toorkomans trace all their best horses to Ara- bian sires, and they believe that the race degenerates, after three or four descents, unless it is what they term " refreshed." This makes them most anxious to obtain fine Arabian horses. Raheem Beg and his brother offered the Elchee a large sum for a very fine animal he had brought from Abusheher, and they seemed greatly disappointed that he would not part with him. The size of these horses is attributed to the fine pas- ture lands on which they are reared ; and the extraordi- nary capability of bearing fatigue to their blood, and the manner in which they are trained. They ride them with snaffles, and allow them to go sloughing along with their necks loose. They speak with contempt of horse- men who rein up their horses, and throw them on their haunches. " It is taking the animal," said Raheem Beg, " off his natural position ; and for what ? to get a little readiness in the plain. And, for this power of skirmishing, you hurt, if you do not altogether lose, the long walk, trot, and gallop, to which we trust in our forays I" These plunderers train their horses as much as we do our racers or hunters. Before they begin their expeditions, they put them into complete condition, and the marches they perform are astonishing. According to their own accounts, some have gone forty fersekhs (one hundred and forty miles) within twenty-four hours ; and it was ascertained, on most minute inquiry, that parties of them, in their predatory inroads, were in the habit of marching from twenty to thirty fersekhs (from 212 OF ASIATIC HORSES. seventy to one hundred and five miles) for twelve or fifteen days together, without a halt. They have been known to travel nine hundred miles in eleven succes- sive days. Before proceeding on a foray, they knead a number of small hard balls of barley meal, which, when wanted, they soak in water ; and this serves as food to both them- selves and their horses. It is a frequent practice with them, in crossing deserts where no water is to be found, to open a vein in the shoulder of the horse, and to drink a little of his blood ; which, according to their opinion, benefits rather than injures the animal, while it refreshes the rider. When a doubt was expressed, Raheem Beg shewed several old horses, on which there were numerous marks of having been bled ; and he asserted, that they never had recourse to phlebotomy, but on such occasions as have been stated. Sir John Malcolm says, — " There are probably no horses in the world that can endure so much fatigue. E ascertained, after the minutest examination of the fact, that those small parties of Toorkomans who ven- tured several hundred miles into Persia, used both to advance and retreat at the average of nearly one hun- dred miles a-day. They train their horses for these expeditions as we should do for a race ; and the expres- sion they use to describe a horse in condition for a chapow, (which may be translated, a foray,) is, that * his flesh is marble.' " We are assured, from authority we cannot doubt, that parties of twenty or thirty Toorkoman horse often ventured within sight of the city of Isfahan. They expected success, in these incursions, from the sudden- ness of their attack, and the uncommon activity and THE TOORKOMAN HORSE. 213 strength of the horses on which they rode. Their sole object was plunder ; and, when they arrived at an unprotected village, the youth of both sexes were seized, and tied on led horses, (which the Toorkomans took with them for the purpose of carrying their booty,) and hurried away into a distant captivity, with a speed which generally baffled all pursuit. When I was in Persia, in 1800, a horseman, mounted upon a Toorko- man horse, brought a packet of letters from Shiraz to Teherary, which is a distance of five hundred miles, within six days." THE CALMUCK HORSE. Throughout the immense tracts of level country, which lie in central Asia, and even a great part of European Russia, there are horses, possessed by the Tartars and Calmucks, which are nearly in a wild state. They are ill made, but capable of enduring excessive fatigue, on a very short allowance of provender. On the long and frequent excursions undertaken by those wild hordes, the poor foal, from its earliest years, is accustomed to follow its dam ; subjected to the incle- mency of the weather, and half starved in those barren tracts ; so that horses, in that country, are inured to fatigue from their colthood. Those unable to bear the exertion necessary for such an unsettled life, are killed for food, The Calmucks let their tabunes, or herds of horses, K 2 214 OF ASIATIC HORSES. run about without any restraint, and yet, though a thousand herds should be together, they never inter- mingle with each other, nor are any of the young foals even lost, although they have no person to tend them. When a Calmuck forms such a herd, he puts a mark upon several mares and two stallions, by which he distinguishes his property. The stallions are the leaders of these herds. They always keep their station on the flanks, and prevent any of the tabune from straying. When they see a strange herd approach, they drive their own together into a close body, and place them- selves in the front. The other herd assumes the same order, and, when they meet, the stallions fight with each other till they are tired, or too much wounded to continue the contest, upon which they retreat from each other with their respective tabunes. When a noise is heard, the stallions run to some eminence, from which they reconnoitre the surrounding country. Thus these herds can neither intermingle with each other, nor any of the individuals belonging to them stray from the rest. A trial of speed took place between certain horses of this breed, and some of those of the best English blood, on the 4th of August, 1825. The distance was forty-seven miles. A number of the best horses from the Don, the Black Sea, and Ural, were brought to compete with English racers. Many trials were made of their powers, and the fleetest, and those pos- sessing most bottom, were selected. There were two Cossack horses, which were tried against Sharper and Mina. When they started, the Cossacks took the lead, followed by the English horses, at about two or three lengths' distance. Before they were half a mile THE CALMUCK HORSE. 215 off, one of the stirrup-leathers of Sharper broke, which startled him, and he ran away with his rider, followed by Mina ; and it was not until they had gone more than half a mile up a steep hill, that they could be checked. They accomplished half the distance in an hour and four minutes, Sharper and Mina being then quite fresh ; but only one of the Cossacks was up. They were returning in good style, when Mina fell lame, and discontinued the race. The Cossack horse now began to slacken his pace; the Russians commenced drag- ging him on by the bridle ; the saddle was then thrown away, and a little boy placed on his back. The effects of running away now began to tell on Sharper, and he evidently laboured. But he had the decided advantage of the other, who was then dragged along by the Cossacks by the bridle, with the assistance of a rope, others pulled him along by the tail, relieving one another by turns, while others rode along at his quarters to keep him up; but all would not do, for Sharper gained the race by eight minutes, having performed the distance in two hours and forty-eight minutes. The English horses at starting carried three stone more than the Cossacks, which Sharper continued to do, although the other was ridden by a child. Dr Clarke says, the " Calmuck women ride better than the men. A male Calmuck on horseback looks as if he were intoxicated, and likely to fall off every instant, though he never loses his seat ; but the women sit with more ease, and ride with extraordinary skill. The ceremony of marriage, among the Calmucks, is per- formed on horseback. A girl is first mounted, who rides off in full speed. Her lover pursues, and if he overtakes her, she becomes his wife, and the marriage 216 OF ASIATIC HORSES. is consummated on the spot, after which she returns with him to his tent. But it sometimes happens, that the woman does not wish to marry the person by whom she is pursued, in which case, she will not suffer him to overtake her ; and we were assured, that no instance occurs of a Calmuck girl being thus caught, unless she has a partiality for her pursuer."* THE TURKISH HORSE. The horses of Turkey are principally descended from those of Arabia, Persia, and Barbary ; their forehands are slender, and they carry their heads higher than the Arabian. Their bodies also are longer, and the crupper more elevated. They are possessed of a great deal of fire and spirit ; extremely active ; and admirably fitted for the particular manner in which the Turkish cavalry act. They are most affectionate animals, and evince great regard for their masters, and the grooms who attend them. Mr Evelyn, in describing a beautiful Turkish horse sent over to England some time ago, says, " I never beheld so delicate a creature ; somewhat of a bright bay, two white feet, a blaze ; such a head, eyes, ears, neck, breast, belly, haunches, legs, pasterns, and feet, in all respects beautiful, and proportioned to admiration ; spirited, proud, nimble, making halt, turning with that swiftness, and in so small a compass, as was admirable. * Clarke's Travels in Russia, p, 333, THE TURKISH HORSE. 217 With all this, so gentle and tractable, as called to mind what I remember Busbequius says of them, to the reproach of our grooms in Europe, who bring up their horses so churlishly, as makes most of them retain their ill habits." Yes, just as our rulers and magistrates treat their erring fellow men, whose bad habits they increase rather than correct, by long and solitary imprisonments, whipping, and insufficient food. " Nothing," says Busbequius, " can surpass the gentleness of the Turkish horses ; and their obedience to their masters, and grooms, is very great. The reason is, they always treat them with great kindness. As 1 travelled through Pontus, or that part of Bithynia, which is called Axilon, towards Cappadocia, I remarked with what tenderness the country people treated their young foals. They took them into their own habita- tions, cleaned, combed, and caressed them, with as much affection as they would their own offspring. The children of the peasants, whose business it is to attend them, treat them with equal gentleness. They hang something like a jewel about their necks, and a garter, which was full of amulets against possession, of which they are much afraid. They never strike them with a stick, except in cases of extreme necessity. In return, these animals acquire a great attachment to man, and never bite or turn restive. The Turks take a pride in making them so tame, that they will kneel to be mounted at the word of command. They will take up a stick or scimitar from the ground with their mouths, and reach it to the rider, without his alighting ; and when they have learned this, the Turks put silver rings round their noses, as badges of their proficiency. I have 218 OF ASIATIC HORSES. seen some, that, whenever their rider fell from the saddle, immediately stood still. Some would run in a circle round the groom, and stand still as soon as he commanded them; others, again, were so well acquainted with the voice of their master, that, when he was at table in the upper part of the house, they would erect their ears to catch it; and whenever they heard it, express their pleasure by neighing. " The grooms that dress them are as indulgent as their masters ; they frequently sleek them down with their hands, and never use blows, but in cases of necessity. This makes their horses such lovers of mankind ; kick- ing, biting, or wincing, are almost unknown amongst them ; and an ungovernable horse is hardly to be met with. "But, alas! the horses of our Christian grooms go on at another rate. They never think them rightly curried, till they thunder at them with their voices, and let their whips, as it were, dwell at their sides. This makes some horses even tremble when their keepers come into their stable, so that they hate and fear them too." Theophilactus, a patriarch of Constantinople, was so passionately fond of horses, that he had two thousand of his own, fed principally every day on pistachio nuts, almonds, and saffron. One holy Thursday, while he was officiating pontifically in the church, at Constanti- nople, some one came to tell him, that a favourite Arabian mare had foaled ; he immediately quitted the sacrifice, ran to his stables, and did not return to finish his sacred ceremonies, until he had given the necessary orders for the treatment of the foal. About twenty years ago, there was a horse in Vienna THE TURKISH HORSE. 219 without . hair. A French writer, in describing this animal, considered it as a distinct variety of the species, whose state neither depended on the effect of art, or of disease. This horse was taken from the Turks, and afterwards purchased at Vienna; he appeared to be about twenty years of age. He was lean, and remark- ably susceptible of cold; and the whole body was destitute of hair, except the eye-lashes of the lower eye-lid. The skin was black, bordering upon grey, with some white spots under the shoulders and the groins ; it was also soft to the touch, glossy, and rather unctuous. The bones of the nose were depressed, which somewhat embarrassed his respiration, and produced a noise each time he inhaled or emitted air. He is said to have eaten the same quantity of food, within the same time, as other horses. In Turkey, a horse's tail is considered as a mark of dignity; the reason of which is, that their standard having been once taken by the enemy, the general of the army cut off the horse's tail, fastened it to the top of a spike, and displayed it to the army, by which he rallied the soldiers, who were in great confusion. It exhilarated their courage, and was the means of so turning the tide of battle in their favour, that they gained a signal victory. From this cause, military dis- tinctions have been established. The Bashaws of three tails, are those who have signalized themselves, and are entitled to have carried before them three horses' tails. The Turkish army is always accompanied by a great number of Saki, or water-carriers, the horses on which they ride have two large leather bottles of water for the wants of the company. 220 OF ASIATIC HORSES. The following are the principal Turkish horses, which have at different times been introduced into Britain, with an account of their produce. The Byerly Turk Was used by Captain Byerly, as a charger, in Ireland, in the wars of King William, in 1689. Nothing is known of his pedigree. He was, after being used as a charger, employed as a stallion, but few well bred mares had colts by him. He was sire of Basto, Sprite, Jigg, (who w T as sire of Mr Croft's Partner,) Archer, Black Hearty, (sire of Bonny Black, Grasshopper, Byerly Gelding, Mr Knightley's mare, &c.) all animals of fine form. He got the dam of Lord Halifax's Farmer, (dam of Miss Halifax,) Sir W. W. Wynn's Loobjr, Smale's Childers, &c. The grand-dam of Lord Godolphin's Whitefoot, Wryfoot, and Moral. The grand- dam of the above three was dam of Grey Ramsden, and great-great-grand-dam of the Bolton Fearnought. Basto was considered one of the best and most beautiful horses of his time at Newmarket. He had all the grace, spirit, and dignity, so peculiar to the Arabian horse. His dam was a daughter of the Leeds Arabian grand-dam, a daughter of the Leeds Bald Peg, great-grand-son by Lord Fairfax's Morocco Barb. The D'Arcey Yellow Turk. This horse was the sire of Spanker, Brimmer, and the great-great-grand-dam of the celebrated Cartouch. THE TURKISH HORSE. 221 The BArcey White Turk Was the sire of Old Hautboy, Grey Royal, Cannon, and other fine horses. The Stradling, or Lister Turk, This fine animal was brought into England by the Duke of Berwick, after he had been at the siege of Buda, in the reign of James the II. He was sire to Brisk, Snake, Piping-Peg, Coneyskins. Snake had a swelling from a colt, supposed to have been produced by the bite of a snake, hence his name. He was never trained, but turned out an excellent stallion, and was sire to Squirrel, (own brother to the sire of the grand- dam of Eclipse,) and was also sire to Mr Beavor's Driver, (sire of Little Driver,) of the noted mare that bred Shock, Gay, Squirt, Brown Russet, Lady Caroline, Lady Betty, as well as other noted horses. The Alcaster Turk. This horse was sire of Chaunter, Terror, Mr Thwaites' dun mare, (dam of Mr Beavor's Driver.) He got the dam of Squirrel, who was dam of the celebrated Roxana, of Silverlocks, &c. The Helmsley Turk Was sire of Bustler and the Royal Colt, out of a Sedbury royal mare. 222 OF ASIATIC HORSES. The Belgrade Turk. This celebrated horse was purchased by Sir M. Wyvills, from the Prince of Lorraine's minister at the Court of London. He was taken from the Bashaw of Belgrade, in Turkey, at the siege of that place. He was sire to young Belgrade, which got the Duke of Beaufort's Standart, a celebrated racer, of fine form, which won various plates, but ultimately broke down while running for the King's plate at Winchester. The Marshall, or Selaby Turk. This beautiful horse was sire of Curwen's Old Spot, (that got the dam of Mixbury, and the grand-dam of Croft's Partner,) he also got Old Wyndham's dam, Lord Portmore's Spot's dam, the dam of the Earl of Derby's Ticklepitcher, and the dam of the Hampton Court Whiteneck ; the grand-dams of the Duke of Bolton's Sloven and Fearnought, Mr Cowling's Peggy- grieves-me, Whitenose, and Richmond Ball. Old Wyndham was sire of Cinnamon, Greylegs, Miss Windham, and a variety of other celebrated horses. Lie was got by Old Hautboy, (son of the White D'Arcey Turk,) grand-clam of Bustler, (son of the Helmsley Turk,) great-grand-dam by Place's White Turk, out of a daughter of Dodsworth, a natural Barb foaled in England. Greylegs was got by Old Wyndham, out of a Barb mare. In 1780, he won the King's plate, and afterwards he gained many other plates. THE TURKISH HORSE. 223 The Strickland Turk. This horse was the property of Sir William Strick- land, Bart, and is supposed to have covered only two or three blood mares. He was sire to Batt, and Colonel Howard's chestnut mare, celebrated for the great feat she performed, by beating eleven horses, which started against her at Newmarket, in 1728, for the King's plate. Batt's dam was got by the Alcaster Turk, grand-dam by Leeds's Arabian, out of a daughter of Old Spanker. He won many plates. Places WJiite Turk. This horse was the property of Mr Place, stud groom to the usurper, Oliver Cromwell ; he was sire of the Old Thornton mare, Mr Croft's Commoner, Wormwood, &c. He got the great-grand-dams of Old Scar, Wynd- ham, Crutches, Old Cartouch, and several others. The Holderness Turk. The Holderness Turk was sire to the celebrated stallion, called Hartley's Blind Stallion, which was the sire of Miss Neesham, and various other eminent racers, stallions, and brood mares ; he was out of Sir Ralph Milbank's famous black mare, which was supposed to be the best and highest bred in England and got by Makelass, son of the Oglethorpe Arabian, out of a D'Arcey royal mare. OF ASIATIC HORSES, THE EAST INDIA HORSES. We find that the horses of this vast peninsula, as in other parts of the world, differ widely in various districts. The climate of India does not seem favourable to the horse. The breeds, which may be termed native, or such as have been in use from time immemorial, are weak and degenerate. It is found necessary, in order to keep up a good stock, to have horses introduced from foreign countries. The breed called the Tazee is, per- haps, of the older kind ; they are of a slight make, with long hollow backs, their limbs placed ill below them, and are weak, spiritless animals, while they are extremely irritable and stubborn. The only redeeming quality is the easiness of their paces, which, in a country where the heat is oppressive, is matter of no small consideration. There is an extremely small native breed, similar to the shelties of the Scottish Isles. Tavernier describes one that he saw rode by a young Mogul prince of seven or eight years of age, which was little larger than a greyhound. One of these diminutive animals was sent to England, in the reign of George the Third, as a pre- sent to his queen, which was about the size of a common mastiff, measuring only nine hands, or three feet, in height. The Cozakee is a breed much valued, on account of its gentle and docile disposition, for its powers of long- continued exertion and endurance of fatigue, which THE EAST INDIA HORSES. 225 highly fit these horses for the extensive journeys so frequently performed in India. The Cozakee is deep- chested, strong loined, and muscular in the fore-arm, but his hind limbs are very much cat-hammed ; his head is large and heavy. Another of the native kinds is the Iranee, possessing considerable strength and action, having the quality of strong quarters, with straight well-knit limbs. Like the preceding, he is rather large about the head, with great hanging ears — a characteristic of want of spirit. In the Mysore country, there is a breed of horses which are fifteen hands high ; these may be considered as the largest of the native species. The princes and people of rank have a superior breed, sprung from Arabian blood ; and the pure Arabian is not uncommon in that country. But the horse which is now most cultivated, and in general use among the British inhabitants, is the Toorhy, originally imported from Turkistan and Persia. These steeds have a happy combination of beautiful showy figures, with a great docility of temper. The former quality highly fits them for parade and pomp ; if they are managed with skill, they exhibit great stateliness. They are high-spirited and extremely playful, which, to those unaccustomed to them, has the appearance of fury, whereas, in fact, they are without vice. They are very high crested, which gives them a majestic appearance. Their usual height is from fourteen to fifteen hands. These animals are, in common with all the East Indian racers, defec- tive in one point, namely, want of bone below the knee, with a fulness about the hocks. The Mahratta territory has long been celebrated for S:2 226 OF ASIATIC HORSES. its horses, which have much of the Arabian blood in them, and were no doubt greatly improved by the care bestowed by that people in the keeping of their horses ; for, when a Mahratta is dismounted, he is continually shampooing his horse. This is performed by rubbing him violently with the elbows and wrists, and bending the animal's joints backwards and forwards with consi- derable rapidity ; by these means the horse keeps his flesh, with a much smaller proportion of provender than he otherwise would. The Mahrattas pride themselves on being good horsemen ; although they can stick to a horse, yet, to a European, it is in a manner extremely inelegant. They ride with their knees as high as the horses' back, and hold on by the heels, while with their hands they either grip the mane or the peak of the saddle ; nor is it considered by them awkward or unhorsemanlike to do so. With such means to secure their seat, it is not to be wondered at that they seldom fall ; and, when they do, it is considered by their fellows a sad disgrace. Peaked saddles are sometimes used by the Mahrattas, although this is but seldom. These peaked saddles rise in a crane-neck form in front, which they seem to have adopted from the Moguls. Most horses led in state, of which every considerable person has several, have these saddles ; but, in general, a substitute is used by the Europeans in that country, called a charge-hammer, (which, we apprehend, should be char-jamma, which signifies a whole covering,) composed of a piece of stuff made of hair, something in consistence like a felt hat ; this is put next to the horse, which effectually prevents chafing ; it is bound by a girth, on which, with short THE EAST INDIA HORSES. 227 leathers, the stirrups are suspended ; over this the rider's clothes, bedding, &c. are bound by another girth, and over all a covering is laid, also called a charge- hammer, chiefly ornamental, according to fancy. However worthless the horse, a crupper and martin- gal are always used by the Mahrattas. Rich men have their crupper adorned with a silver knob as big as a hen's egg, silk tassels, or embroidery : the cruppers admit of two rows of these ornaments, being fastened, not as ours are, in the centre of the saddle behind, but on each side. Common people carry fastened to the crupper, the tobra, sl leathern vessel, into which the horse thrusts his mouth to eat his grain ; they carry also the head and heel ropes, called, from their situation, agareepeetehareed, for the country custom of picketing horses is different from ours : a rope is carried from the head stall, on each side, to a peg, and the hinder fetlocks have a thong round them, from which ropes are carried twenty, and sometimes thirty feet, and there fastened to a peg, which pulls the horse back, and keeps him, when standing, on the stretch ; but does not, it would appear, and as generally supposed, keep him from lying down. A Mahratta, although he sells his horse, never parts with the heel ropes ; it is deemed unlucky. In the field, the horses are kept always clothed, with their eyes covered, to prevent horses and mares seeing each other, or any .thing to make them restless ; and they say, besides, that the clothing preserves the glossy appearance of the coat. The bridles have but one bit, like our snaffle, but sometimes, if a horse's mouth is callous, so jagged and pointed, that it cuts them severely ; the rein is fixed on a swivel ring, that projects a little downwards, but has not the 228 OF ASIATIC HORSES. power of our curb ; one single narrow strap fastens the bridle on, over which a head stall, unconnected with the bridle, is worn ; this is usually ornamented with lace or embroidery, and has the martingal fixed to it, and a thong, about a yard in length, descends from the rein to touch the horse with, as neither whip, spur, nor switch is ever used. The ornaments most common among the Mahratta gentlemen, are a necklace over the horse's chest, some- times made of silver plates of different kinds, or of coins. Rupees and double rupees, made into an ornament of this description, cut a very showy appearance. The mane is plaited in small braids with coloured silks, and silver knobs suspended to them. There is a top knot between the horse's ears, and some have tails, perhaps five or six on each side ; these tails are very bushy, and when clean and milk white, are given to distinguish some military exploit. They are said to be the tail of a wild cow in the northern parts of Hindoostan. The Mahrattas do not practise cropping and nicking, and they never think of cutting a horse's ears, however long they may be. They have a particular pleasure in seeing a horse with a long tail ; and when they are white, it is not unusual for them to dye them red. This custom, however, is getting into disuse. The Mahrattas feed their horses on two species of grain, called grano and coolly. There is another breed, called Tattoos, of a diminu- tive size, and little valued ; but they are, nevertheless, serviceable and hardy, and frequently used, instead of bullocks, for carrying baggage. The ordinary size of the Tattoo pony, is from ten to twelve and a half hands high ; they shew a good deal of blood, and can subsist THE EAST INDIA HORSES. 229 upon a very scanty allowance of food. Their value is from five to fifteen rupees. Horses bred in that country, of the ordinary size, sell from two to six hundred, northern horses bring even a thousand rupees, which is, however, reckoned a high price. Among the varied breeds which are to be found in India, Mr N. H. Smith, who was for many years actively engaged in the turf of that country, says " he never remembers a single instance of any horse, from the borders of Persia, or Turkey in Asia, that had a cross of the horses of those countries, proving equal to the desert Arabians, though mostly larger, and generally of better figures, and superior as saddle horses." It is the practice with the East India Company, to give the respectable natives brood-mares, under an agreement, that, when they shall have produced five foals, which they must give to the Company, then the mare becomes their own property. The Company keep very fine stallions, generally of the English blood at different stations, for the purpose of improving the breed ; and the mares are either taken to them, if near, or the horses are periodically led through the districts. The produce of these are good parade horses, with more show than the Arabians, but unable to stand the same fatigue. In training, it is found, they have not the same mettle as the Arabians ; for they improve much faster than the native kinds, and continue to do so ; and although the latter may run a trial of a mile and a half, in an uncultivated state, and even beat the Arabian, yet, after a short period, his superior blood and bottom will tell to the disadvantage of the native horse. An Arabian courser should never be tried in 230 OF ASIATIC HORSES. India for a shorter distance than a mile and a half, otherwise his action will not come into sufficient play to shew itself. Of late years, the native cavalry and artillery of British India are principally mounted on Arabians. The dealers of the desert bring over lots of from ten to thirty horses, of different grades, and dispose of the entire lot to the Company. Horse-racing is much practised in India, but princi- pally with Arabian coursers ; the other horses, as I have above noticed, being unable to compete Math them. Lately, however, the celebrated race-horse, Recruit, by Whalebone, formerly Lord Exeter's, was taken out to Calcutta, and was matched against Pyramus, the best Arabian of the day on the Bengal side of India. As this race settles, in some measure, a long disputed point regarding the speed of the English race-horse and the Arabian, I shall give an account of it. The race took place in January, 1829, over the Barrackpore course. It was for a comparatively trifling sum — one hundred gold mohurs, equivalent to one hundred and sixty pounds sterling. The distance was two miles, give-and-take weights, fourteen hands, to carry nine stone, and the Arabian to take off seven pounds. The weights were as follows : — The Honourable Colonel Finch's E. b. h. Recruit, ten stone, twelve pounds, four ounces. Mr Grant's A. gr. h. Pyramus, eight stone, three pounds, eight ounces. The horses started well together, and ran the first quarter of a mile neck and neck ; but, however doubt- ful the issue might have been deemed before starting, THE EAST INDIA HORSES. 231 the lengthy stride of Recruit, and the evident exertions of Pyramus, as they passed the winning-post for the first time, sufficiently indicated to all observers of judgment what would be the result. At the Craven Post, (one mile and a quarter from home,) Recruit took the lead by about half a length, and ran at such a pace, that the Arabian was unable to make a struggle at the run in, being beaten easily by several lengths. Time, three minutes and fifty-seven seconds. Recruit only landed in India in May, 1828, and, it is supposed, his consti- tution was not, at the time of the race, sufficiently adapted to the climate. The race, in the opinion of some, is decisive in favour of the speed of the English thorough-bred horse over all others. Captain Home, of the Madras Horse Artillery, a gentleman who has possessed some of the fastest Arabians that ever appeared on that side of India, and who has been very successful on the turf of that country, is of opinion, that the above match was very injudi- ciously made. He thinks Pyramus ought to have carried nine stone seven pounds, in place of eight stone three and a half pounds ; and the English horse should have carried weight for inches. Pyramus had, on a former occasion, accomplished two miles in four minutes and one second, carrying the additional weight of one stone four pounds. Under conflicting opinions on this head, the point seems still unsettled. A trial of a similar kind was made between Champion, a first-rate Arabian, and Constance, an English-bred racer, said, however, to be only a moderately good horse, and, some have alleged, lame at the time : he was decidedly beaten by the Arabian. OF ASIATIC HORSES. THE CHINESE HORSE. Little is known of the horses of this vast empire ; but it is said, by those who have seen them, that they are small, weak, ill-formed, and without spirit. This may be the effect of China having been so long in a state of tranquillity, and, besides, the country is so thickly peopled, that they cannot afford to keep many of those animals, which consume so much food ; and as that country is much intersected by canals, fewer are required, for transporting goods from one part of the empire to another. The Chinese, like the Turks, have a horse's tail for a standard, under which they go to war. This they, in all probability, derived from their Tartar conquerors. THE BARB. 233 SECTION SECOND. OF AFRICAN HORSES. The horses which are next to the Asiatic, in point of lineage, are unquestionably those of Africa. They are their genuine and immediate descendants, without the admixture of blood, which has been degenerated by a European climate ; their varieties depending upon the influence of local situation, but possessing generally the same fine shape, and the mildness of disposition peculiar to Eastern horses. THE BARB. The present horses of Morocco, are a race nearly allied to the Arabian, and have been produced by a cross with those of Algiers, which are supposed to have had their origin in a south European breed, crossed with the Arabian. They are somewhat larger than the Arabian, with fine heads and crests, and, in general, well formed about the shoulder, straight backs, and droop considerably towards the haunches. They are exceedingly swift. As none of them are geldings, T m 234 OF AFRICAN HORSES. they are possessed of great spirit, and are naturally fiery in their dispositions. The forehead of the Barb is generally long and slender, and his mane rather scanty ; his ears are small, beautifully shaped, and placed in such a manner as to give him great expression ; his shoulders are light, flat, and sloping backwards ; withers fine, and standing high ; loins short and straight ; flanks and ribs round and full, without giving him too large a belly ; his haunches strong and elastic; the croup is sometimes long to a fault; the tail is placed high; thighs well turned and rounded ; legs clean, beautifully formed, and the hair thin, short, and silky ; the tendons are detached from the bone; but the pasterns are often too long, and bending; the feet rather small, but in general sound. The Moors being still unacquainted with the use of the ring, are, therefore, obliged to commence breaking their horses when very young, by taking them long and fatiguing journeys, more especially over the mountainous and rocky parts of the country, in which they soon re- duce their natural ardour. They next teach them to rear up, stand fire, gallop, and stop short, almost instan- taneously ; and having obtained these, they are satisfied, without any farther qualification. For this reason, a Barbary horse seldom can perform any other pace than a gallop, or a walk; and from being broken in, and worked hard, before they have arrived at their full strength, these horses, in a very few years, become unfit for service. The Moors seldom ride mares, but keep them in the country for breeding ; and, like other eastern nations, contrary to the general opinion in THE BARB. 235 Europe, they consider them so much more valuable than horses, that they are never permitted to be exported. The gentlemen of Barbary are not a little proud of their horsemanship, and, like our men of fashion in Great Britain, they appear most calculated to shine on their horses. It would, indeed, be truly disgraceful not to be accomplished in this art, since it appears to occupy, both day and night, by far the greatest portion of their attention ; their feats on horseback being a universal topic of conversation, literature having made but little progress among that people. The few, however, who are possessed of the acquirements of reading and writing, take every opportunity of manifesting their superiority over their associates, who are not so happy as to be distinguished by those accomplishments. The horses of Morocco are seldom kept in stables, but usually picketed to the ground. They are watered and fed only once a-day, the former at one o'clock at noon, and the latter at sun-set. The only mode which they use to clean a horse, is to plunge him into a river two or three times a-week, and allow him to dry, with- out being rubbed down. We are informed, that the following singular mode of treatment is practised by the natives of Morocco, on their horses, after having made the pilgrimage to Mecca: — " In Morocco," says Churchill, " the natives have a great respect for horses that have been the pilgrimage to Mecca, where Mahomet was born ; they are called hadgis, or saints. Such horses have their necks adorned with strings of beads, and relics, being writings wrapped 236 OF AFRICAN HORSES. up in cloth of gold, or silk, containing the names of their prophet; and when these horses die, they are buried with as much ceremony as the nearest relations of their owners. The King of Morocco had one of them, which he caused to be led before him when he went abroad, very richly accoutered, and covered with these writings. His tail was held up by a Christian slave, who performed various indecorous offices to the animal." Although the Moors manifest great attachment to their horses, yet they use them with great cruelty. Their highest pleasure, and one of their first accomplish- ments, is, by means of long and sharp spurs, to make the horse go full speed, and then to stop him instan- taneously. In this they display uncommon dexterity. The iron work of their bridles is so constructed, that by its pressure on the horse's tongue, and lower jaw, with the least exertion of the rider, it fills his mouth with blood, and if not cautiously used, throws him inevitably on his back. The bridle has only a single rein, which is so very long, that it serves the pur- pose of both whip and bridle. The Moorish saddle is in some degree similar to the Spanish, but the pummel is still higher, and more peaked ; and, like that of most other nations, is calculated to give security of seat to the rider ; while the English saddle is formed more for lightness, than to afford the equestrian any advantage. Those of the Moors are covered with red woollen cloth, or, if belonging to a person of consequence, with red satin, or damask ; are fastened with one strong girth round the body, in the European style, and another round the shoulders. Their stirrups, in which they ride very short, are so formed as to cover the whole foot like THE BARB. 237 a slipper. They either plate or gild them, according to the dignity, opulence, or fancy of the possessor. The Moors frequently amuse themselves, by riding with the utmost apparent violence against a wall ; and a stranger would conceive it impossible for them to avoid being dashed to pieces, when, just as the horse's head touches the wall, they stop him with the utmost accuracy. There is a barbarous kind of merriment to which they are much addicted ; it is generally practised on strangers on horseback, or even on foot. They ride violently up to them, as if intending to trample them to pieces, and stop their horses suddenly, and fire a musket in their faces. Another favourite amusement with them, which displays perhaps superior agility, is the following: — A number of persons on horseback start at the same moment, and, accompanied with loud shouts, gallop at full speed to an appointed spot, when they stand up straight in the stirrups, put the rein, which we have before observed is very long, in their mouths, level their pieces, and fire them off, throw their firelocks immediately over their right shoulders, and stop their horses nearly at the same instant. This is said to have been their common mode of attacking an enemy. Although it must be allowed, that the Moors have the merit of sitting a horse well and gracefully, and, as' far as is necessary for the above mentioned exercise, of having a great command over him, yet their horses, on the whole, are ill trained, and they entirely neglect to teach them those paces, which, in Europe, are considered the most agreeable and useful for the com- mon purposes of riding. T2 238 OF AFRICAN HORSES. We have had a very excellent proof in England of the superiority of some these horses, in the famous stallion, known by the name of the Godolphin Arabian, which was, in fact, a Barb. He contributed more to the improvement of the blood of our racers, than any other foreign horse, either before or since his time. The Godotyhin Barb. Plate I. Fig. 2. This extraordinary horse was of a brown bay, about fifteen hands high, with some white on the off heel behind. He was long considered as a genuine Arabian ; but, we think, his points were more nearly that of a Barb of the highest breed. It is quite certain, that he was imported into France from Barbary, where it was suspected he had been stolen. So little was he valued in France, says the author of the Sportsman's Reposi- tory, " that he was actually employed in the drudgery of drawing a cart in Paris." He was brought into England by Mr Coke, who gave him to Mr Williams, proprietor of the St James's Coffee-house, who after- wards presented him to the Earl of Godolphin. In 1731, he was teaser to Hobgoblin, who, refusing to cover Roxana, she was put to the Godolphin Barb, and produced Lath, one of the most beautiful of horses ; pronounced by the most skilled, at that time, to be the best that had appeared at Newmarket for many years previous to his time, Childers only excepted. It is a remarkable fact, that there is not, at this period, a superior horse on the turf, without a cross of the Godolphin blood in him. THE BARB. 239 There is an original portrait of this remarkable horse, by Seymour, in the collection of the Marquis of Cholmondeley, at Houghton Hall, Norfolk ; and another picture of him, with his favourite cat, in the library at Gog-Magog, in Cambridgeshire: he died there, in December, 1753, aged twenty-nine, the property of Lord Godolphin. Such was the regard that subsisted betwixt this horse and his favourite cat, that it would be difficult to say, which of them had the greatest affection for the other; one thing, however, is certain, that the cat really pined to death for the loss of the horse. From this picture, a copy was taken by the celebrated animal painter, Stubbs, and engraved by Scott, which has been confirmed as an excellent likeness, notwith- standing the criticisms of some artists, who suppose the greatly elevated crest as unnatural, and that it must have resulted from the inaccuracy of the artist. But the Godolphin horse had really the high crest represented in the picture, and it is a characteristic of the noble horses of Barbary. It is well known, that the Duke of Portland once possessed a horse, with as elevated a crest as that of the Godolphin Barb. I possessed a draught horse, that stood about seventeen hands high, which had a very uncommon developement of the crest ; and this, notwithstanding his being a gelding. He was a beautiful animal in all respects, possessing great spirit and action, his head small and finely shaped. I purchased this horse of a brewer in Perth ; and my neighbours fancied that he had been intended for a stallion, and had been cut after he was full grown, which I found, upon inquiry, not to be the case. The Godolphin Barb was sire to the following fine 240 OF AFRICAN HORSES. horses and mares. It is hoped the list will be acceptable, as it wiil enable the sportsman to trace the blood of this celebrated animal. Those marked with an alpha («) were the first produce of their respective dams. I have not given them according to their seniority, but alphabetically, as I consider it more useful. COLTS. Foaled r . Colour. Name. Dam. Owners. 1750 b. Alchymist, a Crab Mr Popham 1764 gr. Mr Vernon 1737 b. Danger, m, Sir John Dutton 1740 b. Babraham Large Hurtle}- * Lord Godolphin b. Bajazet Whitefoot Mr Greville b. Blank Little Hartley * Lord Godolphin 1748 gr. Blossom, a Blossom Lord March 1751 gr. Bragg Duke of Grafton 1742 dun Buffcoat Silverlocks Lord Godolphin 1734 b. Cade Roxana f 1746 b. Chub Hobgoblin, m 1752 gr- Creeper Blossom 1750 g r - Cripple, a Lord Eglinton 1753 gr- Cygnet Lord Godolphin Deputy , afterwards Lofty , Spinster Mr Panton b. Dimple Hobgoblin Lord Godolphin 1733 Dismal — __ 1738 b. Dormouse, a Partner 1749 b. Entrance Hobgoblin Duke of Cumberland 1751 br. Fearnought Lord Godolphin b. Feather Childers, M. Mr Panton 1748 b. Gower, 5 a Whitefoot Lord Gower b. Godolphin, G Hobgoblin Lord Godolphin 1738 b. Janus Little Hartley 1746 b. Infant, a Hobgoblin, 1737 Lord Sandwich 1732 b. Lath, a Roxana Lord Godolphin 1745 bl. Marlborough Large Hartley D. of Marlborough 1754 b. Matchless Soreheels Mr Panton 1749 b. Mirza Hobgoblin Mr Swymmer * Flying- Whig, by the Woodstock Arabian, dam of the Hartley mares, — the large Hartley mare, by Hartley's blind horse ; the little Hartley mare, by Bartlett's Childers. Both mares were bought by Lord Godolphiu's stud groom, for two hundred guineas, of Mr Hartley, in 1732. f Roxana died within a fortnight after foaling, and Cade was reared with cows' milk. THE BARB. 241 Foaled '. Colour. Xante. Dam. Ou-nerg. Mogul Large Hartley Lord Godolphin 1744 b. Noble Hobgoblin Mr Greville 1741 b. Old England Little Hartley Lord Godolphin 1754 b. Posthumus Spinster Mr Panton 1739 Regulus Gray Robinson Lord Chedworth 174L b. Shewball Whitefoot Lord Godolphin 1745 Tarquiu 1752 b. Weasel Fox 1742 b. Whitenose. Childers, M. Mr Panton 1739 b. Young Kitty Burdett* Lord Godolphin 1741 b. FILLIES. Sir Thomas Reade 1748 Amelia Mr Crofts 1754 b. Anna Cloudy Lord Townshend 1751 br. Dainty Crab Lord March 1753 b. Daphne Fox Lord Godolphin 1751 b. Emma Hobgoblin Mr Lincoln 1749 Jilt Blossom Mr Panton 1753 br. Miss Cranbourn, a Miss Western Duke of Cumberland 1754 Miss Windsor ran in name of Silvia 1743 b. Shepherdess, a Hobgoblin Mr Martindale 1748 b. Sophia Mr Harvey 1747 b. Pirn's dam Lord Sandwich 1750 b. i Lord Grosvenor 1752 Hip's dam Lord Godolphin 1751 Grand-dam of Marplot Lord Eglinton 1739 Merlin's dam Little Hartley Lord Eglinton 1738 dun Brilliant's dam, a Silverlock9 Mr Crofts 1739 Dam of Well-done Sir John Moore 1746 b. Large Hartley Lord Craven b. Whitefoot Mr Dutton 1752 b. Soreheels Lord Waldgrave It is worthy of remark, that the greater proportion of both colts and fillies, produced by this celebrated horse, were of a bay colour like himself. This blood has now, however, been so much crossed, that his descendants are to be met with of all colours. * Young Kitty Burdett, foal.'d in 1720, by Old Smales, out of Kitty Burdett, sister to Whimsey, by the Darley Arabian. 242 OF AFRICAN HORSES UNITED INTREPIDITY. " I should have found it difficult to give it credit," says M. De Pages, (in whose Travels Round the World this fact is related,) "had it not happened at this place (the Cape of Good Hope) the evening before my arrival ; and if, besides the public notoriety of the fact, I had not been an eye-witness of those vehement emotions of sympathy, blended with admiration, which it had justly excited in the mind of every individual at the Cape. A violent gale of wind setting in from north- north-west, a vessel in the road dragged her anchors, was forced on the rocks, and bulged; and while the greater part of the crew fell an immediate sacrifice to the waves, the remainder were seen from the shore, struggling for their lives, by clinging to the different pieces of the wreck. The sea ran dreadfully high, and broke over the sailors with such amazing fury, that no boat whatever could venture off to their assistance. Meanwhile a planter, considerably advanced in life, had come from his farm to be a spectator of the shipwreck ; his heart was melted at the sight of the unhappy seamen, and knowing the bold and enterprising spirit of his horse, and his particular excellence as a swimmer, he instantly determined to make a desperate effort for their deliverance. He alighted, and blew a little brandy into his horse's nostrils, when, again seating himself in the saddle, he instantly pushed into the midst of the breakers. At first both disappeared, but it was not long before they floated on the surface, and swam up to the wreck; when, taking with him two THE BARB. 243 men, each of whom held by one of his boots, he brought them safe to shore. This perilous expedition he repeated no seldomer than seven times, and saved fourteen lives to the public ; but, on his return the eighth time, his horse being much fatigued, and meet- ing a most formidable wave, he lost his balance, and was overwhelmed in a moment. The horse swam safely to land, but his gallant rider, alas I was no more." It is deeply to be lamented, that M. De Pages did not give the name of this intrepid and benevolent individual, that it might have been recorded in the annals of fame. Sparrman, in his Voyage to the Cape of Good Hope, relates the above story, although somewhat differently ; it was told to him by some eye-witnesses. He says the name of the Dutch ship, which was wrecked, was the Jong Theomas. He says, the gallant and humane individual, who saved the people, was one of the keepers of the Company's menageries, who had rode out to carry his son's breakfast, then a corporal in the army. This enterprising philanthropist commands our esteem and admiration the more, as he had put himself into this danger for the relief of others, without being himself able to swim. Sparrman gives his name, which was Voltemad, and says, " Inspired with similar sentiments, the East India Directors in Holland, on receiving intelligence of this affair, raised a monu- ment to his memory, in a manner worthy of themselves and him, by calling one of their new built ships after his name, and ordering the whole story to be painted on the stern. These orders were accompanied with letters to the regency at the Cape, the contents of 244 OF AFRICAN HORSES. which were as follows : — " That in case Voltemad had left any issue in the military or civil department, they should take care to provide for them, and make their fortune as speedily and effectually as possible. But, unfortunately, in the southern hemisphere, they had not all the same grateful sentiments. The young corporal, Voltemad, who had been an eye-witness of his father's having offered himself up in the service of the Company, and of mankind, was refused his father's place, though the appointment to it could scarcely be considered any promotion." astley's barb. Mr Astley, junior, of the Royal Amphitheatre, Westminster Bridge, once had in his possession, a remarkably fine Barbary horse, forty-three years of age, which was presented to him by the Duke of Leeds. This celebrated animal, for a number of years, officiated in the character of a waiter, in the course of the performances at the Amphitheatre, and at various other theatres in the united kingdom. At the request of his master, he has been seen to bring into the riding school, a tea table and its appendages, which feat has been followed up, by fetching a chair, or stool, or what else soever might be wanted. His achievements generally terminated by taking a kettle of boiling water from a fire, which blazed considerably, to the wonder and admiration of every beholder. THE BARB. 245 The Thoulouse Barb Was sire of the celebrated Rygate mare, (the dam of Cinnamon, &c.) Molly, Bagpiper, Rosamond, Blacklegs, Miss Pert, and various other good racers. Molly was never beat, till the match in which she died in great agony, between the stand and rubbing house, while running against Terror. The Curwen Bay Barb Was sire of Mixbury, and Tantivy, both galloways, much celebrated in their day. Mixbury, though only thirteen hands two inches high, was never beat but by two horses of his time, carrying light weight. Both he and Tantivy were beautifully formed, and possessed very high spirit. The Curwen Bay Barb was brought into England by Mr Curwen, who procured him and the Thoulouse Barb, from Counts Bryam and Thoulouse, natural sons of Louis XIV. of France. He was a present from the Emperor of Morocco to that monarch. Old Greyhound Was sire of Goliah, Othello, Whitefoot, Sampson, Favourite, Brocklesby, Desdemona, and other good horses, which were generally winners. St Victors Barb Was sire of the noted Bald Galloway, who was sire of Lord Portmore's Snake and Daffodil, Cartouch, Dart, Fox, Hunter, Roxana, (the dam of Lath and Cade, 246 OF AFRICAN HORSES. two celebrated racers,) &c. &c. These excellent horses brought him into high repute. Tarran s Slack Barb Was sire of Tarran, a black horse, which was foaled in 1724, bred by the Rev. Mr Tarran. He was a suc- cessful racer, and gained many matches, beating the best horses of his day. Nothing more can be learned of this Barb. Huttoris Bay Barb. From this horse has sprung some of the best racers ever produced in England. He was sire of Black Chance and Blacklegs. The latter got the dam of Marsk, (who was sire of the famous Eclipse,) Moorcock, Wormwood, Sec. Black Chance was a horse of great strength, and at high weights was certainly one of the best ever pro- duced. He gained many plates and matches. Coles Barb e of Old Smitl of him. Was sire of Old Smithson. Nothing farther is recorded Comptons Barb Was sire of Coquette, Bistern, Greyling, Spillikin, Rebus, Rouleau, Prudenta, Toledo, Baby, Prude, and others. Coquette, at Newmarket Spring Meeting, 1769, won a post sweepstakes of five hundred guineas, and was afterwards successful as a winner. Greyling was also an excellent and successful horse. THE NUBIAN HORSE. 247 THE NUBIAN HORSE. " What figure the Nubian horses would make," (says Mr Bruce,) " in point of fleetness, is very doubtful, their make being so entirely different from that of the Arabian ; but if beautiful and symmetrical parts, large size, strength, and most agile, nervous, and elastic movements, great endurance of fatigue, docility of tem- per, and seeming attachment to man, beyond any other domestic animal, can promise any thing for a stallion, the Nubian is, above all comparison, the most eligible in the world. " The horses of Halfaia and Gerri do not arrive at the size of those of Dongola, where few are larger than sixteen hands. They are black or white, but a vast proportion of the former to the latter. I never saw the colour we call gray, that is, dappled, but there are some bright bays, or inclining to sorrel. They are all kept monstrously fat upon dora, eat nothing green but the short roots of grass, that are to be found by the side of the Nile, after the sun has withered it. This the Nubians dig out where it is covered with earth, and appears blanched, which they lay in small heaps once a-day on the ground before them. They are tethered by the fetlock joint of the fore leg with a very soft cotton rope, made with a loop and large button. They eat and drink with the bridle in their mouth, not the 248 OF AFRICAN HORSES. bridle they actually use when armed, but a light one made on purpose, to accustom them to eat and drink with it. " All noble horses in Nubia are said to be descended from one of the five upon which Mahomet, and his four immediate successors, Abou Beer, Omar, Atman, and Ali, fled from Mecca to Medina, the night of the Hegeira." Mr Bruce made a drawing from one of these horses, called El Fudda, which was descended in a direct line from one of the above five ; and he says, " From which of these El Fudda was descended I did not inquire : Sheick Adelan, armed, as he fought, with his coat of mail and war saddle, iron-chained bridle, brass cheek- plates, front-plate, breast-plate, large broad-sword, and battle-axe, did not weigh less upon the horse than sixteen stone, horseman's weight. This horse kneeled to receive his master, armed as he was, when he mounted, and he kneeled to let him dismount likewise, so that no advantage could be taken of him in those helpless times, when a man is obliged to arm and dis- arm himself, piece by piece, on horseback. Adelan, in war, was a fair player, and gave every body his chance. He was the first man always that entered among the enemy, and the last to leave them, and never changed his horse." THE DONGOLA HORSE. 249 THE DONGOLA HORSE. The small kingdom of Dongola, or what is called Dankala by the Arabs, possesses a very fine race of horses. These have spread over the whole neighbour- ing districts, which lie between Egypt and Abyssinia. They even differ, in a material degree, from the other horses of the Nubian territory, which lie farther south. The horses of Dongola, like those of the district of Nubia, are of a large size, standing full sixteen hands high, but the length of the body, from the shoulders to the quarter, is considerably less ; so that their form is quite opposed to that of the Arabian or English thorough-bred horses, which are longer than they are high by some inches. Their necks are long and slender, and their crests very fine ; the withers sharp and high, producing a beautiful forehand. They are, however, faulty in the breast, which is too narrow, and the quarters and flanks too flat. The back is somewhat bent. Their size, speed, and durability, peculiarly fit them for war steeds. Bosman says, " The Dongola horses are the most perfect in the world, being beautiful, symmetrical in their parts, nervous and elastic in their movements, and docile and affectionate in their manners. One of these horses was sold in 1816, at Grand Cairo, for a sum equivalent to one thousand pounds sterling. Several of these steeds have been imported into Europe, and even into England, but they did not turn u a 250 OF AFRICAN HORSES. out so well, for breeding from, as was expected, and have been considered of no value. This failure might possibly arise from not breeding them with the kind of animal to which their qualities are likely to be most useful. It is very probable, that they might improve our cavalry horses, by crossing them with three-part bred mares. THE EGYPTIAN HORSE. Egypt, which from the earliest ages of the world was the most celebrated country for breeding horses, has now completely lost its character in this respect ; for the horses of that nation are considered of little value, in comparison with those of Persia, Arabia, and other Eastern countries. They have neither the fine shape nor fire of these breeds, and are said to be thick in the breathing. These bad qualities, in all probability, arise from the humid atmosphere, and the low alluvial flats on which they are pastured. In short, no specific account can be given of the breed of Egypt ; for there is a large annual importation of cavalry horses, sent thither by the Turks, from various parts of the East ; so that they may be said to be a mixture of all nations. The rich people of Egypt, like the rest of the world, highly esteem the pure Arabian horse, and pay large sums for them. They also possess many fine animals of the Persian breeds. " In the year 1507, the Sultan of Egypt made osten- tation of his magnificence to the Turkish ambassador ; THE EGYPTIAN HORSE. 231 there were sixty thousand Mamelukes, in the same uniform, assembled in a spacious plain, in which were three heaps of sand, fifty paces distant, in each a spear erected, with a mark to shoot at ; and the like over opposite them, with space betwixt sufficient for six horses to run abreast ; here the youngest Mamalukes upon their horses, running at full speed, gave wonderful proof of their skill. Some shot arrows backward and forward; others, in the midst of their race, alighted three times, and, their horses still running, remounted again, and hit the mark nevertheless ; others hit the same, standing on their horses thus swiftly running; others three times unbent their bows, and thrice again bent them, whilst their horses galloped, and did not miss the mark ; neither did others, who, in the middle of their race, alighted down on either side, and again remounted, nor they which, in their swiftest course, leaped and turned themselves backwards on their horses, and then, their horses still running, turned themselves forward. There were some who, while their horses galloped, ungirt them thrice, at each time shooting, then again girting their saddles, and yet never missed the mark. Some sat in their saddles, leaped backwards out of them, and, turning over their heads, settled themselves again in their seats, and shot, as the former, three times ; others laid themselves backward on their running horses, and taking their tails, put them in their mouths, and yet took an undeviating aim in shooting : some, after every shot, drew out their swords and flourished them about their heads, and again sheathed them ; others sat betwixt three swords on their right, and as many on the left, thinly clothed, so that, 252 OF AFRICAN HORSES. without great care, every motion would wound them, yet before and behind them touched the mark. One stood upon two horses, running very swiftly ; his feet loose, and shot also at once three arrows before, and again three behind him ; another, sitting on a horse, neither bridled nor saddled, as he came at every mark, arose and stood upon his feet, and, on both hands hitting the mark, sat down again three times ; a third, sitting on the bare horse, when he came to the mark, lay upon his back, and lifted up his leg, and yet missed not his shot. One of them was killed with a fall, and two much wounded, in these feats of activity." All this is from Baumgusten, who was an eye-witness of what he relates. OF EUROPEAN HORSES. 253 SECTION THIRD. OF EUROPEAN HORSES. I have already stated as my opinion, that the horse was not an aboriginal of Europe, and that his native abode was Asia. In treating of European races, I propose commencing with those of Britain ; not that we were the first country of Europe which possessed the horse, but be- cause the horses of Great Britain are superior, in point of excellence, to all other European breeds, for the turf, chase, or road. At the head of the list stands our race horse, which, in degree of blood, approaches nearest in purity to the true Arabian courser. THE RACE HORSE. The race horses of Great Britain and Ireland bear a strong resemblance, in their whole shape, to the Arabian horse, and also to the Barb. And this is only what might be expected, as they contain a great deal of the blood of these varieties. Indeed, all their movements 254 OF EUROPEAN HORSES. indicate their eastern origin. They are, however, much larger. In speed, the English race horses are equal, if not superior, to all other coursers in the world. One thing is quite certain, that all the Arabians, Persians, Barbs, and Turks, which have been brought into Eng- land, have been beaten by our race horses ; and, even on the burning plains of the East, most nearly allied to the native soil of the Arabian, and also in the frigid temperature of Russia, the British racer has always proved himself swifter than any horses brought to com- pete with him. A few years back, Pyramus, the best Arabian steed on the Bengal side of India, was beat by Recruit, an English racer of but moderate reputation. For carrying weight, and long endurance of exertion, or what, in the language of the turf, is called bottom, our racers have the decided advantage of all other horses. Their high courage, determined spirit, and patience under every suffering, all indicate the purity of their lineage. An ordinary racer is known to go at the rate of a mile in less than two minutes ; but there have been instances of horses running nearly a mile in one minute. The form of the head, in the racer in particular, is like that of the Arabian. His beautifully arched neck is firmly set on, and his shoulders are oblique and lengthened ; his hind legs are well bent ; his quarters are ample and muscular ; his whole legs are flat, and rather short, from the knee downwards, although not always so deep as they ought to be ; his pasterns are long and elastic. But horses possessing all these points in seeming perfection, are too often found to be useless tame brutes. Two points of those enumerated generally turn out THE RACE HORSE. 255 well, viz. when the shoulder is well placed, and the hinder legs well bent. Thorough-bred is a term employed in Britain to indi- cate the descent of a horse from a south-eastern courser. The English racer has therefore been the progressively improved breed, from a commixture of our own horses with those of Asia. The horses of the first blood, or such as are the nearest possible to the eastern stock, are, — those immediately produced from an Arabian, or Barb ; any stallion with an English mare, which has been already crossed with a Barb or Arabian steed, in the first degree ; or that which has sprung from two crossings in the same degree. The amusement of horse racing was practised in England in very early times ; indeed, there is some reason to believe that it was among the pastimes of the Anglo-Saxons, as Hugh Capet sent several running horses as a present to Edelswitha, the sister of Athel- stan. Fitzstephen mentions horse racing as a favourite diversion of the citizens of London. As a proof that, in the middle ages, there were certain seasons of the year when the nobility indulged themselves in this sport, we are told, in the metrical romance of " Sir Bevis of Southampton," that, at Whitsuntide, the knights, " A cours let they make on a daye, Steeds and palfraye for to assaye, Which horse that best may ren." In the reign of Elizabeth, race horses were prized on account of their breed; and the sport was carried to such an excess as to injure the fortunes of many of the 256 OF EUROPEAN HORSES. nobility. Private matches, in which gentlemen were their own jockeys, were then very common. In the reign of James the First, public races were established in many parts of the kingdom ; and it appears that the discipline and modes of preparing the horses upon such occasions, were much the same as are practised in the present day. During the latter part of the reign of Charles the First, races were held in Hyde Park, and at Newmarket. After the Restoration, horse racing was revived and much encouraged by Charles the Second, who often honoured this pastime with his presence ; and when he resided at Windsor, appointed races at Datchethead, for his own amusement. Newmarket, however, soon became the principal place where the king entered horses, and ran them in his own name, and established a house for his better accommodation. To shew how much it is a part of our national character to be fond of racing and hunting, it is not unfrequent for the officers of the British army to enjoy these sports, even in the seat of war. I quote a para- graph of a letter from an officer of the British camp nearTournay, dated 17th June, 1794. "We are about a mile and a half from Tournay ; our principal amuse- ment is horse riding. We have a course within our lines, and often witness as much sport, though on a smaller scale, as at Newmarket." The Duke of Wellington kept a pack of fox-hounds during a great part of his campaigns in Spain. The perfection of our racers seems to have been developed upwards of a hundred years ago, as at that period was produced that excellent horse, Flying Chil- ders, which has never been surpassed, in speed, by any THE RACE HORSE. 267 horse. From all that has been achieved, since his time, in breeding racers, by men having the accumu- lated experience of nearly a century, and devoted to that pursuit, it would seem that he never will be equalled. * There have been a few solitary instances of our native horses turning out good racers, but these have been few indeed. Sampson and Bay Malton were, however, exceptions, being the best horses of their day, although each had a cross of vulgar blood in him. The Darley Arabian may be considered as the source of all our best racing blood: he was sire to the famed Flying Childers, the fleetest horse which ever ran ; and was also sire of Bartlett's Childers. Through these two horses descended the blood of their sire, which soon became widely circulated ; and from them were produced a third Childers, Blaze, Snap, Sampson, and Eclipse, the finest proportioned horse ever known in this country, with a host of others of high fame. The following pedigree of Eclipse, will shew the * I think there can be no doubt, but that, in late years, too little attention has been paid to the introduction of foreign stallions : for if we look to former times, when Eclipse, Childers, King Herod, Match'em, and Shakspeare were in their glory, we must see a considerable falling off in the high mettle of our racers. Where can we find such horses at the present day, either as racers or stallions ? This, I think, is attributable alone, to the remote descent of our present racers from foreign blood. It appears to me, that the degenerating effects of a British atmosphere and pasturage, can only be successfully combated, by the occasional introduction of Asiatic blood. A permanently excellent breed can never be expected in this climate. * x 258 OF EUROPEAN HORSES. descent of our thorough-bred horses from the pure south eastern blood ; upon examination of which, we will find, that, in all probability, the speed of Eclipse arose from the repeated crosses of the Lister Turk and Hautboy ; the blood of these horses seemed peculiarly adapted to meet in combination, and to form a happy union. 5§j Squirt j Id TBartlett's Cliilders f Darley Arabian \ Betty Leeds am of Caroline ^ Q , ("Lister Turk and Shock. j* n ake \ Daughter of— Hautboy t Dter. of< Hautboy — Hautboy Hutton's f Hutton's Bay Turk Black Legs \ Dter. of J Coneyskins — Lister Turk Dter. of-j \ Daughter of— Hautboy Dter. of TFox Cub J" Clumsy — Hautboy ^ Daughter of — Leeds Arabian {Coneyskins — Lister Turk Dter. of — Hutton's Gray Barb f TFox Cut (Dter. of f Regulus f Godolphin Barb \ Daughter of f Bald Galloway j X Daughter of f Snake — Lister Turk X Old Wilkes, by Hautboy LOB* I I Mother Western/ Smith's Son of Snake \01d Montague f Hautboy X Daughter of — Brimmer This pedigree, at the same time, is an illustration of the uncertainty which attends the success of blood horses. Marsk was sold for a very small sum, at the Duke of Cumberland's sale, and was allowed to run wild in New Forest. The Earl of Abingdon purchased THE RACE HORSE. 259 him, subsequently, for one thousand guineas ; and before his death, this fine horse covered at one hundred guineas. Squirt, when the property of Sir Harry Har- pur, was considered such a good-for-nothing animal, that he was ordered to be shot ; and while he was actually leading to the dog kennel, his life was spared at the intercession of one of Sir Harry's grooms. The breeding of race horses, and racing itself, may be compared to the glorious uncertainty of the law ; for, notwithstanding all the care employed, in having both sire and dam of the purest blood, and from animals which have distinguished themselves, yet how many horses do we find unfit for the turf ? And, on the other hand, fine racers have been produced from animals which have never distinguished themselves. Excellent coursers have been produced, from a cross between a mare three-fourths bred, with a thorough-bred horse. It is a curious fact, that the produce of our first rate mares, and an Asiatic horse, seldom or never are good racers ; and they must be one remove, at least, from the foreign stock, before they can be depended on. In breeding, a mare should be chosen with as great a proportion of the blood of King Herod as possible. She should be deep in the girth, long and full in the forearm and thigh, short in the leg, standing clean and even upon the feet, and wide and spreading in the hind quarters. Over the whole continent, a decided preference is given to the English bred race horses ; and they are, in consequence, much sought after. We are told, that the Emperor Napoleon, while in his glory, placed a high value on them. It is related, on the authority of a 260 OF EUROPEAN HORSES. Russian Count, that a German Prince had procured a son of the famed English racer, Morwick Ball, and had produced from him, at much expense and trouble, an excellent stud of racers ; and that Napoleon coveted this fine stud, and induced their owner to send them into France, for the use of his Imperial stud, in return for honouring him with a French military order. Some people imagine, that the blood horses of Great Britain have very greatly degenerated, which is, by no means, the case, although, as above stated, they have fallen off in point of excellence. The apparent con- trast may be thus accounted for. In former times, fewer thorough-bred horses existed, than at the present day, so that their feats became more celebrated. They are now very numerous, and, of course, pretty nearly upon a level, in point of speed. There is an undoubted fault in trainers and breeders bringing their horses too soon forward, before they have acquired sufficient strength in their tendons, bones, or muscles. We have before us excellent examples of the beneficial effects of horses being late of bringing out, in Childers and Eclipse, neither of whom were run until they were five years old, whereas, many of the best racers have been foundered before they reached that age. It is well known that the horse enters into the spirit of the race, with as much zeal as the rider him- self, and will, in general strain every nerve to outstrip his adversary. As he advances towards the starting-post, all his motions betray the eagerness of his desire to start ; when the signal is given, away he springs, at a settled and steady pace. The rider becomes, as it were, a part of the quadruped, whose every motion THE RACE HORSE. 261 should correspond to his movements. He proceeds forward, restrained to the pace his rider thinks best suited to his strength, and preserving his powers till the last spur; the rider knows well where to push him, he touches him, to indicate his wishes for a trial of his strength, the hint is speedily taken, when all his nerves are called into action, and he bounds to his utmost stretch. It sometimes, though rarely, happens, that the spur becomes necessary to rouse every energy ; he knows its import, and every muscle is exerted, to defeat, if possible, his competitor. If he has spirit, little application of these will be necessary ; and if dull, all the punishment that can be inflicted, will prove unavailing. But, in general, the natural spirit of the race horse, when roused into action, from the opposition of the moment, has usually the effect to leading him through every obstacle at the time, and the whip and spur, in such a case, are therefore not required. The natural emulation of the racer will be strongly exemplified by the following anecdote. FORRESTER, THE FAMOUS RACER. Forrester had won many a hardly contested race ; at length over-weighed and over-matched, the rally had commenced. His adversary, who had been waiting behind, was quickly gaining upon him ; he reared, and eventually got abreast; they continued so till within the distance. They were parallel ; but the strength of Forrester began to fail him. He made a last desperate plunge ; seized his adversary by the jaw to X2 262 OF EUROPEAN HORSES. hold him back ; and it was with great difficulty he could be forced to quit his hold. Forrester, however, lost the race. MR QUIN's WICKED HORSE In the year 1753, Mr Quin had a famous racer, who entered into the spirit of the course as much as his master. One day, finding his opponent gradually passing him, he seized him by the legs, and both riders were obliged to dismount, in order to separate the infuriated animals, who were engaged with each other in the most deadly conflict : they were got apart with much difficulty. CANIS VERSUS EQUUS. Innumerable had been the disputes whether the greyhound or the race horse were the swiftest animals ; when a circumstance took place which fairly put the thing to the test. In a match with two horses, run on Doncaster race course in 1800, in which one of the horses was drawn, the other, a mare, started to run over the ground alone, to ensure the stake. When she had proceeded about a mile, a greyhound bitch struck in, from the side of the course. The rider being anxious to ascertain the curious point, pushed on the mare, when the greyhound strained every nerve to pass him ; she, however, kept abreast for a long time, but the mare, at passing the winning post, had the advantage by a head. At the distance post, five to four were betted on the greyhound, when parallel with the stand it was even betting. PILATE II- THS XACEE. FLITI^'G IEILDE1 THE RACE HORSE. 2G3 The race horse of Great Britain is well known to excel those of the rest of Europe, and, indeed, we may add, the whole world. For supporting a continuance of violent exertion, (or what is called bottom, on the turf,) they are better than the Arabian, the Barb, or the .Persian horses ; and, for swiftness, they will yield the palm to none. The famous horse Childers has been known to move eighty- two feet and a half in a second, or nearly a mile in a minute. He has run round the course of Newmarket, which is little short of four miles, in six minutes and forty seconds. The following are a few of the pedigrees of our most celebrated racers, with the prizes won by some of these capital horses ; it will shew the importance of the racing breed in Britain, where such vast sums frequently depend on the issue of their contests. 1705. Bay Bolton. This excellent horse was got. by a large gray horse called Hautboy, a son of Mr Wilk's Old Hautboy, got by the White D'Arcy Turk, and bred by Sir Matthew Pearson, out of a black mare of his, got by Makeless, a horse of very high esteem. He was got by Sir Thomas Oglethorpe's Arabian ; his grand-dam was got by Brimmer, his great-grand-dam by Diamond : his great-grand-dam was full sister to the dam of Old Merlin. The Flying Childers. Plate II. Fig. 1. This horse was well known by the name of the Flying, or Devonshire, Childers. He was the property of the Duke of Devonshire, and allowed, by sportsmen, to 264 OF EUROPEAN HORSES. be the fleetest horse that ever was bred in the world. He started repeatedly at Newmarket against the best horses of his time, and was never beaten. He won, in different prizes, to the amount of nearly £20,000, and was afterwards reserved for breeding. The sire of Childers was an Arabian, sent by a gentleman as a present to his brother in England. Childers was some- what more than fifteen hands in height. He was foaled in 1715, and was the property of Leonard Childers, Esq. of Carr House, near Doncaster, and sold when young to the Duke of Devonshire. Childers was got by the Darley Arabian ; his dam, Betty Leedes, by Old Careless ; his grand-dam, own sister to Leedes, by Leedes's Arabian ; his great-grand-dam by Spanker, out of the Old Morocco mare, Spanker's own dam. The affinities in blood of this pedigree are very close. It is said that Childers was first used as a hunter, where he evinced high qualities, and was noted for being very headstrong, as well as vicious. He had not, however, any restiveness. It is supposed his racing career commenced at five or six, and he beat all competitors at whatever distance. He was never tried at running a single mile, but his speed must have been almost a mile in a minute. Carrying nine stone two pounds, he ran over the round course at Newmarket, which is three miles six furlongs and ninety-three yards, in six minutes and forty seconds. He also ran over the Beacon course, which is four miles one furlong and one hundred and thirty-eight yards, in seven minutes and thirty seconds ; covering at every bound a space of about twenty-five yards. On one occasion he made a 3 THE RACE HORSE. 265 spring or leap, with his rider on his back, on level ground, of twenty-five feet. Childers died in the Duke of Devonshire's stud in 1741, aged twenty-six years. There were various other coursers of the same name nearly cotemporary with this prince of horses. Bleeding Childers, so named from his having frequent bleedings at the nose, afterwards called Young Childers, and finally Bartlett's Childers : he was full brother to Flying Childers, and was never trained. 1741. Old England. He was bred by the Earl of Godolphin, and foaled in 1741. He was got by his lordship's Arabian, out of the Hartley little mare, by Bartlett's Childers, gr. (Fly Whig) by William's Ara- bian at Woodstock, Sir Victor's Barb, Gray Whynot, son of the Fenwick Barb. 1747. Dainty Davie was got by Old Traveller, his dam by Fox Cub, grand-dam by Jig, great-grand- dam by Makeless, great-great-grand-dam by Brimmer, great- great-great-grand-dam by Place's White Turk, great- great-great-great-grand-dam by Dodsworth, out of a Layton Barb-mare. He was the property of the Duke of Cleveland, and won more gold cups than any horse that ever started. These are to be seen, at this time, at Raby castle, the seat of Lord Darlington, in the county of Durham. Match'em, a horse belonging to W. Fenwick, Esq. was not only celebrated as a racer, but also on account of getting a breed of fine racers, being sire to many of our most famous running horses. He was exceeding quiet and mild tempered, to which may, perhaps, be attributed the great age he attained, having lived thirty- 266 OF EUROPEAN HORSES. three years, and, in all probability, gained more money than any horse in the world. 1750. Marsk, the brown horse, was foaled in 1750, and so named from the place he was bred ; he was the property of John Hutton, Esq. of Marsk, Yorkshire, who afterwards sold him to the Duke of Cumberland ; he was got by Squirt, son of Bartlett's Childers, out of the Raby mare, which was from a daughter of Bay Bolton, and Hutton's Black Legs, Fox Cub, Coneyskins, Hutton's Gray Barb, a daughter of Hutton's Royal Colt, a daughter of Byerley Turk, from a Bustler mare. This is one of the highest of our pedigrees, going back as far as the reign of Charles I. In the year 1750 the Duke of Cumberland made an exchange of a chestnut Arabian with Mr Hutton, for the colt, which his Royal Highness afterwards named Marsk. Marsk beat Brilliant, so that he must have been an excellent racer ; but he was extremely uncertain. He only ran five times, and these were at Newmarket. As a breeding horse he was esteemed but as little worth by the Duke, and was, in consequence, sold to a farmer, at the sale of the stud of his Royal Highness at Tattersalls, for a trifling sum. After which, he was bought by Mr Wildman, as he judged it prudent to be possessed of the sire of such a colt as Eclipse turned out to be, and obtained him from the farmer, for the small sum of £20, who thought himself well rid of a bad bargain. He afterwards became most excellent as a breeder, and his fame will be handed down to the latest posterity. He has been styled the " prince of horses." He was the sire of Eclipse, Shark, Pretender, Honest Kitt, Mas- querade, Leviathan, Salopian, and Pontac. Shark won THE RACE HORSE. 267 £ 16,067 in matches, &c. beating the best horses of his day, whether in point of speed or bottom. 1752. Creeper was got by Tandem, his dam by Match'em, out of Flora, by Regulus, Bartlett's Chil- ders, Bay Bolton, Belgrade Turk. Flora was the dam of Marquis, Marchioness, Hotspur, Count, &c. and grand-dam of Nottingham and Copperbottom. 1753. Mirza, bred by the Earl of Godolphin, who sold him to Mr Panton, got by the Godolphin Arabian, his dam by Hobgoblin, grand-dam by Whitefoot, a daughter of Leedes, and out of Queen Anne's Mooncoh b. m. Mirza having met with a misfortune, was deemed unfit for a racer, and sold to Anthony Langly Swymmer, Esq. for a hunter. This excellent horse ran for many hunter's plates, and was never beat. He was sold to Fulk Greville, Esq. for four hundred and fifty guineas. In 1758, he won the Jockey Club plate of two hundred guineas over the Beacon Course, beating Jason, Match'em, Feather, and Forrester. This was the last time Mirza was started. After winning this plate, Sir James Lowther purchased him from Mr Greville for fifteen hundred guineas. Sir James afterwards challenged the whole Northumberland confederacy to run Mirza against Snap for ten thousand guineas, which was not taken. 1755. Bay Malton, (by Sampson,) the property of the Marquis of Rockingham, in seven prizes, won the sum of £5,900 sterling. At York, he ran four miles in seven minutes and forty-three and a half seconds, which was seven and a half seconds less time than it was ever done in before on the same course. 1758. King Herod was a bay horse, of about fifteen hands three inches high ; he was a steed of great sub- 268 OF EUROPEAN HORSES. stance, length, and power. His figure was uncommonly symmetrical. He was bred by William Duke of Cum- berland, and foaled in 1758. He was got by Tartar, the son of Croft's Partner, who was one of the finest racers, out of Meliora by Fox. Partner was got by Jig, son of the famous Byerley Turk. Cypron, King Herod's dam, was got by Blaze, a son of Flying Childers, and son of Sampson, Scrub, and others, out of Sir William St Quintin's Selima, a black mare, and true runner, got by the Bethell Arabian, and of the high lineage of Champion, the Darley Arabian, and Old Merlin. Herod was not brought on the turf till he was five years old. He never ran any where but at Newmarket, Ascot Heath, and York, and on all occasions over the course, or four miles ; his forte being stoutness or bottom, and with physical powers, which enabled him to carry weight. He started five times for thousand guinea races, and gained three of them. This famous horse has been sire to some of our best racers ; and his numerous progeny have unitedly gained a very large sum of money. In nineteen years, from 1771 to 1789, four hundred and ninety-seven of his sons and daughters won, for their proprietors, in plates, matches, and sweepstakes, the sum of £201,505, 9s. exclusive of some thousands won between 1774 and 1786. Herod was sire to the celebrated Highflyer, bred by Sir Charles Bunbury. His foals were free from restiveness, with one exception, which was Mr Vernon's Prince. This horse was sometimes run at Newmarket, and other places, with a prickly bridle. Herod was sire to the following celebrated race horses: — Anvil, Alexis, THE RACE HORSE. 269 Balance, Drone, Evergreen, Frowzel, Fortitude, Guild- ford, Gleaner, Highflyer, Justice, Il'nuo, Laburnum, Latona, Magnet, Monk, Nebuchadnezzar, Orange, Pontifax, Postmaster, Perve, Phenomenon, Perdita, Spectre, Tuberose, Telemachus, Weazel, and Wood- pecker. King Herod died at Newmarket, on the 12th May, 1780, aged twenty-one years. Dorimant, a famous horse, belonging to Lord Ossory, won prizes to the great amount of £13,363. Shark won, besides a cup, value one hundred and twenty guineas, and eleven hogsheads of claret, the amazing sum of fifteen thousand five hundred and seven guineas, in plates, matches, and forfeits. 1763. Diomed, by Florizel, out of a Spectator mare, bred by Mr Pan ton, foaled in 1763, her dam (sister to Horatius) by Blank, grand-dam (Feather's dam of Bynet and Blossom) by Childers, out of Miss Belvoir, by Gray Grantham, Paget Turk, Betty Percival, by Leedes's Arabian. 1764. Melpomene, bred by Mr John Coates of Castle Leavington, near Yester, in Cleveland, York- shire, was got by Alcides, out of Lass of the Mill, by Oroonoko, (own brother to Othello, alias Black and All Black,) which was the dam of Little Davy, North Briton, Calliope, Young Match'em, North Star, Pectare, &c. &c. grand-dam of Mr Vernon's Captive, Orpheus, Dutchess, Omphale, &c. Old Lass of the Mill, sister to the above Lass of the Mill, was grand-dam of Bay Malton and Treasurer, great-grand-dam of Eifrida and Columbus, and great-great-grand-dam of Sir John Lister Kay's famous Phenomenon. y s 270 OF EUROPEAN HORSES. 1764. Eclipse was allowed to be the fleetest horse that ever ran in England, since the time of Childers. After winning king's plates, and other prizes, to a great amount, he was kept as a stallion, and gained to his owner, for forty mares, the great sum of thirty guineas each. Eclipse was got by Marsk, a grandson, through Squirt, of Bartlett's Childers, out of Spiletta, by Regulus, son of the Godolphin Barb out of Mother Western, by a son of Snake, full brother to Williams's Squirrel ; her dam by Old Montague, grandson by Hautboy, out of a daughter of Brimmer, whose pedi- gree was not preserved. Eclipse was bred by the Duke of Cumberland, and foaled during the great eclipse of 1764, whence the name given him by the royal duke ; at the sale of whose stud he was purchased, a colt, for seventy-five guineas, by Mr Wildman, the sporting sheep salesman at Smithfield, who had a good stud, and trained race horses at Mickleham, near Epsom. This person had a friend in the service of the duke, who gave him a hint of the superior points in the form of this horse, and he hastened to attend the sale ; but, be- fore his arrival, he had been knocked down at seventy guineas. He, however, instantly appealed to his watch, which he knew to be an exceedingly correct time-piece, he found that the appointed hour of sale had not yet arrived by a few minutes, according to advertisement. He then firmly persisted that the sale had not been a lawful one, and that the lots knocked down should be again put up, which was accordingly done, and Eclipse was purchased by him for the sum of seventy-five guineas, THE RACE HORSE. 271 For what reason, we have never been able to learn, this celebrated horse was never raced till he was five years of age, at which time he was entered at Epsom for the maiden plate of fifty pounds. At first trial, such were the expectations of the knowing ones, that four to one were betted in his favour. At the second and winning heat of this race, all the five horses were close together at the three-mile-post, when some of the jockeys used their whips. At this time Eclipse was going at an easy gallop, when he took alarm at the crack of the whip, bounded off at his full speed ; and although Oakley, his rider, was a man of powerful arm, he was not to be restrained, and, in consequence, dis- tanced the whole of his competitors. I s " In the year 1770, Eclipse ran over the course at York, for the subscription purse, against two aged horses then in high repute, Tortoise and Bellario. He took the lead, and the jockey being unable to hold him in, he was fully a distance before the other two horses at the end of the first two miles, and won the race with the greatest ease. At starting, twenty, and, in running, one hundred guineas to one were offered on him. Before Eclipse ran for the King's plate at Winchester, in 1769, Mr O'Kelly purchased the half share of him for six hundred and fifty guineas. He afterwards became his sole proprietor for an additional sum of one thousand guineas. It is said that some of the Bedford family asked O'Kelly, in 1779, how much he would take for Eclipse, when he replied, " By the mass, my Lord, it is not all Bedford level that would purchase him." It is said, that about this period he asked from another person the modest sum of £25,000 down, and an 272 OF EUROPEAN HORSES. annuity of £500 a-year on his own life; and the privilege of sending to him annually six mares. Mr O'Kelly said he had cleared by this horse £25,000, and his statement is supposed to be correct. Eclipse seemed to combine all the qualities which constitute an excellent racer ; his stoutness, form, and action, were excellent; he had a vast stride, and cer- tainly never horse threw his haunches below him with more vigour or effect ; and his hind legs were so spread in his gallop, " that a wheelbarrow might have been driven between them ;" his agility was great, and his speed extraordinary, but we cannot estimate it justly, as no horse of his day could be compared to him. The only contemporary which was supposed at all equal to him was Mr Shaftoe's famous horse Goldfinder. He was never beaten, and was to have been matched against Eclipse for the king's plates on the following year, but he broke down at Newmarket in the October meeting. Eclipse won eleven king's plates, in ten of which he carried twelve stone, and in the other ten. It was calculated, that within the course of twenty-three years, three hundred and forty-four winners, the progeny of this animal, produced to their owners the enormous sum of £158,071, 12s. sterling, exclusive of various prizes. The prevailing excellence of all this horse's progeny was great speed, and they took up their feet in the gallop with wonderful activity ; they were not generally famed for stoutness, but almost all of them were horses of fine temper, seldom or never betraying restiveness. The points of Eclipse to which I would particularly THE RACE HORSE. 273 direct the attention of the breeder and sportsman are, the curve or setting on of his head, the shortness of his fore-quarter, the slant, extent, and substance of his shoulders, the length of his waist, and breadth of his loins ; the extent of his quarters, and the length and substance of his thighs and fore-arms. Although he was a powerful horse, he was nevertheless thick in the wind ; and in a sweat or hard exercise, he was heard to blow at a considerable distance. This famous horse died on the 27th February, 1789, at Canons, aged 26 years. His heart was taken out, and it weighed 14 lbs. 1774. Highflyer, by King Herod, his dam (Mark Anthony's dam) by Blank, grand-dam by Regulus, a daughter of Soreheels, (which mare was the dam of Matchless, Louth, and Danby Cade,) a daughter of Matchless, which was Sir Ralph Milbank's black mare, the dam of Hartley's blind horse. Highflyer was never beat but once, only paid one forfeit, and was, undoubtedly, the best horse of his time in England. The sums he won and received, amounted to eight thousand nine hundred and twenty guineas, though he never started after he was five years old. He was sire of the following' celebrated horses: — Rockingham, Delphine, Sir Peter Teazle, Young High- flyer, Skyscamper, Omphala, Balloon, Spadille, Walnut, Young Maiden, Young Flora, Lady Teazle, Volante, Louisa, Slope, Miss Blanchard, and many other fine horses. 1774. Jupiter. This beautiful chestnut horse was son of Eclipse, out of the Tartan mare, which, by the same horse, also bred Venus, Adonis, and some other runners of inferior note. Jupiter was fifteen hands one Y2 274 OF EUROPEAN HORSES. inch high, and, like most of the sons of Eclipse, of great bone and substance. He had a considerable share of that speed which characterized the Eclipse blood. He won at Lewes, at three years of age, the eight hundred guineas, in a mile race, against six others ; and the same year, at Newmarket, a mile race also, of a thousand guineas, beating seven others ; and the three hundred guineas at Newmarket, from the Ditch-in, (upwards of a mile and a half,) beating eight others. His speed was his best property, as he wanted bottom, and con- sequently never won a four mile race, or, what is called, over the course. He broke down in 1779, in the Oc- tober Meeting, running for the Weights and Scales plate of eighty guineas over the Beacon course of four miles. He was then only five years old. He was the property of Dennis O'Kelly, Esq. of Clay Hall, Epsom, Surry. 1778. Drone was bred by Mr Pan ton. He was got by Herod, out of Lilly, which was got by Blank, Old Cade, Partner, Bloody-Buttocks, &c. Lilly was the dam of Jacinth, and own sister to that famous running horse Jethro. Drone was full brother to Bosen. 1782. Dubskelper, bred by his Grace the Duke of Norfolk, was got by Phlegon ; his dam by Old Babraham, which was the dam of Lord Clermont's famous horse Johnny ; his grand-dam by old Partner ; great-grand-dam by that speedy stallion Bloody But- tocks, Greyhound, out of the celebrated mare Brocklesby Betty, the best mare in her time. 1783. Windlestone was foaled in 1783. He was got by Magnet, his dam by Le Sang, Rib, out of Mother Western, by Smith's son of Snake, Montagu, Hautboy, Brimmer. Windlestone's dam was the dam of Heiress, THE RACE HORSE. 275 that bred Mr Weatherell's famous Delphine Colt, &c. &c. 1784. Spadille was bred by Lord Archibald Hamil- ton, and foaled in 1784. He was got by Highflyer, out of Flora, by Squirrel, Snap, Regulus, Bartlett's Childers, Honeywood's Arabian, out of the dam of the True Blues. 1786. Walnut was bred by Lord Archibald Hamilton, and foaled in 1786. He was got by Highflyer out of Maiden, by Match'em, Squirt, Mogul, Bay Bolton, Palleine's Chestnut A rabian, Rockwood, Bustler. Maiden was own sister to Pumpkin, Conundrum, Panthos, Enigma, Riddle, Miss Timms, Purity, and the dam of Prince Ferdinand, and the dam of Challenger, Otho, Matron, Leveret, Young Maiden, &c. &c. 1787. Cavendish was bred by Mr Fenton, and got by young Morwick, his dam by Snap, Godolphin Barb Sedbury, Smith's son of Snake, Montagu, Hautboy, Brimmer. This fine horse won nineteen different plates, and was matched against the most celebrated horses of his day, both in England and Scotland. He was the property of Mr Dennison. 1812. Filho da Put a, by Haphazard, out of Mrs Barnet, April 14, 1812 ; bred by Thomas Hornby Morland, Esq. of Finchley, Middlesex; sold after- wards to Thomas Hauldsworth, Esq. of Farnsfield, Notts, for three thousand guineas. Eleanor was one of the highest bred mares of this country, and was a true runner. In the year 1801, she won, in a high form, the Derby stakes, at Epsom, and the Oaks, or Filly stakes, the following day, being the 276 OF EUROPEAN HORSES. first racer that won the two, in any one year, since the commencement of those stakes. 1830. Cobweb is one of the most beautiful and excellent mares on the British turf. She was got by Phantom, her dam Filagree, by Soothsayer, her grand- dam Web, by Waxy, her great-grand- dam Prunello, by Highflyer, great-great-grand-dam Promise, by Snap ; which still goes back to Julia by Black, Spectator's dam by Partner, Bonny Lass by Bay Bolton, Darley's Arabian, Byerley Turk, TafFolet's Barb, Place's White Turk, and Natural Barb Mare, — consequently con- taining the essence of all the best racing blood, but useless as a racer, from being too fat, which cannot be reduced. EXTRAORDINARY EQUESTRIAN FEATS OF THE RACE HORSE. 1738. At the races of Maiden in Essex, three horses (and no more than three) started for a ten pound plate, and they were all three distanced the first heat, according to the common rules in horse racing, without any quibble or equivocation. The first ran on the inside of the post, the second wanted weight, and the third fell and broke a fore leg. 1750, September 1st. There was a race at Epsom between Mr Girdwood's horse Crop, and a roan horse THE RACE HORSE. 277 of Mr Harris's. Crop was to go one hundred miles before the roan went eighty ; the match was for one hundred guineas. They started about half past six in the morning. Crop ran ten times round the course, which is twenty miles, in about an hour and a minute, and going round the eleventh time was almost knocked up. The other horse was also so tired as not to be able to make even a trot, so that they walked the course, with their riders on their backs, people going before them with a bowl of oats and a lock of hay to entice them on ; and by the time Mr Harrison's horse had gone eighty miles, Crop had gone ninety-four, so that he lost by six miles. Crop was sold immediately after this race for five guineas to Mr Skinner, who kept him till he died, which was eight years, during which time he won Mr Skinner £500 in different matches. 1752, March 30th. Mr Arthur Mervin's bay geld- ing, Skew Ball, got by the Godolphin Barb, with a weight of eight stone seven pounds, beat Sir Ralph Gore's gray mare, Miss Sportly, got by Victorious, with a weight of nine stone, for three hundred guineas each, four miles on the Curragh of Kildare. Skew Ball ran the four miles in seven minutes and fifty-one seconds. 1752, April 4th. A little mare belonging to Mr Spedding, ran twenty times round the five mile course at the Curragh of Kildare in twelve hours and a half, for one hundred guineas half forfeit. She was allowed thirteen hours to do it in. And the next morning, for a bet of one hundred guineas, she ran the same ground 278 OF EUROPEAN HORSES. to a minute. She was rode both days by a boy of Lord Antrim's. This mare was bought by Mr Spedding for twopence per pound weight. 1754, September 11th. At Swiffham races, a mare of Mr Turing's beat a horse of Mr Demings, in a sixty mile match, for one hundred guineas. The winner performed the distance in four hours and twenty minutes. 1756. August 15th, Mr Lamago's chestnut horse, at Barnet Races, ran a mile in a minute, for a wager of one hundred guineas, between Mr Meredith and Pere- grine Wentworth, Esq. He was allowed a minute and five seconds. 1759. On Wednesday, the 27 th June, Jennison Shafto, Esq. performed a match against time, on New- market Heath ; the conditions of which were, he was to ride fifty miles (having as many horses as he pleased) in two successive hours, which he accomplished with ten horses, in one hour, forty-nine minutes, and seven- teen seconds. 1761. In the year 1761, one of the most severe plate races that ever was run, took place at Carlisle, in which there were no fewer than six heats, and two of them were dead heats. Each of the six was contested by the winner of the plate. 1763, August 18th. The Marquis of Rockingham's horse Bay Malton, at York, ran four miles in seven THE RACE HORSE. 279 minutes, and forty-three and a half seconds, which was seven seconds and a half less time than it was ever done in before. 1773, April 15th. At the first Spring Meeting, Newmarket, was run a match for five hundred guineas, Rowley's Mile, between Mr Blake's Firetail, and Mr Foley's Pumpkin, carrying eight stone each, which was won by Firetail. This race was run in one minute four seconds and a half. 1781. The last week in September, 1781, a great match, of four hundred and twenty miles, in one whole week, was rode over Lincoln Two Mile course, and won, by Richard Hanstead of Lincoln, on his famous gray horse, with great ease, having three hours and a half to spare. 1786. December the 24th, 1786, Mr Hall's horse, Quibbler, ran a match for a thousand guineas, twenty- three miles in one hour, round the Flat at Newmarket, which he performed in fifty-seven minutes and ten seconds. 1791. In October, 1791, at the Curragh Meeting in Ireland, Mr Wilde, a sporting gentleman, made bets to the amount of two thousand guineas, to ride against time, viz. one hundred and twenty-seven English miles in nine hours. On the 6th of October, he started in a valley near the Curragh course, where two miles were measured in a circular direction ; each time he encom- passed the course, it was regularly marked. During 280 OF EUROPEAN HORSES. the interval of changing horses, he refreshed himself with a mouthful of brandy and water, and was no more than six hours and twenty-one minutes in completing the one hundred and twenty-seven miles ; of course, he had two hours and thirty-nine minutes to spare. Mr Wilde had no more than ten horses, but they were all blood, and from the stud of Mr Daly. Whilst on horseback, without allowing any thing for changing of horses, he rode at the rate of twenty miles an hour for six hours. He was so little fatigued with this extraordinary performance, that he was at the Turf Club-house, in Kildare, the same evening. 1792. On the 15th of August, 1792, to decide a wager of £50 between Mr Cooper and Mr Brewer of Stamford, the latter gentleman's horse Labourer, ran twenty times round the race ground (exactly a mile) at Preston, in fifty-four minutes. 1793. On Saturday, October 12, 1793, a mare, carrying ten stone, and but fourteen hands high, the property of Mr Macy, of Bruton Street, London, gal- loped over Sunbury Common, twenty miles, in fifty- six minutes and twenty-eight seconds. mrs Thornton's match. 1804. The lady of the late distinguished Colonel Thornton appears to have been equally attached to the sports of the field with her husband ; and the extraordinary contest which took place between Mrs Thornton and Mr Flint, in 1804, not only stands THE RACE HORSE. 281 recorded on the annals of the turf, as one of the most remarkable occurrences which ever took place in the sporting world, but also a lasting monument of female intrepidity. It arose out of the following circumstances. A great intimacy subsisted between the families of Colonel Thornton and Mr Flint, arising from their being brothers-in-law, as the ladies were sisters, so that Mr Flint was a frequent visitor at Thornville Royal. In the course of one of their equestrian excursions in Thornville park, Mrs Thornton and Mr Flint were conversing on the qualities of their respective favourite horses. With the spirit and keenness which generally exists on such occasions, they differed widely in their opinions, and an occasional spurt took place to try the mettle of their steeds ; when Old Vingarillo, under the skilful management of his fair rider, distanced his adver- sary at every attempt ; which so nettled Mr Flint, that he challenged the fair equestrian to ride against him on a future day. This challenge was immediately accepted by Colonel Thorton, on the part of his lady ; and it was fixed, by the respective parties, that the race should be run on the last day of the York August Meeting, 1804. This singular match was announced by the following notice : — " A match for five hundred guineas, and one thousand guineas bye — four miles — between Colonel Thornton's Vingarillo, and Mr Flint's br. h. Thornville, by Volun- teer. Mrs Thornton to ride her weight against Mr Flint's." On Saturday, the 25th of August, this race was decided, and the following account of it appeared in the York Herald: — 282 OF EUROPEAN HORSES. " Never did we witness such an assemblage of people a^ were drawn together on the above occasion, — one hundred thousand at least. Nearly ten times the num- ber appeared on Knavesmire than did on the day when Bay Malton ran, or when Eclipse went over the course, leaving the two best horses of the day a mile and a half behind. Indeed, expectation was raised to the highest pitch, from the novelty of the match. Thousands from every part of the country thronged to the ground. In order to keep the course as clear as possible, several additional people were employed, and much to the credit of the 6th Light Dragoons, a party of them were also on the ground on horseback, for the like purpose, and which unquestionably were the means of many lives being saved. " About four o'clock, Mrs Thornton appeared on the ground, full of spirit, her horse led by Colonel Thornton, and followed by Mr Baker, and Mr H. Bonyton ; after- wards appeared Mr Flint. They started a little past four o'clock. The lady took the lead, for upwards of three miles, in a most capital style. Her horse, how- ever, had much the shorter stroke of the two. When within a mile of being home, Mr Flint pushed forward, and got the lead, which he kept. Mrs Thornton used every exertion ; but finding it impossible to win the race, she drew up, in a sportsmanlike style, when within about two distances. " At the commencement of the running, bets were five and six to four on the lady : in running the three first miles, seven to four and two to one in her favour. Indeed, the oldest sportsmen on the stand thought she THE RACE HORSE. 283 must have won. In running the last mile, the odds were in favour of Mr Flint. " Never, surely, did a woman ride in better style. It was difficult to say whether her horsemanship, her dress, or her beauty, were most admired — the tout ensemble was unique. " Mrs Thornton's dress was a leopard-coloured body, with blue sleeves, the vest buff, and blue cap. Mr Flint rode in white. The race was run in nine minutes and fifty-nine seconds. " Thus ended the most interesting race ever ran upon Knavesmire. No words can express the disappointment felt at the defeat of Mrs Thornton. The spirit she displayed, and the good humour with which she bore her loss, greatly diminished the joy of many of the winners. From the very superior style in which she performed her exercising gallop of four miles on Wed- nesday, betting was greatly in her favour ; for the acci- dent which happened, in consequence of her saddle- girths having slackened, and the saddle turning round, was not attended with the slightest accident to her person, nor did it in the least damp her courage ; while her horsemanship, and her close seated riding, asto- nished the beholders, and inspired a general confidence in her success. " Not less than two hundred thousand pounds were pending upon Mrs Thornton's match ; perhaps more, if we include the bets in every part of the country ; and tlrere was no part, we believe, in which there were not some. " It is but justice to observe, that if the lady had been better mounted, she could not possibly have failed 284 OF EUROPEAN HORSES. of success. Indeed, she laboured under every possible disadvantage ; notwithstanding which, and the ungallant conduct of Mr Flint, she flew along the course with an astonishing swiftness, conscious of her own superior skill, and would ultimately have outstripped her adver- sary, but for the accident which took place." 1822. On the 14th January, a match was decided between Messrs Aldridge and Hall, horse dealers, made at the Tun, Jermyn Street, London, for five hundred pounds a-side ; the horses carried fourteen stone each. It took place between the three and four mile stones, near Hampton. Mr Hall's was a chestnut mare, of fifteen hands two inches, and Mr Aldridge's a bay mare, a hand lower, but very fast. The former had been backed to do a mile twenty seconds under three minutes, but bets were ultimately settled as above. She performed this distance in three minutes and two seconds ; although it is known, that in her exercises she had done it in two minutes and thirty seconds. The rate of goi?ig that day was estimated at thirty-nine feet in a second, whilst the running of Flying Childers exceeded it but thirty-five per cent, viz. forty-nine feet in a second : all other swift horses went about forty- seven feet in the second. JUVENILE JOCKEY. 1822. On the second day of Tavistock races, 4th September, a match for fifty guineas, between Mr Hawke's brown gelding, rode by Mr Taunton's trained groom, and Mr J. Willesford's black gelding, Harry, THE RACE HORSE. 285 rode by Master R. V. Willesford, was won by the latter in admirable style. This race excited great anxiety, from the circumstance of Master Willesford being only ten years old ; and never was witnessed such universal approbation as the spectators evinced, in consequence of the heats having been won by this young gentleman in excellent style, who rode with the most unprece- dented boldness, skill, and neatness. DONCASTER ST LEGER, SEPTEMBER 16, 1822. 1822. The long-looked-for event of the decision of the great St Leger Stakes having at last arrived, we may positively affirm, that the annals of sporting never exhibited an occurrence on which such public interest and anxious doubt existed, as on this most important race. Thousands of the most distinguished fashionables, as well as tens of thousands of persons of every rank and degree, were on and about the course ; and hundreds of thousands of pounds must, most inevitably, have exchanged owners by the result of it. At twenty-seven minutes past two o'clock on this memorable day, as fine a field of horses, of the first breeds the kingdom could produce, started, and, in an instant, as it were, the convulsive eye of hundreds witnessed the result of an event, unparalleled for sport- ing speculation. Particulars of which we subjoin: — Theodore 1 Gascoigne's Filly 2 Duke of Leed's Colt by Comus - 3 z 2 286 OF EUROPEAN HORSES. A good race, and won by a length. Any odds against the winner ; fifty to one against Gascoigne's filly, and thirty to one against the Duke of Leed's colt by Comus. It was not exactly known whether twenty-two or twenty-three horses started, — it was a subject of bet- ting at the time. The favourite, Swap, was the last but one ! Next to Swap, Ajax, Mandane, and Gascoigne's colt had been favourites. It was supposed, upon a moderate calculation, that Mr Petre, the owner of Theodore, the horse that won the St Leger, at Doncaster, netted upwards of £50,000. Never was greater surprise manifested than at the issue of the heat. A trainer had four horses in the stake, which came in as first, second, third, and fourth. The most favourite horses were either distanced or lost, and the betting was a hundred to one against the winner. A famous sporting writer made the following re- marks on the Doncaster St Leger: — " It is impossible to describe the sensations excited by this race in the sporting circles in London, Doncaster, and all parts of the kingdom, previous to this event. The hopes of one party of betters, the fears of another squad, the doubts of a third, and the numerous double events connected with Swap to the end of the chapter. A thousand reports had also got into existence respecting the great favourite Swap, — first, ' that he could not win ;' secondly, ' that he had not quality enough belonging to him to carry off the St Leger stakes ;' and, lastly, ' that he must not win if the Newmarket people were ever to be seen any more on the latter course as a host of betters.' ' What a chance for the groom to make THE RACE HORSE. 267 his fortune/ was observed by an old file, ( if he under- stood management.' i No, no,' cried a thorough-bred sportsman, < there is too much honour at Doncaster for that sort of thing.' It, however, has come off right for the legs, and instead of being floored to the danger of levanting, they are now bang-up in the stirrups, as to the receipts of lots of blunt. Swap, the favourite, not even placed, and lost in the mob of horses, and only six to four against him on starting. Fifty to one against the winner ; and ninety to one against the second horse. Theodore took the lead, and kept it. To a stranger the shoutings, antics, and grimaces, displayed by the characters interested in the race, on Theodore winning it, appeared more like persons mad with joy than any thing like rational beings. One gentleman, on Saturday night last, at Doncaster, betted five hun- dred sovereigns to five against Theodore. Those persons who took the field against Swap have done it nicely ; twenty-two horses started." The winner, Theodore, is Mr B. Petre's b. c. by Woeful. The second and third horses were both by Comus. The most singular part of the business, however, has yet to be mentioned. On Wednesday the 18th, two days after the great St Leger, Swap and Theodore were competitors for the Gascoigne Stakes, over the same course, and Swap won without a struggle ! We need hardly say that this caused a prodigious sensation. It would be as endless to relate all that was conjectured and said as to the event, or to picture the rage, the disappointment, and the exultation in the different countenances at the immense losses and gains. Two 238 OF EUROPEAN HORSES. celebrated " legs, " who had raised themselves from very humble stations to considerable affluence, are said to have realized immense sums. An inquiry was on foot, to ascertain if it were really a cross, a thing not singular at Doncaster. But nothing could be proved against any of the riders. We may remark, however, that in a race like the Great St Leger, where twenty- two horses ran, it was easy for a combination of jockeys, by jostlings, &c. to make a good horse lose without any collusion on the part of the rider. 1825. In the first week of December, 1825, a blood mare, fifteen hands one inch high, with the rider, who stood five feet three inches high, belonging to J. Wright, Esq. was frightened, and ran away, full speed, from the Sand-hills into Parliament Street, and, in the attempt to guide her towards the forest, a cart being in the way, the animal dashed into the passage of the Peach Tree public house, the entrance door to which is six feet eight inches high, and two feet eight inches wide, the passage is eighteen feet long, and three feet ten inches wide, and in it were three barrels, three feet high, and other brewing vessels, which the mare leaped over ; and across the centre of it, a beam eight feet from the floor ; and in front, twelve feet from the last door, is the wall of a court to the left, twenty feet long, so full of brewing utensils, &c. that the mare had just room to stand between them ; yet, strange to tell, the animal did not fall, or receive the slightest injury, or do the least damage of any kind. The rider sat till the mare stopped ; he was only very slightly grazed on the back of the head, and on one knee, which, all THE RACE HORSE. '289 the circumstances considered, is one of the most extra- ordinary feats and hair-breadth escapes ever recorded. " In the riding, or jockeying, the race horse in his course, not only judgment, experience, and spirit are required, but the jockey lies under a very critical kind of responsibility, involving the risk of his bread. There are many of them employed by the inferior black leg species of sportsmen, and even yet some of a higher class, who will not be convinced that a rider has acted honestly, and done his utmost, unless his horse be nearly dissected alive ; a disgusting instance of which Mr Lawrence has given from the mouth of a jockey of former days, and from his own evidence of the dreadful condition of the horse. The race was at Epsom for a plate ; the name of the horse Hussar, by Snap ; the proprietor Hull, the well known horse-dealer ; and jockey, William Barnes. It will not indeed be denied, that it is the nature of some horses to require a frequent fillip with both whip and spur, to prevent them from falling asleep in their course, and some additions to these are probably required at the run in, for the purpose of eliciting their utmost exertions ; such are styled, in the language of the course, good whipped horses — the stout or lasting, the game of which, rather than the speed, is their prominent qualification. But in the strongest probability, every drop of blood drawn, even from these, is utterly unnecessary, as it is bar- barous and contrary to the very idea of sport, in which even the horse himself ought to share. Such opinion was communicated to the writer of these lines, from the heart, as well as from the mature judgment of the 290 OF EUROPEAN HORSES. late Sir Thomas Charles Bunbury, within a few months of his decease, after five and fifty years of experience on the great scale, in which he was unreservedly joined by the writer, and has ridden gallopers of most tempers and descriptions. Although the stout and game horse will run to the whip, the excess of it must necessarily shorten his stride, and, in course, detract from his speed. Many a race has been lost by a foul cut, or a brutal use of the spur, either by damping the spirit and enfeebling the nerve of the horse, or inducing a sullen disgust and desperation. An example much talked of at the time, and through which a vast sum of money was lost, occurred in the case of a horse of old Duke William, which was nearly home and winning. He received a foul cut with the whip in a very tender part, he instantly hung back, and lost the race. With respect to hot-spirited and washy horses, if they cannot win without the aid of the whip, they will seldom win with it." Sir T. C. Bunbury was the first to introduce short races, and his example rendered them fashionable. In the " Annals of Sporting," we have the following judicious remarks on the disgraceful cruelty sometimes practised towards the race horse. " Such horrible sights have been enjoyed within memory, even too lately to be pointed out, without making an open exhibition of our shame. Happily, a more mild and rational practice has for a considerable number of years past taken place, towards which desirable consummation, a well-known practical treatise on horses originally led the way. These scenes, the very antipodes to every idea of pleasure or sport, and so distressing to every humane and rational feeling, are THE RACE HORSE. 291 not now, as formerly, of nearly invariable occurrence : although yet, sensibility, reason, and common sense are too often trifled with, and outraged in the case." In country courses, (so styled, in contradistinction to the grand theatre of racing — the head-quarters — Newmarket,) the chief concern, plate or purse, is always decided by heats ; since, otherwise, the few matches or sweepstakes, decided by a single heat, would not take up sufficient time to complete the amusement of the day. Sweepstakes of hunters, how- ever, are, by general custom, run the best of three heats. It is a good old sporting custom, and fair on both sides, for the winner of a maiden plate, or sweep- stakes, to be demandable after the race, at a certain previously stipulated sum. Newmarket heath is the most spacious, and, indeed, the principal, race course in the world. It is situated at the west end of the town of Newmarket, in the counties of Cambridge and Suffolk, twelve miles east of Cambridge, and sixty miles nearly north of London. Races were in vogue in the eleventh century, and much frequented at Newmarket early in the reign of King Charles the First. The King's stables at New- market are the place of entrance, and the weighing place is at the King's Stand. Viewing the race course as a grand mart of specu- lation, of profit and loss, as well as of amusement, we have always observed, that races made to be decided at a distant period, have the greatest attraction, and afford the keenest exercise to the skill and talents of the knowing ones. The plan is excellent, to revive the drooping spirit of the turf, whenever it may chance to 292 OF EUROPEAN HORSES. suffer a temporary depression ; but the condition is indispensable, that the horses engaged in competition be capital, and the race made either at Newmarket, or some distinguished course. Newmarket, however, must always have the preference. Of these national races, as they may be styled, since they attract, and almost monopolize, the attention of the whole sporting body, the chief races in modern times were, the match over the Beacon Course at New- market, between Laburnum and Fleacatcher, and, about twenty years afterwards, that between Hambletonian and Diamond. The sums sported on these races were immense, the bettings seemed to mix with all the trans- actions of life, and a man might have found a customer, from five guineas to five hundred, upon the Royal, and, more especially, on the Corn Exchange, with equal facility as at the clubs in St James's, at Medley's, or at Newmarket. Indeed, in London, it was a very common question of business, — " Well, how do they bet on Flea to-day ?" Although the match between Hambletonian and Diamond did not excite such general interest, yet it is certain, that there were upwards of one hundred thou- sand pounds pending on it. In the first race, the blood of Herod and Goldfinder came into competition ; in the last, that of Eclipse and Herod. THE RACE HORSE. RULES, &c. CONNECTED WITH HORSE RACING. Age. — Horses take their age from May-day. Racing Measure. — One thousand seven hundred and sixty yards are a mile ; two hundred and forty yards are a distance ; four inches are a hand. A Distance, is the length of two hundred and forty yards from the winning post. In the gallery of the winning post, and in a little gallery at the distance post, are placed two men holding crimson flags. As soon as the first horse has passed the winning post, the man drops his flag ; the other at the distance post drops his at the same moment, and the horse which has not then passed that post is said to be distanced, and can- not start again for the same plate or prize. Jockey Weight. — Fourteen pounds are a stone. Catch-weights are, each party to appoint any person to ride without weighing. A Feather-weight, is the lightest weight that can be put on the back of a horse. If a match is made without the weight being men- tioned, each horse must carry ten stone. Give-and-take Plates, are horses of fourteen hands, to carry all above, or under, to allow the pro- portion of seven pounds to an inch. It may be proper to give those unacquainted with sporting, the graduated scale for a match, when made for two or more horses to run and carry weight for inches : it is thus,-— That horses 294 OF EUROPEAN HORSES. measuring fourteen hands are to carry nine stone, above or below which height, they are to carry seven pounds more or less for every inch they are higher or lower than the fourteen hands fixed as a criterion. Example. — A horse, measuring fourteen hands, will carry nine stone, ten pounds, eight ounces ; a horse, measuring thirteen hands, two inches and a half, will carry eight stone, three pounds, eight ounces; the former being an inch and a half above the fourteen hands, the other an inch and a half below it : the weight is therefore added or diminished by the eighth of every . inch higher or lower weight in proportion. It is, there- fore seen, that a horse, being fifteen hands and a half high, will have to carry twelve stone, while, in all pro- bability, the knowing sportsman's horse will have to carry nine stone onty, making a difference in the weight tff three stone. Superiority of speed will, therefore, t)e a great point in view, before a match is made upon the above conditions. These plates were exceedingly popular at one time ; so much so, that very few country courses were without them. A Whim Plate, is weight for age, and height for inches. A Post Match, is to insert the age of the horses in the articles, and to run any horse of that age, without declaring what horse, till you come to the post to start. A Handy-cap Match, is for A, B, or C to put an equal sum into a hat; C, who is the handy-capper, makes a match for A and B, which, when pursued by them, they put their hands into their pockets, and draw them out closed ; then they open them together, and if both have money in their hands, the match is con- THE RACE HORSE. 295 firmed ; if neither have any money, it is no match. In both cases, the handy-capper draws all the money out of the hat ; but if one have the money in his hand, he is entitled to the deposit in the hat. A Free Handycap is, a number of horses being named, a weight is placed against the name of each by the clerk of the races, or some disinterested person, who is well acquainted with the performances of horses. These weights are supposed to be such as will bring all horses as nearly on a par as possible ; and the list con- taining them being handed to the owners of each horse, they accept or decline, according as they imagine the chances are for or against them. A Produce Match, is that between the produce of certain mares, in foal at the time of the match, and to be decided when they arrive at a certain age specified. If no power be allowed in the articles to alter the day of running, and the race should be run on another day, the bets before altering are all void. Where a power is allowed in the articles for altering the time of running, all betters must conform to the changing of the day. Crossing and jostling were allowed in matches, if no agreement to the contrary ; but it was resolved by the Jockey Club, June 3, 1792, that when any m^tch is made, in which crossing and jostling are not mentioned, they shall be understood to be barred. When started, if a rider attempts to get off, and his horse, by taking the rest, or any accident should pre- vent it continuing the race, he would be distanced though he did not pass the post. 296 OF EUROPEAN HORSES. The horse that has his head at the ending post first, wins the heat. .Riders must ride their horses to the weighing post to weigh ; and he that dismounts before, or wants weight, is distanced. Horse plates, or shoes, not allowed in the weights. If a rider fall from his horse, and the horse is rode in by a person that is sufficient weight, he will take place the same as if it had not happened, provided he goes back to the place where the rider fell. Horses are not entitled to start, without a proper certificate of their age being produced, at the time appointed by the articles, except where aged horses are included ; and in that case, a junior horse may enter without a certificate, provided he carries the same weight as the aged horse. All bets are for the best of the plate, if nothing is said to the contrary. A horse that wins the first and second heats, wins the plate, but is obliged to start again, if required by any of the other riders, and no clause in the articles against it, and must save his distance to entitle him to the plate. For the best of the plate, where there are three heats run, the horse is reckoned second that wins one. For the best of the heats, the horse is second that beats the others twice out of three times, though he does not win a heat. No person shall start more than one horse, of which he is the owner, either wholly or in part, and either in his own name or in that of any other person, for any race for which heats are run. THE RACE HORSE. 297 Where a plate or subscription is given for the winner of the best of three heats, a horse, to win the prize, must be the actual winner of two heats, even though no horse appear against him for both or either of the heats. A confirmed bet cannot be off without mutual con- sent. Either of the betters may demand stakes to be made, and, on refusal, declare the bet void. If a party be absent on the day of running, the bet may be publicly declared on the course, and inquiry made if any person will make stakes for the absent party ; if nobody consents to it, the bet may be declared void. Bets agreed to be paid or received in town, or at any other particular place, cannot be decided on the course. The person that lays the odds, has a right to choose his horse on the field. When a person has chosen his horse, the field is what starts against him, but there is no field unless one starts with him. Bets made for guineas are paid in sovereigns. If odds be laid, without mentioning the horse before the race is over, it must be determined as the bets were at the time of making it. Bets made in running are not determined till the plate is won, if that heat is not mentioned at the time of betting. Bets are void for the best of the plate, on horses that • have run, not being qualified. 2 A2 298 OF EUROPEAN HORSES. Bets are won and lost, for the best of the heats, if horses are not qualified. Where a plate is won by two heats, the preference of the horses is determined by the place they are in at the second heat. Horses running on the wrong side of the post, and not turning back, are distanced. Horses drawn before the plate is won, are distanced. Horses are distanced if their riders cross and jostle, when the articles do not permit it. All complaints of foul riding must be made before, or at the time the jockey is weighed. If a horse win the first heat, and all others draw, they are not distanced if he start no more, but if he start again by himself, the drawn horses are distanced. A bet made after the heat is over, if the horse betted on does not start, is no bet. When three horses have each won a heat, they only must start for a fourth, and the preference between them will be determined by it, there being before no difference between them. No distance in a fourth heat. Bets determined, though the horse does not start, when the words absolutely, play or pay, are made use of in betting. Example. — I bet Vernon's black horse, Quick, abso- lutely wins the King's Plate at Newmarket next meet- ing : the bet is lost though he does not start, and won if he goes over the course himself. A bet made that a horse wins any number of plates in a fixed time, no bet if he does not start for one ; THE RACE HORSE. 299 after he has started for one, provided there is a field, the bet is lost if he starts no more. In a sweepstakes match for plate of one heat, where two horses come in so near that it cannot be decided, they two only must start again, and the bets are deter- mined on the others the same as if it were won. In running of heats, if it cannot be decided which is first, the heat goes for nothing, and the horses must all start again, except it be in the last heat, and then it must be between the two horses, that if either had won, the plate would have been over ; but if between two that the plate might have been determined, then it is no heat, and the others may start again. Where two horses run a dead heat for a sweepstakes or plate, and the parties agree to decide the stakes equally, all bets between these two horses, or between either of them and the field, must be settled by the money betted being put together and divided equally between the parties. If, after the dead heat, an equal division of the stakes be agreed upon, then the money betted shall be put together, and be divided between the parties in the same proportion as the stakes should have been divided. If a bet be made on one of the horses that ran the dead heat against a horse that was beaten in the race, he who backed the horse that ran the dead heat wins half his bet. If the dead heat be the first event of a double bet, the bet shall be void. A horse walking over the course, on receiving forfeit, shall not be deemed a winner. An untried stallion, or mare, is one whose produce has never run in public. 300 OF EUROPEAN HORSES. A maiden horse, or mare, is one that has never won. If betted, that two horses win their matches, if the first heat is run, and the last not, the bets are deter- mined, and the horse that pays forfeit is the beaten horse ; but if the first match is not run, and the last is, then it is a void bet. If two persons, by agreement, or casting lot, to cho ose on two matches, one is run, and the other forfeits ; that which is run is determined, and that which forfeits is void, they being two distinct bets. Horses that forfeit are the beaten horses, where it is run or pay. Bets made on horses winning any number of plates that year, remain in force till the first day of May. Money given to have a bet laid there, not returned, if not run. To propose a bet, and say done first to it, the person that replies done to it, makes it a confirmed bet. The party in a match that does not bring his horse to the post at the time specified in the articles, the other, at the expiration of it, may go over the course without him, which entitles him to the sum or forfeit the match was made for. Matches and bets are void on the decease of either party, before determined. The purses and plate of his Majesty are always notified annually by proclamation, specifying the places for which plates are given respectively, which on being won, must be claimed by a certificate, and is forwarded to the Master of the Horse. The following is the form of it:— THE RACE HORSE. 301 " These are to certify, that his Majesty's plate of a hundred guineas was won at the day of 1830, by Mr A. B.'s chestnut horse, called (Signed) C. D. steward, E. F. clerk of the course, G* Lord Lieutenant of the county. " To the Master of the Horse to his Majesty, at his office in the King's Mews, London," The following is the history of the King's plates, and how they are obtained : — His Grace the Duke of Dorset, in answer to an application made by Lord Somers, to obtain a king's plate for the Hereford races, says, in his letter, that " there are twenty places only which have the king's plates, the money for providing which is paid to his majesty, by public money, from the treasury. In case, as has happened, though very rarely, of any place so favoured giving up their races, his majesty conferred the vacant plate on some other place ; but otherwise the king cannot do so, except by paying the requisite * The signature of the Lord Lieutenant alone is sufficient ; but, in order to obtain that, it is necessary that he be shewn a certificate, signed by the steward and clerk of the course. If the Lord Lieutenant be out of the kingdom, the signature of the person regularly deputed by him, is admissible. The certificate of the Ascot heath plate must be signed by the master of his Majesty's buck-hounds, instead of the Lord Lieu- tenant of the county. N. B — The certificate, when properly signed, is payable at sight to the winner of the plate, (or to any other person, if indorsed by the winner,) at the office of the master of the horse to his Majesty, in the King's Mews, London. 302 OF EUROPEAN HORSES. sum out of his privjf purse, which is unusual, if ever done, and obviously constitutes a personal burden on his majesty." The money, though it comes from the treasury, is not all public money. The greater part of it is the produce of a legacy, bequeathed by a lover of the turf, as far back as the time of Queen Anne, for the express purpose of encouraging improvement in the breed of horses. In an old tract, entitled, " Anecdotes relating to Horse Racing," we find the following account of this sporting donation: — Gentlemen were so partial in breeding their horses, chiefly for the sake of shape and speed only, without considering those which were only second, third, or fourth rate, in speed, were then quite useless, until the reign of Queen Anne, when a public and spirited gentleman, observing this inconvenience, left thirteen hundred guineas, out of his estate, for thirteen plates, or purses, to be run for at such places as the crown should appoint, whence they are called king's or queen's plates, or guineas. The condition is, that each horse shall carry twelve stone weight, the best of three heats over a four mile course ; by this method, a stronger and more useful breed was soon raised, and if a horse did not win the guineas, he was yet strong enough to make a good hunter. THE RACE HORSE. 303 TURF ABBREVIATIONS. The following are the abbreviations used in designa- ting the different courses at Newmarket, with their respective measurements ; as also, other abbreviations used, in describing races, throughout the united king- dom. Miles. Furl. Yds. B. C. The Beacon course 4 1 138 L. T. M, Last three miles of do. - 3 45 D. I. From the ditch in - 2 97 T. L. I. From the turn of the lands in 5 184 C. C. Clermont course - 1 5 217 A. F. Across the flat - 1 1 44 T. Y. C. Two-year-old course 5 136 Y. C. Yearling course - 2 147 R. C. Round course - 3 6 93 D. M. Ditch mile - 7 184 A.M. Abingdon mile - 7 211 R. M. Rowley mile - 1 1 T. M. M. Two middle miles of B. C. 1 7 115 r>. C. Duke's course. F. C. Fox's course. An. M. Ancaster mile. B. M. Bunbury's mile. c. s. c. Craven stakes course. M. D. Mile and distance B. C. 304 OF EUROPEAN HORSES, D. for Duke. Ld. for Lord. H. or h. for Horse. G. or g. for Gelding. M. or m. for Mare. C. or c. for Colt. F. or f. for Filly. b. for Bay. bl. for Black, br. for Brown, gr. for Grey, ch. for Chestnut. ro. for Roan. d. for Dun, yr. for Year. gs. for Guineas. so. for Sovereigns. p.p. for Play or pay. h. ft. Half forfeit. ft. Forfeit. pd. Paid. dr. Drawn. reed, for Received. agt. for Against. HEADS OF THE STATUTE RESPECTING HORSE RACING. The great legislative provision respecting this im- portant branch of sporting, horse racing, is in the statute 13 George II. cap. 19, and which the preamble describes to have been enacted for the purpose of pre- venting the multiplicity of horse races, the encourage- ment of idleness, and the impoverishment of the meaner sort of people. The leading provisions of the act are, — I. That no plates or matches are to be run for under £50 value, except at Newmarket and Black Hambleton, THE RACE HORSE. 305 in the county of York, on a penalty of £200, to be paid by the owner of each horse running, and £ 100 by the person who advertises the plate. In the construction of this branch of the statute, it has been adjudged, by the Court of Common Pleas, that the act is confined to bona fide horse racing, and that only on the usual courses ; and, therefore, wagers made for running horses on the high road cannot be enforced. See Bosanquet and Puller's Reports, vol. ii, p. 51. II. That no person shall run any horse, at a race, unless it be his own, nor enter more than one horse for the same plate, on pain of forfeiting the horses entered. III. That horses, at races, are to be entered by the owners. IV. That every horse race is to be begun and ended the same day. V. By the 11th section of the statute, 18th George II, cap. 34, the third clause of the 13th George II, cap. 19, which regulates the age of the horse, is repealed; and it is enacted, that horses may run for plates, &c. of £50 value, with any weight, and at any place. The following observations by Mr Hutchison, in his " Treatise on the Offices of Justice of the Peace for Scotland,"* will shew his opinion of the law, as it applies to Scotland. * Vol. II, p. 370. 2B , 306 OF EUROPEAN HORSES. " But though such horse races are lawful, yet it has' been determined, that they are games within the statute of 9th Anne, e. 14, and that, of consequence, wagers above £10, upon a lawful race, are illegal. A foot race, and a race against time, have also been held to be games within the statute of gaming. So a wager, to travel a certain distance, within a certain time, with a post-chaise and a pair of horses, has been considered of the same nature. A wager for less than £10, upon an illegal horse race, is also void and illegal. " But this penalty cannot be exacted in Scotland, as the penalty is only recoverable in the English courts of King's Bench and assizes. In Scotland, therefore, there is no distinction between stakes above and below £50, as to the legality of horse races." THE HUNTER. 307 THE HUNTER. Plate II. Fig. 2. The Hunter is a combination of the thorough-bred race-horse, and half-bred horses of greater strength, and less lengthy in their carcass. He should be from fifteen to sixteen hands in height. The points most likely to discover a horse of good properties as a hunter, are, a vigorous, sanguine, and healthy colour, with a lofty forehand, a head and neck as light as possible, whether handsome or not, a quick moving eye and ear, clear wide jaws and nostrils, large thin shoulders, thighs strong and muscular, chest deep, and back short, ribs large and wide, fine bones, tail high and stiff, gaskins well spread, and hind quarters lean and hard. Above all, let his joints be strong, firm, and closely knit, his legs and pasterns rather short; for I believe there never was yet a long limber-legged horse, that was able to gallop down steep hills, and take bold leaps, with a weight upon his back, without sinking or found- ering ; and, lastly, his feet should be moderately large and sound. With these points, he is likely to have the qualifications requisite to make a good hunter. It must be observed, that it is not every good and fleet horse that is a good hunter; for he may have strength and vigour for a long journey, and yet not be able to bear the shocks and strainings of a chase"; another may be swift enough to win a plate on a smooth turf, which yet will be crippled or heart-broken 308 OF EUROPEAN HORSES. by one hare in February. The right hunter ought to have strength without weight, courage without fire, and speed without labour, a free breath, a strong walk, a nimble, light, but large gallop, and a sweet trot, to give change and ease to the speedy muscles. But we cannot give a better description of the hunter, than what will be found in the following verses: — THE SPORTSMAN'S CHOICE. Much famed is the Arabian breed, but best The horse whom sportsmen prize above the rest ; Such he whose shapes with these perfections crown'd : — Lightly he shifts his limbs, with speed he scours the ground; Something above his head his neck should rise, "With looks erect, full fifteen hands in size ; His chop should to his neck below incline, And his full front with sprightly vigour shine ; Let waving locks adown his foretop fly, And brills embrown'd should edge his broad bright eye ; Wide nostrils, ample mouth, and little ears ; Arch'd be his neck, and fledged with floating hairs, Like a plumed helmet, when it nods its crest ; Broad and capacious be his stately chest ; Let his strong back be furrow'd with his chine, His tail branch out in a long bushy line ; Clean be his thighs, and sinewy, but below Straight, long, and spare, his well turn'd shanks should show ; Lean be his legs, and nimble as the stag's, With whom, in speed, the fleetest tempest flags ; Firm let him tread, and just, and move along Upon a well-grown hoof, compact and strong ; Proud of the sport, with too much fire to yield, — Such be the horse to bear me to the field ! THE HUNTER. 309 A horse should never be used for the sports of the field, till he is six years of age ; as his joints will not be closely knit, nor his tendons sufficiently tenacious, till that period, so as to enable him to perform with ease to himself, and safety to his rider, a hard day's work. A horse in his fifth year may occasionally be taken out with the hounds ; but then his work should be limited and moderate. Indeed, if a horse is but moderately wrought till he arrive at the age of eight, so much the better; as hunting is an exercise which strains him very much ; and if the joints are not properly knit, they may be rendered useless. Many good effects have been felt to result from this care and attention, as was particularly experienced by R. Forrest, Esq. of Greenhithe, Kent, who for a long period of useful services, erected a stone over the grave of a favourite hunter, with this inscrip- tion, — Here is buried a Horse, called JACK. ■ As A Hunter and Roadster, Inferior to none in this kingdom. He died August 22, 1794, Aged thirty years, After Twenty- two years faithful service To his Master. 2B2 310 OF EUROPEAN HORSES. It has been a prevalent fashion of late, to use thorough-bred and fleet horses in the sports of the field, which was also the case at the commencement of modern hunting ; but it must be obvious to every one, that these can only be useful in light land and level countries ; here his superior speed carries his rider up to the hounds ; but in heavy land, no horse can be equal, for long endurance and general utility, to the powerful and well shaped half-bred animal. Some are of opinion, that the three-part or seven-eighth horse is the most generally useful ; but in this opinion I do not concur. Although hunting is certainly one of the most severe labours to which a horse can be put, yet, to one of mettle, it has attractions, which seem to counterbalance the fatigue ; for he will enter into the spirit of the chase with as much ardour and animation as his master ; and he seems to take great delight in the cry of the hounds. I remember, in the year 1815, riding a fine and spirited horse, accompanied by a friend, to the place appointed for throwing off Colonel Forde's harriers, near Downpatrick. We were rather late, and on de- scending a road on the side of a hill, a hare had been found, and the pack in full cry, when my horse pricked his ears, and set off at full speed, in the direction of the sound, and soon was up to the dogs. There is but little difficulty in training a hunter ; all that is required, is to bring him into good wind, without reducing him too much in the flesh ; and his food should be of such a kind as will increase the muscular fibre, without thickening the adipose matter. He should be THE HUNTER. 811 regularly exercised, and leaped over fences, &c. This is first commenced over the leaping bar. But great care is requisite not to overdo it. He should be brought to his work by gradual and progressive training, other- wise he will never be fit for a winter's hunting. Hunters should be lightly clothed in the stable, by which means they are more likely to undergo the frequent transitions from heat to cold, to which they are constantly exposed, without the danger of becoming liable to inflammatory complaints. For leaping, there are no horses in the universe superior to those of Ireland, whether at a standing or flying leap. It is no uncommon circumstance in that country, for gentlemen, on a good hunter, to clear a six feet wall, with a course of flints at top. In most of the lower districts of Ireland, the country is sub- divided by mud walls, with a ditch on each side ; so that the horses are trained to make a double leap over these, — first, by leaping on the top of the dyke, and then over the second ditch. All hunters' plates in that country are run for over ground where there are four- feet drains twice to cross. It is mentioned in the Sporting Magazine, that Irish horses have been known to clear twenty-two feet at a leap, over a rivulet in the swampy meadows at Frimley, in Surry, even in the heat of the chase. NATURAL LOVE OF SPORT. A Wiltshire gentleman, in 1821, lent a well-bred and fiery mare to a friend from town, who had come down to try the Essex dogs against the Wiltshire breed of 312 OF EUROPEAN HORSES. greyhounds. At the close of a very fine day's sport, the huntsmen had beat a small furze brake, and for the purpose of better threading it, the London gentleman dismounted, and gave the bridle of the mare to the next horseman. Puss was soon started ; the " halloo " was given ; the person who held the mare, in the eager- ness of sport, forgot his charge, loosed his hold, and, regardless of any other than his own steed, left the mare to run, like Mazeppa's, " wild and untutored." But, to the astonishment of all, instead of so doing, or even attempting to bend her course homewards, (and she was in the immediate neighbourhood of her stable,) she ran the whole course at the tail of the dogs ; turned, as well as she could, when they brought the prey about ; and afterwards, by outstripping all competitors, (for the run was long and sharp,) she stopped only at the death of the hare, and then suffered herself to be quietly taken and remounted. But what renders it still more remarkable is, that she had only twice followed the hounds previous to this event, which strongly indi- cated her natural love of sport. The brace of dogs that were slipped at this course were the property of the owner of the mare, and the groom had been in the habit of exercising them with her. Whether this had any effect on her actions, is quite uncertain ; but be this as it may, the circumstance is not the less worthy of our admiration. DREADFUL FEROCITY MANIFESTED. A dreadful occurrence took place in May, 1822, between Durrow and Ballyragget, in the county of THE HUNTER. 313 Kilkenny. An entire horse, the property of Mr Shelly, grazing in a field, turned upon his owner as he was passing out of the gate, and killed him. The horse reared, knocked him down, broke his thigh, seemed to suck his blood, and then tore off the flesh, scattering it about the field. Some people having been drawn to the spot, pelted the ferocious animal with stones, where- upon he galloped away, and daringly swam the river, and was not brought back for some time. EXTRAORDINARY FLYING LEAP. About the year 1790, a gentleman, then clerk of his Majesty's works at a royal palace, while hunting with the fox-hounds near Oldiham, absolutely took a flying leap over the head of another, who had dismounted, and was in the act of removing the upper sliding bar of six that separated some high paling, and served as a gate- way upon harvest occasions. NATURE OUTWITTED. Mr John Barrow of Meathop, near Hull, in June, 1822, had an excellent brood mare killed by a blow on the head. It had a foal at the time, and in order to bring it up, he ordered it to be fed on cow's milk seven or eight times each day. Not long after, the same gentleman lost a foal belonging to another brood mare ; and to induce this mare to nurture the foal of the dead one, Mr Barrow made use of the following stratagem : He had the skin of the dead foal carefully taken off, and ingeniously stitched upon the body of the living one, 314 OF EUROPEAN HORSES. which effectually deceived the mare, and they did extremely well, only the little animal cut rather an awkward figure, Mr Barrow not being quite equal to dame Nature at fitting a skin. It was removed in about a fortnight, when the mare continued to foster the little animal with as much tenderness as if it had been her own. LE CHEVAL SAVANT. On Sunday, the 26th April, 1793, about two o'clock in the morning, a most extraordinary circumstance happened, with a horse, belonging to Mr Richard Cove of Cranwell, near Waddesdon, Bucks. The horse slipped his halter off his head at the above hour, and mounted up, by a very narrow pair of stairs, into the hay-loft, above the other horses. Having performed this unheard of feat, and nearly accomplished his design, the floor gave way under his weight, and he fell partly through the loft, his body hanging over one of the beams, his legs through the boards, and his head down into the rack. In the violent struggles which he made to relieve himself from this excruciating situa- tion, he cut and bruised himself so terribly, that when released by the men, his condition was most distressing. The horse had finished his ration of hay for that night, and it is very clear, from every circumstance, had mounted up into the loft, with a design of serving a second course in that rack, for the accommodation of himself and his associates of the stable. THE HUNTER. 315 EXTRAORDINARY PRESENCE OF MIND. On the 21st November, 1793, a young gentleman, an inhabitant of Lancashire, riding in the afternoon, on the road between Ravenglass and Whitehaven, on a very high spirited blood horse, not far distant from Egremont, passed by a single horse chaise, which occasioned the animal to be very unruly ; thinking to pacify him, by passing the chaise, he cantered forwards ; but the horse, no longer to be restrained, bolted off at a full gallop, and coming upon Egremont Bridge, (the middle of the battlements of which presents nearly a right angle to the entrance upon it,) was going with such fury, that, unable to retrieve himself, he leaped sidelong upon the battlements, which are upwards of four feet high. The rider, finding it impossible to recover the horse, and seeing the improbability of saving either of their lives, had he floundered over head-foremost, just as the horse was falling headlong down, had instantaneous presence of mind to strike him on both sides with his spurs, and force him to take a clear leap. Owing to this precaution he alighted upon his feet, and the rider firmly keeping his seat, held up the horse, till, reaching the bottom, he leaped off. When we consider the height of the bridge, which has been accurately ascertained to be upwards of twenty feet and a-half of perpendicular height from the top of the battle- ments, and that there was not one foot depth of water in the bed of the river where they alighted, it is really miraculous that they were not both struck dead on the spot. 316 OF EUROPEAN HORSES. The gentleman travelled with his accustomed vigour from Egremont to Whitehaven, a distance of five miles. The only injury he received, was a slight sprain in one foot, which confined him three days at the King's Arms Inn, at Whitehaven. He remained there three days longer, waiting the recovery of his horse, who had a slight wound in the stifle joint. Both, however, were perfectly well after that time. The horse's foot had struck one of the parapet stones of the bridge with such violence, as to throw it four inches out of its situation. A STRANGE MEDLEY. In 1793, a gentleman in Buckinghamshire, had in his possession a three year old colt, a dog, and three sheep, which were his constant attendants in all his walks. When his master happened to be at the parlour window, which looked into the field, the colt would frequently leap through it, caress his master,, and leap back again to his pasture. BRUTAL TEMERITY. Two Irish grooms were drinking at a public-house door, one upon his master's hunter, then in exercise ; the bet of a noggin of whisky was made, that the horse could not clear a neighbouring wall. The height of it, viewed from the horse's back, was tremendous : never- theless, full to the brim, both of right Irish metal and of whisky, Patrick offered the leap standing to his nag; the horse was as truly Irish as his rider, but had drunk THE HUNTER. 317 no whisky ; and, therefore, after a little hesitation, he reluctantly refused the offer, on which the half-mad groom, turning the horse about, and cantering him to a considerable distance, turned him again, and with his riding switch up about the horse's ears, ran him at the wall. The generous and noble animal, ashamed to refuse a second time, made a desperate leap ; but being incapable of o'ertopping such an altitude, his fore-feet struck against the summit, yet the violence of his exertion carrying him over, he grounded on the other side on his head and fore-quarters, both his fore-legs being broken in the fall. Most unfortunately for example's sake, the fellow escaped, with only a few contusions. The wretched horse, from the absence of his proprietor, was kept several days in torture before he was shot. A CAUTION TO YOUNG SPORTSMEN. As a caution and memento to young men, the fol- lowing unfortunate fact may be recorded. Mr S. an Essex yeoman of considerable property, about twenty- one years of age, jolly and good-natured, and on the point of matrimony, was riding his hunter over the farm. In stooping to unfasten a five-barred gate, his heel touched the horse's side ; the obedient hunter, mistaking it for a signal to take the gate, made his leap whilst it was swinging, and his hinder legs being entangled, he came down upon his unfortunate master's body, and crushed him instantly to death ! It was fully an hour before any witness arrived ; and the noble 2 c 318 OF EUROPEAN HORSES. and generous horse was standing close by his dead master, as if sensible of, and lamenting his fate. JACKOO MOUNTED. The late Duke of Richmond had some hunters in Sussex. A monkey, who was kept in the stable, was remarkably fond of riding the horses, and skipping from one to the other, and teazing the poor animals inces- santly. The groom made a complaint to the Duke, who immediately formed a plan to remedy the evil. " If he is fond of riding," replied his Grace, " we'll endeavour to give him enough of it ;" and, accordingly, provided a complete jockey dress for the monkey. The next time the hounds were out, Jackoo, in his uniform, was strapped to one of the best hunters. The view hollow being given, away they went, through thick and thin. The horse being fond of the sport, and carrying so light a weight, presently left all the company behind. Some of the party passing by a farm house, inquired of a countryman whether he had seen the fox ? "Ay, zure," said the man, " he is gone over yon fallow." " And was there any one up with him ? " " Ay, zure ! '* said John, " there be a little man in yellow jacket, just gone by, riding as though the devil be in un. I hope, from my heart, the young gentleman mayn't meet with a fall, for he rides most monstrous bould." The experi- ment had the desired effect ; Jackoo was sufficiently chafed by his exercise to make him dislike the sight of the stable ever afterwards. THE HUNTER. 319 TENACITY OF LIFE. The following anecdote is one of the many examples we have of animals sustaining life, for a great length of time, without food ; and seems to be decisive as to the possibility of the fact, which many have doubted, and who have sought to account for their living long in such situ- ations, by finding other food where they were confined. A colt, the property of Mr Edward Lemin of Truro, in October, 1793, fell into a shaft, four fathoms deep, where it remained for one month before it was dis- covered: it was taken up alive and unhurt, though in a very emaciated state ; and, by proper treatment, perfectly recovered. It was impossible that it could have received the least food or water whilst it was in the shaft. REMARKABLE FOX CHASE. In February, 1794, a most severe chase was run by the dogs belonging to the gentlemen farmers of Clowton, Hackness, and Staun ton-dale, in the North Riding of the county of York. About forty horsemen, and twenty couple of dogs, after running a train of five miles, unkenneled at eleven o'clock, and did not kill until half-past four : only four of the dogs were in at the death, accompanied by two of the horsemen, — Mr John Leadlap and Mr Robert Mead. Several of the horses died that evening, and others were unfit for the field that season. The fox crossed the Derwent six times in the course of the chase, and is supposed to have run upwards of sixty miles. He was ultimately killed in the parish of Hackness. OF EUROPEAN HORSES. HORSE PUMPING WATER. In 1794, a gentleman in Leeds had a horse which, after being kept up in the stable for some time, and turned out into the field, where there was a pump, well supplied with water, regularly obtained a quantity therefrom by his own dexterity. For this purpose, the animal was observed to take the handle into his mouth, and work it with the head, in a way exactly similar to that done by the hand of a man, until a suffi- ciency of what nature called for was produced in the trough. A DRAMATIST. Mr Ray informs us, he has seen a horse who danced to music ; who, at the command of his master, affected to be lame ; who simulated death, lay motionless, with his limbs extended, and allowed himself to be dragged about, till some words were pronounced, when he instantly sprung on his feet. Feats of this kind would scarcely receive credit, if so many persons were not now acquainted with the wonderful docility of horses educated by Astley, Ducrow, and others. BANKS'S CELEBRATED HORSE. One of the most intelligent of horses seems, from all accounts, to have been one called Morocco, belonging to Mr Banks, whose renown is alluded to by Shakspeare, in " Love's Labour's Lost," act first, scene second ; and by Dekker, in his " Untrussing of the Humourous Poet." It is related of this horse, that he would restore a glove THE HUNTER. 321 to its owner, after his master had whispered the man's name in his ear ; that he would tell the number of pence in any silver coin. He danced, likewise, to the sound of a pipe, and told money with his feet. Sir Walter Raleigh says, " that had Banks lived in older times, he would have shamed all the enchanters in the world ; for whosoever was most famous among them, could never master or instruct any beast as he did his horse." Although the two following anecdotes are not strictly to the point, yet, as they are connected with the subject of hunting, I hope I may be excused from introducing them, as they are at least curious. The former is from the Letters of Lord Lyttelton. THE MYSTERIOUS HUNTER. " The chair is fill'd ! a stranger sat Upon the honour'd seat j Nor deigned he to doff his hat, Though more than one had hinted that Respect was always meet. But he was heedless of them all ; And thrice he gazed round the hall, But ne'er a word did he let fall : Whilst thus he sat, whilst thus he gazed, The goodly throng were all amazed." Fenwick. * " It was in the early part of 's life that he attended a hunting club at their sport, when a stranger * It is not unlikely that this story suggested to Mr Fenwick the subject of his poem of " The Goblin Groom." 2C2 322 OF EUROPEAN HORSES. of a genteel appearance, and well mounted, joined the chase, and was observed to ride with a degree of courage and address that called forth the utmost asto- nishment of every one present. The beast he rode was of amazing power ; nothing stopped them ; the hounds could never escape them ; and the huntsman, who was left far behind, swore that the man and his horse were devils from hell. When the sport was over, the com- pany invited this extraordinary person to dinner : he accepted the invitation, and astonished the company as much by the powers of his conversation, and the ele- gance of his manners, as by his equestrian prowess. He was an orator, a poet, a painter, a musician, a lawyer, and a divine; in short, he was every thing, and the magic of his discourse kept the drowsy sportsman awake long after his usual hour. At length, however, wearied nature could be charmed no more, and the company began to steal away by degrees to their repose. On his observing the society diminish, he discovered mani- fest signs of uneasiness ; he therefore gave new force to his spirits, and new charms to his conversation, in order to detain the remaining few some time longer. This had some little effect ; but the period could not be long delayed when he was to be conducted to his chamber. The remains of the company retired also ; but they had scarce closed their eyes, when the house was alarmed by the most terrible shrieks that were ever heard; several persons were awakened by the noise ; but, its continuance being short, they concluded it to proceed from a dog who might be accidentally confined in some part of the house : they very soon, THE HUNTER. 323 therefore, composed themselves to sleep, but were again soon awakened by shrieks and cries of still greater terror than the former. Alarmed at what they heard, several of them rung their bells, and when the servants came, they declared that the horrid sounds proceeded from the stranger's chamber. Some of the gentlemen immediately arose, to inquire into this extraordinary disturbance ; and while they were dressing themselves for that purpose, deeper groans of despair, and shriller shrieks of agony, again astonished and terrified them. After knocking some time at the stranger's chamber door, he answered them as one awakened from sleep, declared he had heard no noise, and, rather in an angry tone, desired he might not be again disturbed. Upon this, they returned to their chambers, and had scarce begun to communicate their sentiments to each other, when their conversation was interrupted by a renewal of yells, screams, and shrieks, which, from the horror of them, seemed to issue from the throats of damned and tortured spirits. They immediately followed the sounds, and traced them to the stranger's chamber, the door of which they instantly burst open, and found him upon his knees in bed, in the act of scourging himself with the most unrelenting severity, his body streaming with blood. On their seizing his hands to stop the strokes, he begged them, in the most wringing tone of voice, as an act of mercy, that they would retire, assuring them that the cause of their disturbance was over, and that in the morning he would acquaint them with the reasons of the terrible cries they had heard, and the melancholy sight they saw. After a repetition 324 OF EUROPEAN HORSES. of his entreaties, they retired; and, in the morning, some of them went to his chamber, but he was not there ; and, on examining the bed, they found it to be one gore of blood. Upon further inquiry, the groom said, that, as soon as it was light, the gentleman came to the stable, booted and spurred,* desired his horse might be immediately saddled, and appeared to be extremely impatient till it was done, when he vaulted immediately into his saddle, and rode out of the yard at full speed. Servants were immediately sent into every part of the surrounding country, but not a single trace of him could be found ; such a person had not been seen by any one, nor has he since been heard of. " The circumstances of this strange story were imme- diately committed to writing, and signed by every one who were witnesses to them, that the future credibility of any one, who should think proper to relate them, might be duly supported. Among the subscribers to the truth of this history, are some of the first names of this century." f " His dirty boots, his leathers long, "With crimson whip-cord tied ; His straight-neck'd spurs, and heavy thong, Proclaim'd him form'd to ride." Goblin Groom, Canto I, stanza 13. f Lord Lyttelton's Letters; Letter 21. THE HUNTER. 325 SIR WILLIAM WYNDHAM AND THE WHITE HORSE. Sir William Wyndham, when a very young man, had been out one day at a stag hunt. In returning from the sport, he found several of the servants, at his father's gate, standing round a fortune teller, who pretended, at least, to be deaf and dumb; and, for a small gratification, wrote, on the bottom of a trencher with a bit of chalk, answers to such questions as the men and maids put to him by the same method. As Sir William rode by, the conjuror made signs, that he was inclined to tell his fortune as well as the rest ; and, in good humour, he would have complied, but not readily finding a question to ask, the conjuror took the trencher, and writing upon it, gave it back, with these words very legible, " Beware of a White Horse." Sir William smiled at the absurdity of the man, and thought no more of it for several years. But, in 1690, being on his travels in Italy, and accidentally, as he was one day passing through St Mark's Place, at Venice, in his calash, he observed a more than ordinary crowd at one corner of it. He desired his driver to stop, and they found it was occasioned by a mountebank, who also pretended to tell fortunes, conveying his several pre- dictions to the people by means of a long narrow tube of tin, which he lengthened or curtailed at pleasure, as occasion required. Among others, Sir William Wyndham held up a piece of money, upon which the soothsayer immediately directed the tube to his carriage, and said to him, very distinctly, in Italian, " Signor Inghse, cavetell bianco cavello ; which is, " Mr English- 326 OF EUROPEAN HORSES. man, beware of a white horse!" Sir William imme- diately recollected what had been before told him, and concluded, that the British fortune teller had made his way to the continent. However, upon inquiry, he was assured, that the present fellow had never been out of Italy, nor did he understand any language but his mother tongue. Sir William was surprised, and mentioned so whimsical a circumstance to several people. But, in a short time, this also went out of his head, like the former prediction of the same kind. Our readers will remember the share which Sir William Wyndham took in the transactions of government, during the last four years of Queen Anne; in which a design to restore the son of James the Second to the throne of England, which his father had so justly forfeited, was undoubtedly concerted, and, on the arrival of King George, punished, by forcing into banishment, or putting into prison, all the persons suspected to have entered into the combination. Among these was Sir William, who, in the year 1715, was committed prisoner to the Tower of London. Over the inner gate were the arms of Great Britain, in which there was some alteration to be made, in consequence of the succes- sion of the house of Brunswick ; and just as Sir William's chariot was passing through to carry him to prison, the painter was at work, adding the White Horse, the arms of the Elector of Hanover. This circumstance struck Sir William forcibly: he immediately recollected the two singular predictions, and mentioned them to the Lieutenant of the Tower, then in the chariot with him, and to almost every one who came to see him in his confinement ; and though THE HUNTER. 327 not superstitious, he always spoke of it as a prophecy fully accomplished. But here he was mistaken, (if there were any thing prophetic in it ;) for, many years after, being out a hunting, he had the misfortune of being thrown from his saddle, in leaping a ditch, by which accident he broke his neck. He rode upon a white horse. EXTREME DOCILITY AND CAUTION. At the table of a celebrated sportsman, in the vicinity of Sunning, Berks, in 1826, the conversation happening to turn on the docility of the brute creation, the worthy host offered a wager, which was instantly accepted, that his favourite hunter would, at his request, quit his quarters in the stable, and follow him into the dining- room. He forthwith went to the stable, disencumbered' the animal of the head-stall, which confined him to his post in the manger, and returned to the company, closely followed by his quadruped friend. Not con- tented with this display, he proceeded to his bed-room, whither also he was followed by his horse, whose docility was the theme of every tongue. Here, however, the proofs of his obedient disposition ended, for neither entreaty nor force could prevail upon him to descend the stairs, and in the bed-room he insisted upon passing the night. In the morning he manifested the same determination not to retrace his steps, and, after all means of entreaty and intimidation had been in vain resorted to, his master was compelled to have a breach made in the wall, through which the steed was forced to leap upon the ground, where a load of straw had 328 OF EUROPEAN HORSES. been spread to receive him. The descent was accom- plished in safety ; but, owing to the trouble and expense occasioned by the visit, the owner declined giving the favourite a second invitation beyond the parlour on the ground floor. JOHNSON AND HIS BLACK HORSE. This celebrated horseman is well remembered by many persons now alive. Johnson being at Derby in one of his excursions, married the daughter of Alderman Howe, who then kept one of the principal inns, and succeeded him in his business. He conducted himself so as to be well esteemed by the gentlemen of the county ; and his black horse, which he still kept, was one of the favourites of the Vernon hunt, then, probably, the first in England. The following feat performed by him and his horse is worth remembering : — The hunt were taking leave of Lord Vernon one day, by the side of the Ha ha, when his lordship told Johnson, it was extraordinary he had never been tempted, in the course of any day, to do more, as a horseman, than all the members of the hunt could do. " Well, my lord," said he, " what would you wish me to do ?" " I am not to choose," said his lordship, " but surely you can do something more than others." " I will go over that Ha ha, my lord." So can others ; myself, for one." " But I, my lord," said he, " will go over it in a way in which your lordship cannot." He rode his black horse up to the brink, and, as he stopped, laid his hands upon the pommel of the saddle, and sprung, from that posture, clean over the Ha ha. The ^m THE HUNTER. 329 hunt applauded; but the performance was not over. He was something shaken by the fall, and did not immediately rise : the horse looked at him attentively all the while, and when he had got out of the way, followed him over, rode up to him, and stood by his side till he mounted. EXTRAORDINARY INCIDENT. In April, 1823, a gray mare, belonging to Mr Lawson of Larrington, near Barnardcastle, being at Durham fair for sale, a person wishing to purchase her, had agreed with Mr Lawson's servant to ride her a little on the road between Durham and Sunderland Bridge, by way of trial ; and, while doing so, the mare being in high condition, ran away with him, at so furious a rate, that on coming to the end of Sunderland Bridge, she was not able to make the sharp turn to go along the bridge, but leapt over the battlement, and both rider and mare were precipitated into the river on the west side of the bridge ; and what is most unaccountable and gratifying to relate, both escaped with scarcely any injury. Vessels of four hundred tons burden sail under this bridge, by only striking their top-gallant masts. DUKE OF GRAFTON. The late Duke of Grafton, when hunting, was thrown into a ditch ; at the same time a young curate calling out, " Lie still, your Grace !" leaped over him, and pursued his sport. Such an apparent want of feeling, we might presume, was properly resented : not so ; on 2D 330 OF EUROPEAN HORSES. being assisted to remount by his attendants, the Duke said, " That young man shall have the first good living that falls to my disposal ; had he stopped to have taken care of me, I never would have patronized him ;" being delighted with an ardour similar to his own, or with a spirit that could not stoop to flatter. His Grace kept his resolution, and gave the gentleman in question the first living which became vacant within his patronage. DETERMINED REVENGE. In 1734, the horse of a nobleman in Ireland ran at a man, seized him with his teeth by the arm, which he broke ; he then threw him down, and lay upon him; every effort to get him off proving unavailing, they were forced to shoot him. The reason assigned for this ferocity was, that he had been castrated by this man some time before, which the animal seems to have remembered. RECOLLECTION OF INJURY. Although the horse seldom exerts his strength and power to the prejudice of his master, we have, however, one instance of recollection of injury, andjm attempt to revenge it. This is inserted in a work of D. Rolle, Esq. of Torrington, in Devonshire. A baronet, one of whose hunters had never tired in the longest chase, once encouraged the cruel thought of attempting com- pletely to fatigue him. After a long run, he dined, and again mounting, rode him furiously among the hills ; when brought to the stable, his strength seemed THE HUNTER, 331 exhausted, and he was scarcely able to walk. The groom, possessed of more feeling than his brutal master, could not refrain from tears at the sight of so noble an animal thus sunk down. The baronet some time after entered the stable, when the horse made a furious spring upon him, and, had not the groom interfered, would soon have put it out of his power ever again to misuse his animals. tally ho ! It is well known that the cry of the hound has a powerful influence on any horse that has been accus- tomed to follow the chase. A remarkable instance of this occurred in 1807, when the Liverpool mail was changing horses at the inn at Monk's Heath, between Congleton and Newcastle-under-Line. The horses which had performed the stage were taken off and separated, when Sir Peter Warburton's fox hounds were heard in full cry. The horses immediately started after them with their harness on, and followed the chase until the last. One of them, a blood mare, kept the track with the whipper-in, and gallantly followed him for about two hours over every leap he took, until reynard ran to earth in a neighbouring plantation. These spirited horses were led back to the inn at Monk's Heath, and performed their stage back to Congleton on the same evening. HUNTING ANECDOTE. 1822. A well known veteran sportsman, in the neighbourhood of Mansfield, and who was a constant 332 OF EUROPEAN HORSES. fieldsman at Lord Middleton and Mr Saville's hunts, in 1822, had pursued the fox, on the same horse, not less than seventy-Jive times, and, on a fair statement, went each meeting a distance of twelve miles to cover ! This famous and favourite animal was not once bled, or had the slightest operation performed upon him during the whole season ; and, remarkable as it may appear, throughout his arduous task, he never received the slightest injury, or appeared the least distressed ; but, on the contrary, to the very last day in the field, he maintained his undaunted spirits, gloriously triumphing in the blithe echo, " Hark forward, tally-ho, gone away !" This extraordinary feat stands unprecedented in the annals of sporting history. A FRIEND PROTECTED. A gentleman of Bristol had a greyhound which slept in the stable along with a very fine hunter, of about five years of age. These animals became mutually attached, and regarded each other with the most tender affection. The greyhound always lay under the manger, beside the horse, who was so fond of him, that he was unhappy and restless when out of his sight. It was a common practice, with the gentleman to whom they belonged, to call at the stable for the greyhound to accompany him in his walks. On such occasions, the horse would look over his shoulder at the dog, with much anxiety, and neighed in a manner which plainly said, " Let me also accompany you !" When the dog returned to the stable, he was always welcomed by a loud neigh ; he ran up to the horse, and licked his nose ; THE HUNTER. 333 in return, the horse would scratch his back with his teeth. One day, when the groom was out with the horse and greyhound for exercise, a large dog attacked the latter, and quickly bore him to the ground ; on which the horse threw back his ears, and, in spite of all the efforts of the groom, rushed at the strange dog, who was worrying at the greyhound, seized him by the back with his teeth, which speedily made him quit his hold ; he shook him till a large piece of the skin gave way, when he fell to the ground. He no sooner got on his feet, than he judged it prudent to beat a precipitate retreat from so formidable an enemy. A BLOOD-THIRSTY COLT. On a farm in the parish of Fintry, well known for the superior breed of its lambs, the shepherd, on his way to the hills in the morning, was not less astonished than vexed, to observe the gradual diminution in the number of his flock. The dead bodies of lambs were found strewed in various directions ; and what greatly added to his surprise was, that they were quite entire, which clearly proved that this work of destruction could not be imputed to the fox, raven, or eagle, as these animals are never known to destroy, except to allay their hunger. The faithful dog was consequently fixed upon as the depredator, and the shepherd determined on narrowly watching his motions, when, lo ! he became as much astonished as undeceived, in seeing the real cause of his misfortune appear in the shape of a young colt, which, cautiously approaching a group of lambs 2D 2 334 OF EUROPEAN HORSES. that disported on a neighbouring knoll, sprung among them, and seizing one of the innocents by the throat, would very soon, but for the shepherd's interference, have sacrificed him as another victim to his frolicsome sport. AN EQUINE TRAGEDIAN. Mr Astley, of the Royal Amphitheatre, London, had a horse which performed various curious tricks. In the entertainment of the Blood-Red Knight, this horse was introduced, and mimicked death so completely, that he suffered himself to be handled and examined without exhibiting the least signs of voluntary motion, or any symptoms of life or feeling. We are at a loss whether most to admire the docility and sagacity of this animal, or the skill of its teachers. I have been favoured with the following anecdote by my friend David Wyllie, Esq. to whom the circum- stance occurred: — THE MUSICAL HUNTER. " During the course of last summer, I had occasion to walk through the grounds of the Duke of Buccleuch, at Dalkeith. I thought I would leave the road, and cross a field for the purpose of seeing some of his Grace's hunters, which were at grass. Accordingly, proceeding to the field where the horses were, I endeavoured to approach near them, but found them rather shy. It struck me that I would try the effect of sounding a small musical instrument which I had THE HUNTER. 335 purchased a few days previous, called, I believe, the " mouth Eolian harp." On sounding the chord from this instrument, such of the horses as were within hearing, though previously retreating, I may say, from me, jerked up their heads, and, turning suddenly round, gazed steadily at me. I repeated the chord rather louder than the first time, and this attracted the atten- tion of the whole of them. For some few minutes, whilst I continued to play, they gradually approached me, stopping and listening. At length they began to draw so much round about me, that I considered it prudent to retreat a little from them, which, accordingly, I did, but kept still sounding the chords, at intervals, as I walked. Whilst doing so, they all followed me, but in particular, two or three approached me very closely, stopping when I stopped, and following as I retreated. Having at last got a paling between them and me, I halted, and determined to try how closely I could bring any of them to me. After standing and playing the chords for about five or six minutes, one of them, who, from the first, had approached nearest to me, gradually drew nearer and nearer, until at last he fairly brought his head in contact with my breast, keeping it there, and seemingly enjoying in a great degree the sounds of this small musical instrument. As the others, however, appeared to be either gather- ing courage from his example, or anxious to approach nearer to the sounds which seemed to delight him, I took my departure, not choosing to await the marks of gra- titude which they, though innocently enough, might perhaps have bestowed on me. I mentioned the circumstance to my brother, and to OF EUROPEAN HORSES. my friend Will Williamson, his Grace's huntsman, the next day, I think, and described the horse to the latter, who at once recognized him from the marks given by me." — Edinburgh, January, 1830. NOBLE SENSIBILITY. Some years ago, a gentleman farmer, in the neigh- bourhood of Edinburgh, who was in the possession of a very vicious hunter, happened to be relating some of his bad propensities to a party of friends at dinner, and, among these, mentioned the difficulty which the groom had in trimming his fetlocks. This operation was never accomplished without the aid of several assistants, and even then attended with great difficulty and danger. During this conversation, in which he defied any of his friends present to perform the task singly, he was uncon- scious of the presence of his youngest child, a fine boy about three years of age. This juvenile Nimrod was by no means the inattentive observerwhich might have been expected from his tender years, as was evinced next morning. His father, in passing through the stable- yard, descried, with great horror and agony, his infant busily employed with a pair of scissors, attempting, with great coolness, to clip the fetlocks of the hind legs ot his vicious hunter ; which, in place of exhibiting his usual determined resistance to this operation, was look- ing round with the greatest complacency on his pigmy groom, whom the father every instant expected to see struck dead at his feet. He, however, shortly after- wards walked away from the horse unharmed. THE HUNTER. 337 DETERMINED GUARDIAN. The above horse had a particular antipathy to strangers. On one occasion, his master was returning home from a jovial meeting, where he had been very liberal in his potations, which destroyed his power of preserving his equilibrium, and rendered him at the same time somewhat drowsy. He had the misfortune to fall from his saddle, but in so easy a manner, that it had not the effect of rousing him from his sleepy fit, and he felt quite contented to repose where he alighted. His faithful steed, on being eased of his burden, instead of scampering home, as one would have expected from his habits, stood by his prostrate master, and kept a strict watch over him, who was discovered by some labourers at sunrise very contentedly snoozing on a heap of stones by the road side. They very naturally approached the gentleman, with the intention of re- placing him on the saddle, but every attempt on their part was resolutely opposed by the grinning teeth, and ready heels, of his faithful and determined guardian. OF EUROPEAN HORSES. EXTRAORDINARY EQUESTRIAN FEATS OF THE HUNTER. 1751. Mr Samuel Bendall, of Dursley in Gloucester- shire, aged seventy-six, rode, for a considerable wager, a thousand miles, on the same horse, in a thousand successive hours, on Sturchcombe Hill, in that county. ALERT OLD AGE. 1793. In November, 1793, Mr James Slade, of Netherbury, Dorset, in his 88th year, mounted a famous hunter, took several leaps which younger sports- men refused, and was in at the death of a fox. 1794. In March, 1794, when a pack of hounds were in pursuit of a fox, which took through the enclosures adjoining to Sydenham, in Kent, one of the party, a gentleman who lived in the neighbourhood, came up to a gate, which he expected to be permitted to pass through ; but in this he was prevented by a man, whose appearance bespoke him a knight of the cleaver, who, brandishing the terrible instrument of his trade, swore that no one should go that way, whilst he was able to make use of his knife. The sportsman, unwilling to lose the game, which would have been the case had he gone another away, began to expostulate with the butcher, and told him it was not his wish to be out of THE HUNTER. 339 humour, and was sorry to find his temper soured by- some disappointment he had undoubtedly met with. All this had no other effect on the defender of the gate than to make him the more positive that no person should pass through. Filled with the enthusiasm of the chase, the gentleman asked if he might go over ; this the butcher assented to, observing, at the same time, that neither he nor any man in England could. However, our sportsman was not to be intimidated by his observation, but instantly drew his horse a few yards back, then ran him to the gate, which he took and cleared well, carrying the rider safe over, to the astonishment of every one. This gate was a five-barred one, with paling upon the top, exactly six feet and a half high : the boldness of the attempt did that which the most persuasive language could not effect ; it brought from the morose lamb-slayer this exclamation, " that he would be d — d if ever he prevented this gentleman from going through his gate whenever he thought proper." 1794. On Monday, 5th May, Mr H y undertook to ride his own horse eleven miles in thirty minutes, for one hundred guineas, which was decided in his favour, at half-past five o'clock in the morning of that day. He arrived at the appointed place to start from, and soon after mounted his horse, with that coolness which generally marks those who are confident of suc- cess, and immediately proceeded on the turnpike road between Hampton and Staines, and performed the feat, with great ease both to himself and his horse, two minutes within the time proposed, although Mr H y 340 OF EUROPEAN HORSES. rode the great weight of fifteen stone and a half. The horse, which, before this extraordinary exploit, was never considered of any great consequence, rose so much in the estimation of those who heard of the feat, that Mr D. offered three hundred guineas for him, which was refused by his owner. STEEPLE CHASE. 1801. At Mai ton races, in 1801, a match was run betwixt two hunters, which should arrive at a given point in the shortest time. They went four miles, being the distance agreed on, in less than fifteen minutes, and took one hundred leaps in their way, as they crossed the country. Mr Teasdale was the winner ; Mr Darley the loser, on whom the odds were at starting. 1814. A steeple chase, which created much amuse- ment, took place, in April 1814, between Messrs Reynoldson, Harbinger, and Duckett, three celebrated fox-hunters, for a sweepstakes of fifty guineas each. The ground selected was from Storford in Hertfordshire, to Coleshill, a distance of twenty-one miles, through a woody country, with other obstacles of rivulets, enclosures, &c. The sportsmen kept pace with each other the first four miles, when they separated, on their different routes, to avoid a rivulet. Mr Harbinger arrived at Coleshill first, having performed the distance, after many daring leaps, in one hour and nineteen minutes. Mr Duckett ran the winner closely, and was within three minutes of him ; and Mr Reynoldson, who was supposed to be the best mounted, broke down at a leap. THE HUNTER. 341 1819. Mr William Hutchinson, horse-dealer, on the 6th May, undertook, for a wager of six hundred guineas, to ride from Canterbury to London Bridge in three successive hours. He started from the Falstaff Inn, St Dunstan's, at half past three o'clock, and accom- plished his task in two hours andtwenty-five miiiutes,be'mg more than thirty-four minutes within the allotted time, without any accident or inconvenience. After taking refreshment in town, he returned by the Wellington Coach, and arrived at Canterbury at a quarter before three, to dine with the respective parties concerned in the bet, at the Rose Inn, where the greatest harmony prevailed. The company unanimously voted, that the freedom of the city of Canterbury should be purchased, and presented to Mr Hutchinson, in consideration of the extraordinary feat he had performed, with a faith- fulness as honourable to himself as it was satisfactory to every individual concerned. At the end of each stage Mr Hutchinson dismounted by himself, but was assisted at remounting ; this he calculated occupied rather more than half a minute at each stage. The horse he rode from Boughton Hill to Beacon Hill, ran out of the road at Preston Lane ; that also which he rode from Moor Street to Chatham Hill made a bolt at Rainham ; the horse he rode from W T elling to Black- heath bolted twice going down Shooter's Hill, and again upon Blackheath. The horses rode upon this occasion were his own property, and that of his parti- cular friends, and some of them were selected from the stud of the Wellington Coach ; they all performed their journey apparently with as much ease as their rider, who considered that he could have returned to •2E 10 342 OF EUROPEAN HORSES. Canterbury the same day in three hours, without incon- venience. The following are the places at which he changed horses, and the time in which each stage was performed, viz. — From Canterbury to Boughton Hill, Boughton Hill to Beacon Hill, Beacon Hill to Sittingbourne, Sittingbourne to Moor Street, Moor Street to Chatham Hill, Chatham Hill to Day's Hill, Day's Hill to Northrleet, Northneet to Dartford, Dartford to Walling, Walling to the Great Mart, Blackheath, Blackheath to London Bridge, files Min. Sec. 4| in 12 45 H~ 14 20 5 — 12 40 5 — 12 50 4 — 10 30 4i- 12 9 <*- 17 H — 14 18 5 — 13 4 5 — 13 7 5 — 13 8 Total time, 2 hours, 25 minutes, 51 seconds. 65h miles. On Wednesday morning, 9th May, 1821, a horse called All- Steel, the property of Mr Rich, in Holborn, was matched to gallop twenty-one miles within the hour, on the Croydon road, for two hundred guineas, which he completed, having seven minutes and a half to spare. In April, 1822, the inhabitants of Haverfordwest were highly gratified by a novel sport in this part of the kingdom — a steeple chase of eight miles for a hundred guineas. At ten minutes past one, the combatants, Mr Morgan James, on his famous horse Sir Peter, by Spoliator, and Mr W. B. Williams, on his well-known THE HUNTER. 343 horse Bergami, by Vividus, mounted in high glee, both eager for the fray. Sir Peter took the lead for five miles, when all his gold came off his gingerbread, and he was well planted in a field near a brook, which com- pletely floored him ; when he stood contemplating its beauties much longer than his master bargained for, who at this critical moment prudently gave up the chase, that Sir Peter should not give up the ghost. Mr Williams, unconscious of his victory, kept sailing away in grand style, and completed the distance in thirty-one minutes and a half, with perfect ease to himself and horse. SPORTING EXTRAORDINARY. A novel race took place in London, in June, 1822. Precisely at five o'clock, an eight-oared galley, contain- ing eight picked watermen, set off from the centre arch of Vauxhall Bridge, to row to the Red House at Batter- sea, against a gentleman of sporting celebrity, mounted on a fine blood hunter, who started from the Pimlico side of the bridge, crossed, and took the Nine Elms road. The race was won by the horse beating the boat one minute and a-half. The tide was running strong up, and the wind blew in the opposite direction, otherwise it is supposed the watermen would have been successful. The wager was for a considerable sum. WONDERFUL LEAP. On Saturday, the 17th August, 1822, a most extra- ordinary leap was made by a horse in the possession of 344 OF EUROPEAN HORSES. Mr Beardsworth, of the Repository in Birmingham. On the ground being accurately measured by some gentlemen who witnessed the performance, it was found, that in passing over a bar three feet six inches high, the leap was taken at the amazing distance of seventeen feet seven inches from it, and the whole space of ground covered was nine yards and eight inches. The horse was fifteen and a-half hands high, and carried upwards of twelve stone. He afterwards leaped over the same bar several times, and cleared upwards of eight yards with- out much apparent effort. ASTONISHING LEAP. In December, 1822, Mr Cunningham of Craigends engaged with another gentleman, for a wager of twenty guineas, that he would, on horseback, leap over the canal between Glasgow and Paisley. He was to have his own day and his own choosing of the ground. After riding up and down for some time, a piece of ground was fixed upon, about a mile on the east side of Paisley, called Cook's Ridge. Mr Cunningham then put his horse in motion, and accomplished the feat with ease. The spirited animal went four feet over the canal, which, being eleven feet broad at the place, made fifteen feet of a leap in whole. STEEPLE CHASE. In May, 1823, a steeple chase, for a hundred sove- reigns a-side, took place on Saturday, between Captain THE HUNTER. 345 Beetham, and J. S. Thisselton, Esq. The start took place within two miles of Oakingham, on part of Windsor Forest, to go to a spot on Maidenhead Thicket, over thick enclosed ground. Captain Beetham mounted on that celebrated hunter Thorn, and Mr Thisselton rode his gray mare, one of the best of the Fairley Hunt. The distance is about nine miles in a straight direction, and the race was a very severe one. The competitors galloped together, taking across the country, with many hazardous leaps, until they reached Sportesbrook church, when they separated, each making the best of his way into the Bath road. Captain Beetham got into the road at Knowle-hill, and his opponent a mile nearer Maidenhead, and they were together a mile from home on the high road. All depended now upon speed, and Thorn had it. The Captain won the race by about two hundred yards. Mr Lipscomb, the equestrian, started from Hyde- park-corner, early on Saturday morning, 8th November, 1824, to go ninety miles in five hours, upon eight horses. It was a heavy betting match, at six to four on time, but a very prosperous day for the undertaking. The stakes were for five hundred sovereigns, and the ground was to the sixty-four mile-stone on the Bath road, and twenty-six miles back, and a mile on the London side of Reading. The last horse, and the fastest of the eight, had only to perform ten miles in thirty-eight minutes and twenty-nine seconds, which he completed cleverly in thirty-two minutes, winning by six minutes and twenty-nine seconds. 2 E 2 346 OF EUROPEAN HORSES. The first horse did Second ditto, Third ditto, Fourth ditto, Fifth ditto, Sixth ditto, Seventh ditto, Eighth ditto, Jiles Min. Sec. 12 in 38 14 9 — 29 33 13 — 41 27 12 — 37 29 13 — 41 57 8 — 28 14 13 — 44 30 10 — 32 90 293 31 In March, 1828, a horse, the property of Captain OTIanlon, whilst galloping in the vicinity of Chelten- ham, covered, at a single bound, the enormous distance of thirty-five and a-half feet. At four o'clock in the morning, a gentleman was robbed at Gadshill, on the west side of Chatham, by a highwayman, named Nicks, who rode a bay mare. Nicks set off instantly to Gravesend, where he was stopped nearly an hour by the difficulty of getting a boat ; but he made the best use of the delay, to bait his horse ; from thence he got across to Essex, and reached Chelmsford, where he stopped about half an hour to bait his horse. He then went to Bain tree, Booking, Westerfield, and over the Downs to Cam- bridge, and, still pursuing the cross roads, he went by Fenney and Stratford to Huntingdon, where he rested about an hour; then, holding on the north road, and keeping at full gallop most of the way, he arrived at York the same afternoon, put off his boots and riding clothes, and went dressed to the bowling-green, where, THE HUNTER. 347 among other promenaclers, happened to be the Lord Mayor of the city. He there studied to do something particular, that his Lordship might remember him ; and asking what o'clock it was, the Mayor informed him that it was a quarter past eight. Upon prosecution for the robbery, the whole safety of the prisoner rested upon this point. The gentleman swore positively to the time, the place, and the money ; but on the other hand, the proof was equally clear of his being in York at the time specified. The jury acquitted him upon the supposed impossibility of his being at so great a distance from Kent, at the time he was seen in the bowling green. He really had been the highwayman. 1825. In February, 1825, Mr Robert Everett, of Kettlebythorpe, who rode eighteen stone, on a horse five year old, got by Orion, by Le Wolde, took a leap in a field in the occupation of Mr Edmonston of Barnet, over a quickset fence, guarded on each side by hurdles, which measured horizontally, from the point of the toe of the foot nearest the fence on the other side, twenty-eight feet, and when the tape was stretched tight over the hurdles from toe to heel, the distance was thirty-one feet. 348 OF EUROPEAN HORSES. THE HACKNEY, OR ROADSTER. The hackney should be a hunter in miniature, his height not exceeding fifteen hands and an inch ; rather below than above that size. His form should be more compact than that of the hunter, with more substance according to his height, so as to fit him for the fatigues of every-day work. His forehand should be high, but rather light ; his head small, and placed on the neck in a gradually tapering manner, with his eyes full, clear, and sprightly ; his shoulder deep and extensive ; his back straight, with strong loins ; his withers well raised, his fillets wide ; the croup must not droop too suddenly, nor must his tail be too low set. The fore-arm and thighs ought to be strong and muscular, and the legs rather short than otherwise, straight, and rather near set. When the shank bone is solid and flat, it is an excellent point in a hackney. It is of the utmost con- sequence that the bones beneath the knee should be deep and flat, and the tendon not too much tightened in. His feet should point straight forward, with the heels wide and open ; the hoofs should be of a dark tough shining horn ; the fore-legs closely set, and as straight as possible, for a horse with bent knees is very likely to fall when his feet come in contact with the smallest obstacle, especially with a heavy weight. His hind legs should be placed considerably behind him, and very widely set. THE HACKNEY, OR ROADSTER. 349 Nothing is more essential in a hackney than good strong fore-legs, and also well formed hind ones. His feet must be quite sound, and he ought only to lift his fore-legs moderately high. Some are of opinion that he cannot lift them too high, and conceive, while he is possessed of this quality, he never will come down. This is certainly nearly as much a fault as lifting them but little ; for a horse that raises his feet too high in trotting, is always disagreeable in his action, and is sure to shake the rider much : besides, he batters his hoofs to pieces in a few years. The principal thing to be attended to is, the manner in which the hackney puts his feet to the ground ; for, if his toes first touch the road, he is sure to be a stumbler ; the foot should come flat down, on the whole sole at once, otherwise the horse is not to be depended on in his trotting. There is no doubt that, to get over the inequalities of a road, a horse should lift his feet so as to pass over projecting stones, for otherwise he is likely to be tripped by them, and thus thrown off his centre of gravity. But every horse is liable to fall while going on a road, and therefore his mouth should always be felt by the rider. The back should be straight, and rather short than otherwise. Some prefer hollow backed horses ; but such will neither stand much work, nor bear a heavy weight, although their paces are generally easy. Some persons imagine, that if the fore-legs are close, the feet must necessarily cut the pasterns ; but this is by no means the case, as it is only when the feet are twisted, or irregularly set, in one way or other, that 350 OF EUROPEAN HORSES. they cut. Indeed a saddle horse can scarcely be too close before, or too wide behind. Our present breed of hackneys has a considerable portion of racing blood, varying from a half, three parts, to seven-eighths. The two latter are perhaps too highly bred for the general purpose of roadsters, on account of their legs and feet being rather tender, while their long paces, and straight-kneed action, are ill adapted for the road, being more fitted for cantering and running than the trot, which is the distinguishing quality of a good hackney. Indeed most people who value that pace, are so particular, that they will never permit their hackneys to go at any other, and it is undoubtedly much better adapted for the road than cantering. A hackney should be particularly even tempered, and never given to starting, when either animate, or inanimate objects suddenly meet his vision. The thorough-bred hackney certainly possesses two qualities, indispensable to the safety of the rider : he will seldom or never shy at any thing on the road, and his motion, at a trot, is much more smooth than that of a half-bred horse. The true hackney is more valuable for the equanimity of his temper, and the pleasantness of his paces, and long endurance, than for his speed. Persons who are not hurried for time, seldom wish to ride at a rate beyond six or seven miles an hour ; and there are few good hackneys which cannot perform ten miles an I hour ; but certainly no person would go at this rate for i pleasure or exercise, for it proves fatiguing, even to the best horseman. To perform feats of trotting sixteen 1 PILATE DH. THE ELACKKET. SAM- THE ::iH 2C?-£3. THE HACKNEY, OR ROADSTER. 351 or twenty miles an hour, is an act of great cruelty to a horse, and pecuniary loss to its owner, as these exertions seldom fail to bring on diseases, lameness, or even death itself. The horse is naturally a playful animal, as may be witnessed where several of them are running in a park together. I remember a hackney, which belonged to my friend Mr Crombie, solicitor, when he lived in Prince's Street, about twenty-five years ago, which was as playful as a kitten. This hackney was kept, along with an ass, in a park where St John's Episcopal Chapel is now built. These animals frequently attracted the attention of many hundreds of spectators, for they would chase each other about the park, in the most playful way, biting one another, in the manner that dogs play, and then scamper off together, kicking and plunging, with their ears thrown back, in mimic hostility. Thus they would continue to amuse themselves for hours. SAM. Plate III. Fig. 1. This excellent brown hackney, the property of the Duke of Buccleuch, has been in possession of his Grace for seven years. He was six years old when he got him, so that his age is now thirteen. Sam is a powerful and beautiful animal, fifteen hands high, and trots steadily fourteen miles an hour. Although he has never performed any feats, yet the Duke has every 352 OF EUROPEAN HORSES. confidence in his excellent stamina, having found him equal to all kinds of work ; and, as a horse for general purposes, perhaps, cannot be excelled. Our portrait of Sam is engraved from a picture, painted expressly for this work, by Mr A. Forbes of Edinburgh, a young artist, who excels in animal por- traiture, in which department he bids fair to make a distinguished figure. A CONVENIENT ROADSTER. " A friend of ours," says Mr Macdiarmid, " who travels a good deal in the course of the year, visiting by the way many outlandish corners, where inns and mile-stones are alike scarce, has a mare that follows him like a pet dog, and fares very much as he does himself. Her name is Jess, and when a feed of corn is difficult to be got at, she can breakfast, dine, or sup on oat-cake, loaf-bread, or barley-meal scones, seasoned with a whang from the gudewife's kebbuck. In the remotest parishes such viands are generally forth- coming, and, failing these, the animal is so little given to fastidiousness, that she will thrust, when invited, her nose into a cogful of porridge, or sowens, or even the kail-pot itself, when the contents are thick and suffi- ciently cool. Though her staple beverage is drawn from the pump-trough, the crystal well, or the running brook, she can tipple at times as well as her betters, particularly when the weather runs in extremes, and is either sultry and oppressively hot, or disagreeably raw, blasty, and cold. In the warm days she prefers THE HACKNEY, OR ROADSTER. 353 Something cooling, and, very lately, we had the honour of treating her to a bottle of ale ! A toll-keeper, when summoned, came to the door, with a bottle in the one hand, and a screw in the other, but a clumsier butler we never saw, and what with his fumbling, the mare got so impatient, that she seemed" ready at one time to knock the lubber down. The liquor, when decanted, was approached in a moment, and swallowed without the intervention of a breath. For some miles its effects were visible in the increased speed and spirits of the animal ; and we are informed, that the same thing takes place, when the cordial is changed in winter to a gill of whisky ! The aqua, of course, is diluted in water, several per cents below the proper strength of seamen's grog; and her master is of opinion, that a little spirits, timeously applied, is as useful a preservative against cold, in the case of a horse, as of a human being. Our friend's system is certainly peculiar, but his mare thrives well under it ; and we will be bold to say, that a roadster more sleek, safe, and docile, is not to be found in the whole country." EXTRAORDINARY EFFECTS OF ALARM. A gentleman, in the neighbourhood of Chester, sent his servant to the post-office on a clumsy hackney, that had never been known to leap till that day. It so happened that a glazier, who had been mending some windows at his house, asked the servant to be permitted to ride behind him, to which he assented. No sooner was he mounted, than the horse, hearing the crate of glass rattling at his back, started off at full gpjged, and 2F 354 OF EUROPEAN HORSES. coming to the lodge-gate, which was five feet six inches high, spiked on the top, and the ground on each side pailed, he cleared it all in one stroke ; and, won- derful to say, neither of his riders (although it was the glazier's first appearance on horseback) were thrown from their seats, nor received any injury from their perilous situation. AN AFFECTIONATE COLT. We are informed, in the Sporting Magazine, vol. iii. p. 129, that a gentleman, in Buckinghamshire, had in his possession, December, 1793, a three year old colt, a dog, and three sheep, who were his constant attendants in all his walks. When the parlour window, which looked into the field, happened to be open, the colt had often been known to leap through it, go up to, and caress his master, and leap back to his pasture. EFFECTS OF RAGE. Many horses, when enraged, become extremely furious, obstinate, and even unmanageable ; the following instance of this occurred on the 7th of August, 1793. The beast, which was beautiful and spirited, having just been brought out of an adjacent stable, was unusually animated and fierce, and, on being mounted by the gentleman, whose property he was, became very outrageous. Finding every other effort to disengage himself from his rider ineffectual, he reared up in a perpendicular direction, and threw himself completely back, by which a blood-vessel burst, and the horse, in a few minutes, bled to death. He had cost the gentle- man forty guineas a few days before. The rider THE HACKNEY, OR ROADSTER. 355 fortunately escaped unhurt, to the great astonishment of an affrighted assemblage of spectators. It is by no means uncommon for horses to rear in this manner, when in a rage, and to fall back on their rider, which frequently proves fatal. WONDERFUL ESCAPE. In the beginning of August, 1793, a horse, mounted by a boy, starting at something in its way, leaped over the wall of Tone-bridge, near Taunton, and fell, per- pendicularly, eighteen feet into the river. In falling, the boy exclaimed, " I am dead !" but getting upon his legs, he exclaimed, " 1 be rit though, and Til make thee suffer for it? He immediately remounted the horse, which, like himself, had received no injury, and severely inflicted on the animal the punishment he had threatened in his fright. Lambert's leap. Mr Cuthbert Lambert, of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, riding with a degree of impetuosity, common to young men in the hey-day of blood, over Sandyford Stone- bridge, near Newcastle, which crosses the road rather in a diagonal direction, and using his utmost endea- vours to turn his horse quickly to the left, it occasioned a sudden start from him, and in an instant he leapt over the battlement. The boughs of an ash, which fortunately hung over the bridge, prevented his destruc- tion ; by catching hold of which, he hung till some passengers, coming that way, extricated him from his unpleasant, and, indeed, frightful situation. It is scarcely necessary to say, that the horse was killed by the fall, 35G OF EUROPEAN HORSES. it being twenty feet to the bed of the river, which has a rocky bottom. witiiington's fall. Mr Richard Withington, of Manchester, a gentleman aged twenty-one years, on the 13th of January, 1790, was taking the diversion of hunting, in the township of Worsley. He suddenly fell, together with his horse, into a tunnel, of the depth of thirty feet, through an old aperture, whence materials for a mine had been drawn up, and which had been too insecurely covered over. He was, however, scarcely hurt, although his hunting cap was so driven into the root of the tunnel, that it required some extraordinary force to pull it from between the stones. The animal was destroyed in this instance also. GREAT LEAP. In April, 1794, a horse leaped over the parapet wall of Kelso Bridge, on the north side, at the third arch from the east end, and fell into the Tweed, where the river was only three feet deep, and from a height of forty-five feet, without receiving any injury, except bleeding a little at the nose. FORAGING. In October, 1817, one of the constables of St George's in the East, London, made a complaint before the Magistrates at Shadwell office, against a horse for steal- ing hay. The complaint stated, that the horse came regularly every night, of its own accord, and without any attendant, to the coach stands in St George's, where he fully satisfied his appetite, and then galloped THE HACKNEY, OR ROADSTER. 357 away. He defied the whole of the parish officers to apprehend him ; for, if they attempted to go near while he was eating, he would throw up his heels and kick at them in the most furious way, or he ran at them, and if they did not go out of his way, he would bite them. The constable therefore thought it best to represent the case to the Magistrates. One of the Magistrates said, " Well, Mr Constable, if you should be annoyed again by this animal in the execution of your duty, you may apprehend him if you can, and bring him before us to answer your complaints!" OLD HABITS. Between the years 1750 and 1760, a Scottish lawyer of eminence made a journey to London. At that period such journeys were usually performed on horseback, and the traveller might either ride post, or, if willing to travel economically, he bought a horse and sold him at the end of his j ourney. The gentleman above alluded to, who was a good judge of horses, as well as an excellent horseman, had chosen the latter mode of travelling, and had sold the horse on which he rode from Scotland as soon as he arrived in London. With a view to his return, he went to Smithfield to purchase a horse. About dusk, a handsome horse was offered to him at so cheap a rate, that he was led to suspect the animal was un- sound, but as he could discover no blemish, he became the purchaser. Next morning he set out on his journey ; his horse had excellent paces, and the few first miles, while the road was well frequented, our traveller spent in congratulating himself on his good fortune, in having made so good a bargain. On Finchley Common, and 2F2 358 OF EUROPEAN HORSES. Z~— ^^1 at a place where the road run clown a slight ascent, and up another, the traveller met a clergyman driving a one horse chaise. There was nobody within sight, and the horse by his manoeuvre plainly intimated what had been the profession of his former owner. Instead of passing the chaise, he laid his counter close up to it, and stopt it, having no doubt but his rider would embrace so fair an opportunity of exercising his vo- cation. The clergyman, never doubting the identity of the equestrian, produced his purse unasked, and assured the astonished lawyer that it was quite unnecessary to draw his pistol, as he did not intend to offer any resistance. The traveller rallied his horse, and, with many apologies to the gentleman he had so innocently and unwillingly affrighted, pursued his journey. The horse next made the same suspicious approach to a coach, from the windows of which a blunderbuss was levelled, with denunciations of death and destruction to the rider, though sackless, as he used to express it, of all offence in word or deed. In short, after his life had been once or twice endangered by the suspicions to which the conduct of his horse gave rise, and his liberty as often threatened by peace officers, who were dis- posed to apprehend him as the notorious highwayman who had formerly ridden the horse, he found himself obliged to part with the inauspicious animal for a mere trifle, and to purchase at a dear rate a horse less showy, and of inferior action, but of better moral habits. GREAT TROTTING. A chestnut mare belonging to W. T. Dickens, Esq. of Durham, on the 29th September, 1794, trotted THE HACKNEY, OR ROADSTER. 359 sixteen miles on the Bishop Auckland road, in fifty- six minutes and fifty-two seconds, notwithstanding she had four times to turn, one of which was occasioned by a person on horseback galloping past, which excited him to a canter. RETENTIVE MEMORY OF A HORSE. A remarkable instance of great memory in a horse occurred in January, 1823. This animal, belonging to a gentleman of Taunton, strayed from a field at Corfe, about three miles from thence. After a long and troublesome search, he was at last discovered on a farm at Branscombe, in Devon, a distance of twenty- three miles, being the place where he was foaled, although it is certain that the animal had not been there for ten years, having during the whole of that time been in possession of the gentleman who then owned him ! MEMORY MANIFESTED. A gentleman rode a young horse, which he had bred, thirty miles from home, and to a part of the country where he had never been before. The road was a cross one, and extremely difficult to find ; however, by dint of perseverance and inquiry, he at length reached his destination. Two years afterwards, he had occasion to pursue the same route. He was benighted three or four miles from the end of his journey. The night was so dark that he could scarcely see the horse's head ; he had a black and dreary moor and common to pass, and had lost all traces of the proper direction he 360 OF EUROPEAN HORSES. was to take. The rain began to fall heavily. He now contemplated the uncertainty of his situation : " Here am I," said he to himself, " far from any house, and in the midst of a dreary waste, where I know not which way to direct the course of my steed. I have heard much of the memory of the horse, and in that is now my only hope." He threw the reins on the horse's neck, and encouraging him to proceed, found himself safe, at the gate of his friend, in about half an hour. It must be remarked, that the horse could not possibly have been that road with the exception of the time before- mentioned at two years' distance, as no person ever rode him but his master. EQUINE GEOGRAPHER. Mr Cunningham, in his amusing account of New South Wales,* gives the following interesting account of a horse : — "A friend of mine in the habit of riding a good deal, found, that whenever he approached a gully, his sagacious horse invariably opposed his wishes to cross at the particular spot he had been accustomed to, always endeavouring to lead off to another part of the gully, where no passage was known to exist by his rider. Resolving to see whither the cunning rogue would go, he gave him the rein, and soon found himself carried over the gully by a route he had never before followed. Still, however, thinking that the former way was the nearest, he was curious enough to have both measured, when he found the horse's judgment correct, that way being the nearest by several hundred yards." * Vol. i. p. 298. THE HACKNEY, OR ROADSTER. 361 DON. I had a dun hackney, which I purchased when aged. He had been pretty hard wrought, but still retained a good action, and considerable powers in trotting. This animal was extremely sagacious ; and I have no doubt, had he been treated with kindness from his infancy, would have been a great curiosity, from his great intel- ligence. From the moment he fell into my hands, I treated him with the utmost gentleness, and frequently fed him with oats out of the pocket of my shooting jacket. He became so docile, that I could dismount him on a road and throw the reins over his neck, when he would either walk on before or behind me. Some- times he stopt to indulge in a bite of grass, when he saw any that looked particularly tempting by the way- side. I had only to call him, and he would immediately follow, sometimes trotting till he made up to me. Whenever I went to the stable, he seemed quite delighted, and caressed me by rubbing his head against me ; and never failed to smell at my pocket, in hopes that I had brought either oats or bread for him. On one occasion, I was on a visit at Kirkside, the seat of General Straton, about six miles north of Montrose. When I left that place on my return south, I was descending the hill towards the North Esk bridge, and had thrown the reins over Don's neck, who was walking deliberately down the hill ; when a person who was sporting in an adjoining field, fired at a covey of partridges, about twenty yards from me. The sudden noise startled Don ; he leaped aside, and I fell smack on my head, by which I was considerably stunned, and lay for some time on my back, unable to stir ; while 362 OF EUROPEAN HORSES. the affectionate animal stood by my side, with his nose close to my body, snuffing and smelling at me, appa- rently to ascertain if I was dead, and uttering a low murmuring neigh, which forcibly indicated his anxiety on my account. At length I got up, and while still very sick, I went to the road side, and leant over a pailing. Don followed, and stood with his head leaning on one of my shoulders. Don had a great memory, and invariably knew all the stables and houses he had stopped at with me, although only for a few minutes, and never failed to make directly towards them as he approached. I had occasion frequently to ride from my house in Fife to Dundee, and generally preferred the west road. Don constantly attempted to go to a farm house, which lay a little to the east of the road, although I had never been there with him. I thought this was strange, as I was not aware he had been in Fife before I bought him ; and I knew nothing of his history, having procured him from a dealer at Falkirk tryst. One day, however, I came to a knowledge of the case, as I met a herd boy near the place, and on making inquiry who the farmer was that lived in that house, he informed me that it belonged to Mr Christie of Ferrybank, near Cupar. He added, that he was well acquainted with the horse on which I rode, as it had formerly been the property of Mr Christie, and he used to ride it thither when he visited the farm, about seven years before that time. DR SMITH'S HACKNEY. My friend, Dr Smith, of the Queen's County militia, Ireland, had a beautiful hackney, which, although THE HACKNEY, OR ROADSTER. 363 extremely spirited, was at the same time wonderfully docile. He had also a fine Newfoundland dog, named Caesar. These animals were mutually attached, and seemed perfectly acquainted with each other's actions. The dog was always kept in the stable at night, and universally lay beside the horse. When Dr Smith practised in Dublin, he visited his patients on horseback, and had no other servant to take care of the horse, while in their houses, but Caesar, to whom he gave the reins in his mouth. The horse stood very quietly, even in that crowded city, beside his friend Caesar. When it happened that the Doctor had a patient not far distant from the place where he paid his last visit, he did not think it worth while to remount, but called to his horse and Caesar ; they both instantly obeyed, and remained quietly opposite the door where he entered, until he came out again. While he remained in Maryborough, Queen's County, where I commanded a detachment, I had many oppor- tunities of witnessing the friendship and sagacity of these intelligent animals. The horse seemed to be as implicitly obedient to his friend Caesar, as he could possibly be to his groom. The Doctor would go to the stable, accompanied by his dog, put the bridle upon his horse, and, giving the reins to Caesar, desired him to take the horse to the water. They both understood what was to be done, when off trotted Caesar, followed by the horse, who frisked, capered, and played with the dog, all the way to a rivulet, at the back of the town, about three hundred yards distant from the stable. We followed at a great distance, always keeping as far off as possible, so that we could observe their 364 OF EUROPEAN HORSES. manoeuvres. They invariably went to the stream, and after the horse had quenched his thirst, both returned, in the same playful manner as they had gone out. The Doctor frequently desired Caesar to make the horse leap over this stream, which might be about six feet broad ; the dog, by a kind of bark, and leaping up towards the horse's head, intimated to him what he wanted, which was quickly understood ; and he cantered off, preceded by Caesar, and took the leap, in a neat and regular style. Caesar was then desired to bring him back again, and it was speedily done in the same manner. On one occasion, Caesar lost hold of the reins, and as soon as the horse cleared the leap, he immediately trotted up to the dog, who took hold of the bridle, and led him through the water quietly. SINGULAR ASSOCIATION. White, in his Natural History of Selborne, proves the sociable disposition of the horse by the two following anecdotes, and adduces the first as exhibiting a striking instance of an association between animals totally dissi- milar in their organization : " Even great disparity of kind does not always prevent social advances, and mutual fellowship ; for, a very intelligent and observant person has assured me, that in the former part of his life, keeping but one horse, he happened also on a time to have but one solitary hen. These two incongruous animals spent much of their time together in a lonely orchard, where they saw no creature but each other. By degrees an apparent regard began to take place between these two THE HACKNEY, OR ROADSTER. 365 sequestered individuals ; the fowl would approach the quadruped with notes of complacency, rubbing herself quietly against his legs ; while the horse would look down with satisfaction, and move with the greatest caution and circumspection, lest he should trample on his diminutive companion. Thus, by mutual good offices, each seemed to console the vacant hours of the other ; so that Milton, when he puts the following sentiment in the mouth of Adam, seems somewhat mistaken, — * Much less can bird with beast, or fish with fowl So well converse, nor with the ox the ape.'" SOCIALITY OF THE HORSE. " There is a wonderful spirit of sociality in the brute creation, independent of sexual attachment : the con- gregating of gregarious birds in the winter is a remark- able instance. " Many horses, though quiet with company, will not stay one minute in a field by themselves : the strongest fences cannot restrain them. My neighbour's horse will not only not stay by himself abroad, but he will not bear to be left alone in a strange stable without discovering the utmost impatience, and endeavouring to break the rack and manger with his fore feet. He has been known to leap out at a stable window, through which dung was thrown, after company ; and yet, in other respects, is remarkably quiet." SAGACIOUS SOLICITUDE. A farmer who lives in the neighbourhood of Belford, and regularly attends the markets there, was returning 2 G 366 OF EUROPEAN HORSES. home one evening, in 1828, rather groggy, and not being able very well to maintain his equilibrium, he rolled off, nolens volens, into the middle of the road. His horse stood still, but after remaining patiently for some time, and not observing any disposition in its rider to get up and proceed farther, he took him by the collar and shook him. This had little or no effect, for the farmer only gave a grumble of dissatisfaction at having his repose disturbed. The horse was not to be put off with any such evasion, and so applied his mouth to one of his coat laps, and after several attempts, by dragging at it, to raise him upon his feet, the coat lap gave way. Three individuals who witnessed this extraordinary proceeding then went up, and assisted him in mounting his horse, putting the one coat lap into the pocket of the other, when he trotted off and safely reached his home. This horse is, deservedly, a favourite of his master, and has, we understand, occa- sionally been engaged in gambols with him like a dog. A HORSE SAVES HIS MASTER'S LIFE. On the evening of Saturday, the 24th February, 1830, Mr Smith, supervisor of excise, at Beauly, was proceeding home from a survey at Fort Augustus, and, to save a distance of about sixteen miles, he took the hill-road from Drumnadrochit to Beauly. The road was completely blocked up with, and indiscernible amidst the waste of snow, so that Mr Smith completely lost all idea of his route. In this dilemma he thought it best to trust to his horse, and, loosing the reins, allowed him to choose his own course. The animal made way, though slowly and cautiously, till coming THE HACKNEY, OR ROADSTER, 367 to a gully, or ravine, near Glenconvent, both horse and rider suddenly disappeared in a snow wreath, several fathoms deep. Mr Smith, on recovering, found himself nearly three yards from the dangerous spot, with his faithful horse standing over him, and licking the snow from his face. He thinks the bridle must have been attached to his person. So completely, however, had he lost all sense of consciousness, that, beyond the bare fact, as stated, he had no knowledge of the means by which he made so striking and pro- vidential an escape. A SECRET PLUNDERER. The following anecdote is given on the authority of Dr Macdonnel, of Belfast, well known for his great talents as a naturalist. A gentleman, with whom the doctor was acquainted, had a horse, which had been observed to disengage his head from the halter, then to open the door of the stable, and go out in the middle of the night only, and regale himself upon corn in a field at a considerable distance from the stable. The horse returned to his stall before the break of day, and had continued this practice for some time without being detected. He adroitly opened the door, by drawing a string fastened to the latch, with his teeth ; and, it is said, that, on returning to the stable, he shut the door. Few, how- ever, will be so credulous as to attribute this to design, but rather to the swing of the door, that closed after him, without any effort on his part to make it do so. OF EUROPEAN HORSES. EXTRAORDINARY EQUESTRIAN FEATS OF THE HACKNEY. 1603. In March, 1603, Sir Robert Carey rode nearly three hundred miles in less than three days, when he went from London to Edinburgh to inform King James of the death of Queen Elizabeth. He had several falls and sore bruises on the road, which occasioned his going battered and bloody into the royal presence. 1758. Miss Pond rode one thousand miles in a thou- sand hours, at Newmarket, in 1758. She was a relative of the publisher of the Sporting Calendar, in Oxendon Street, and she was backed to perform this feat by the Duke of Queensberry, then Lord March. She was, however, allowed to do the thousand miles on as many horses as she chose, without regarding time. She did the match in twenty-eight days, and two-thirds of the time on one favourite horse. The lady took her rest regularly at night, and rode in the day time forty or fifty miles. 1809. In the summer of 1809, a mare, belonging to Mr Wilson, the liveryman, performed a wonderful task. The owner of the mare backed her, for a wager of two hundred guineas, to go fifty miles in three hours and a-half, this being nearly at the rate of fifteen miles an hour. The animal went off in high condition, on the Woodford road, and accomplished above fifteen miles within an hour at a steady trot, and continued to do the same in each of the next two hours. The difficulty in the THE HACKNEY, OR ROADSTER. 369 performance was to execute the last five miles in the half hour, which was nevertheless done, in four minutes less than the given time. Betting was seven to four, and two to one, against the mare. RIDING PERPENDICULAR. 1812. A curious and hazardous performance took place at Dover, in 1812, for a trifling wager, by a gentleman of the neighbourhood. There is a shaft excavated in Dover, from Snaregate Street to the heights, comprising one hundred and forty steps, nearly perpendicular, and much resembling those in the Monument of London ; the gentleman's servant first led his master's horse up the steps of the shaft, and to the astonishment of every person who followed him, he then led the animal to the bottom; after this, the gentleman gallantly mounted, and arrived safe at the top of the shaft, in nearly a trot, by which he won the wager. 1822. Mr R. Ladbroke's match to trot his horse sixteen miles in an hour, and to carry ten stone, was undertaken in August, 1822, over a two miles piece of turf in Ashford Park, near Romford, for three hundred sovereigns. The horse was backed at five to four to win, and the ground was gone over as under : — Mia. Sec. First two miles in - 7 26 Sixth, Second, 7 20 Seventh, Third, - - - 7 12 Eighth, Fourth, 7 28 Fifth, - - . - 7 39 2 ( i2 Min. 7 Sec. 52 7 50 7 40 GO 27 370 OF EUROPEAN HORSES. The match was lost by the twenty-nine seconds, through the horse breaking out of the trot in the thirteenth and fourteenth miles, which subjected the rider to turn him round twice. The horse was not distressed. 1822. A trotting match for one hundred guineas, took place on the Edinburgh road, from West Craigs to Uphall, a distance of ten miles, between Mr Hib- bert's bay horse, King Richard, and Mr Wilson's gray mare, in March, 1822. The horse and mare passed each other several times. Mr Hibbert's horse came in first, and he concluded that he had won ; but one of the umpires declared that he had broke, and galloped. Ultimately each party received back his money. The match was excellently contested, and the distance was performed in thirty- three minutes and forty-two seconds. 1822. Upon Saturday evening, the 25th May, 1822, a trotting match took place on the turnpike road leading from North Queensferry to Kincardine, for four miles, between the famous champion gray mare Miss Sportley, belonging to Dr Muir of Torry, and a black mare, late the property of Mr A. Gulland, Stripeside, rode by the owners, which excited considerable interest in that quarter, the gray mare having won several matches, and proved herself of uncommon speed. The black mare, however, took the lead, and before they had gone four hundred yards, had left the gray one a hundred yards behind. At the end of three miles, the Doctor drew up, and the black mare performed the distance on rough and hilly ground in fourteen minutes and twenty- THE HACKNEY, OR ROADSTER. 371 three seconds, carrying twelve stone; the gray mare carried only nine stone eleven pounds. 1822. The great trotting match between Mr Bernard's mare, of the Arabian breed, and Captain Colston's brown horse, took place, June, 1822, over a two mile circle in the Grove Park, at Rutherford, near Gerrard's Cross, for a stake of five hundred guineas. It was to trot nine miles against each other, and to start at different ends of the two miles. The persons present were dismounted, to give fair play to the horses, and not cause a bustle to induce them to break from the trot. Each did the two miles as follows : — THE MARE. THE HORSE. Min. Sec. Min Sec. First two miles in 6 11 First two miles in 6 9 Second ditto, 6 10 Second ditto, 9 Third ditto, 6 9 Third ditto, 6 11 Fourth ditto, 6 10 Fourth ditto, 6 13 Ninth mile 3 6 Ninth mile, 3 7 49 27 46 27 It was as fine a race as ever was seen, and both were neck and neck at the seventh mile, when the horse began to fall a little off in his speed, and, consequently, the mare did not require to be pushed. The race was won by several lengths at last. 1822. Mr Millman's brown mare started on Friday, 19th July, 1822, on the Hockeril road, to trot fifteen miles within an hour, and to carry nine stone. The match was performed over a three mile piece of ground as follows : — 372 OF EUROPEAN HORSES. Min, See. First three miles, . , 11 40 Second ditto, . . 11 20 Third ditto, , . 12 Fourth ditto, . . 12 4 Fifth ditto, • ■ 12 26 59 30 The match was for two hundred guineas. It was won cleverly, but with symptoms of distress. EXTRAORDINARY AND BRUTAL HORSE RACE. 1822. On Monday, August 12, 1822, a race of a very novel nature, attended with almost unparalleled brutality, was betted upon between two notorious characters of Burford, in Oxfordshire. They agreed to run their hacks against each other, and ride them- selves, for twenty guineas aside, from Burford to Glou- cester and back, being a distance of sixty-two miles. One of the parties, weighing upwards of thirteen stone, his horse strong and bony, between fifteen and sixteen hands high ; the other a slender man, weighing little more than nine stone, and waging his stakes on the well known bottom of his pony, but little exceeding twelve hands high. It was agreed, that if either of the riders dismounted from the commencement to the termination of the race, he should lose it, and umpires attended to observe the performance of such agree- ment. On Tuesday they started at score, digging and flanking, as if only a mile heat, and continued in that manner for two miles, when their nags were nearly winded, each calculating thereby to ensure success ; THE HACKNEY, OR ROADSTER. 373 however it did not prove so, and they thought proper to pull up into a more regular and lasting pace ; they then continued passing and repassing each other until they had advanced many miles on the road, when they agreed to keep together in a friendly manner till with- in a certain distance from home, and then indulge the persons who would be waiting their arrival with some good sport, by making the best play they could to win the race. They arrived at Gloucester, and both men and horses would fain have halted for repose and refreshment, but this was not permitted by the umpires. They proceeded on their return, but not with a shadow of the alacrity with which they started ; how- ever they travelled until their high-mettled racers were within three miles of the place of destination, and almost reduced to a stand still ; the best speed they could make being a walking pace, and that not exceed- ing two miles and a half an hour, and at such they from necessity continued. When the pony came within thirty yards of the winning-post, his rider perceived his adversary fifty yards behind at a dead stand, and apparently unable to move a step farther. As a number of spectators were waiting their arrival, and as much betting had taken place in favour of the pony, it may be easily imagined what a lively sense of gratification pervaded the backers of the latter. Bursts of applause greeted him, and great odds were offered, but not taken, it being deemed a sure thing. But, lo ! to the astonish- ment and consternation of hundreds, the poor pony, all of a sudden, a la donkey, made a dead stand, placed his muzzle to the ground, and could not be prevailed upon to budge another inch. All heads were now at 374 OF EUROPEAN HORSES. work to manage the remaining ground. They got in a body behind him, and endeavoured to push him onwards ; they turned him round, they pushed his hind- quarters foremost, and put in practice every device and experiment that avarice or momentary frenzy could suggest, but all would not do. In the interim the hindmost made a move, and hobbled on till he came neck to neck, and then passed his antagonist ; a sudden thought now shot across the bewildered brain of the pony's jockey, and, pursuing the momentary impulse, he instantly alighted, and pulled the bridle, and by so doing lost the race. The horse had now nothing to do but make good his ground. In the midst of acclama- tions, the horse advanced within ten yards of the post, when he shook his head, and to the terror of his rider, seemed determined to imitate the example of his fellow sufferer. The jockey, strongly advised, pulled up and took wind for nearly a quarter of an hour ; bets looked alive, and some few took place ; the horse at last walked in, and won the twenty guineas amidst loud huzzaing. This race, from beginning to end, created as much interest as any we ever heard of; but the day's diversion received a check, which must inevitably have destroyed all gratification in the minds of the feeling part of the spectators ; for no sooner had the winning horse got into the town, than he fell down dead from the exces- sive fatigue occasioned by his brutal master ; and the poor pony, when persuaded to go home, as soon as he reached his stable, also fell down, and experienced a similar fate. The time taken to complete the race was seven hours. THE HACKNEY, OR ROADSTER. 375 1822. MrMellish's match to ride thirteen stone, and to trot fifteen miles in an hour, took place in September, 1822, over a three miles circle of turf in Apston Park, Huntingdonshire, for two hundred sovereigns. It was done as follows : — Min. Sec. First three miles, 11 40 Second ditto, 11 50 Third ditto, 12 10 Fourth ditto, 11 20 Fifth ditto, 12 11 59 11 The horse broke into a gallop in the ninth mile, and was turned round, agreeable to articles. TROTTING MATCH FOR THREE HUNDRED SOVEREIGNS. 1822. In November, Mr Well's roan mare, sixteen hands, started on Friday in Ash ton Park, to trot over a two-mile circle, sixteen miles and a-half, in an hour, carrying feather weight. The mare performed as follows : — First two miles, Second ditto, Third ditto, Fourth ditto, Fifth ditto, Sixth ditto, Seventh ditto, Eighth ditto, Half mile, Min. Sec. 6 10 6 20 6 11 6 22 6 50 7 7 54 7 12 4 50 Bettin 58 49 ig was five to two against her winni urn 376 OF EUROPEAN HORSES. 1823. The sporting match between Captain Millard's bay horse Godolphin, and Mr Harrington's brown mare, for two hundred sovereigns, took place on Monday, 20th June, 1823, over two miles of turf at Wroxham, Essex. The match was to trot eighteen miles against each other, and to carry nine stone. The horses started at opposite ends, and did the ground as follows : — THE MARE. First two miles, Second ditto, Third ditto, Fourth ditto, Fifth ditto, Sixth ditto, Seventh ditto, Eighth ditto, Ninth ditto, E. Min. See. 7 32 . 7 28 . 8 4 . 7 24 . 7 26 . 7 39 . 7 42 . 7 50 . 7 52 68 57 THE HORSE. Min. Sec. First two miles, 7 30 Second ditto, 7 29 Third ditto, 7 32 Fourth ditto, 7 35 Fifth ditto, 7 36 Sixth ditto, 8 6 Seventh ditto, 7 40 Eighth ditto, 8 1 Ninth ditto, 7 56 69 23 The race was won by the mare easy in the last two miles. The mare broke into a gallop in the sixth mile, and the horse did so in the thirteenth mile. The horse was backed at five to four after the first two miles. SINGULAR MATCH. 1823. In July, 1823, the following singular match for thirty sovereigns, with an extra bet of forty to twenty, that the performer would complete the whole, was undertaken on Thursday morning, by R. Blenkensop, Esq. a gentleman of fortune. It was to go on foot twenty-two miles in four hours ; to trot a horse saddled fourteen miles within an hour, and to drive a horse THE HACKNEY, OR ROADSTER. 377 in harness fourteen miles within an hour. The two horses to be the bona fide property of the rider, who rode under twelve stone. The first match was from Wren Common to the northward of Ingatestone, Essex, over five miles of a circle. The first five miles were done in forty-two minutes eight seconds ; the second in forty-six minutes ten seconds ; third, fifty minutes ten seconds ; fourth, fifty-eight minutes forty seconds ; and the two last miles in thirty-one minutes forty-two seconds. Total, three hours, forty- eight minutes, fifty seconds. Mr Blenkensop next became an equestrian, at the expiration of the hour, on part of the same ground, crossing over to Felton, a distance of five miles, and back. He did the five miles in twenty-one minutes sixteen seconds, the horse having broke twice into a gallop, and turned round ; the next five miles was performed in twenty-two minutes twelve seconds, another break having been made. The horse did the remaining four miles in sixteen minutes twelve seconds, winning by twenty seconds. The driving match took place over seven miles on the Ingatestone road, and it was the easiest task. The first seven miles were done in twenty-eight minutes ten seconds, and the remaining seven miles in twenty-eight minutes ten seconds ; the horse winning very easy, with three minutes forty seconds to spare. 1827. In 1827, a tenant of the Duke of Buckingham, living near Stowe, had an extraordinary horse. He was rising thirty-six years old, was perfectly sound, and without blemish in any respect. He was rode in February of that year from Stowe to Rugby, and back, 2H 11 378 OF EUROPEAN HORSES. in one day, a distance of about seventy miles, with perfect ease, and the next day he went to Aylesbury. He never had more than two owners, the one who possessed him at the time, and the breeder. He had been known to trot sixteen miles within the hour. 1827. In June, 1827, a gentleman left Dublin, mounted on a small gelding, in company with the day coach for Limerick, and arrived at Nenagh, at six o'clock the same evening, having kept the vehicle in view all that time, and entered the town with it, riding the same horse. There was a wager of fifty guineas to ten, that he would not bring the horse alive to Nenagh. The animal was, however, none the worse for it, after the extraordinary ride of from ninety-four to ninety-five English miles. 1829. The long talked of trotting match, between Rattler, the American horse, and Miss Farnen, the Welsh mare, for four hundred sovereigns, was decided on Saturday, 9th May, 1829, over ten miles of ground, between Cambridge and Godmanchester, commencing at the second mile-stone from Cambridge. It was stipulated, that the mare should have a minute's start, which, upon calculating, was estimated at six hundred yards in distance. Rattler was ridden by William Haggerty, the American groom. The mare was ridden by Little Davy. According to the terms, the American groom was to weigh ten stone, while the mare was not confined to weight ; and Davy, saddle and all, did not weigh more than seven stone. Shortly after twelve o'clock, the mare was started at a pace of at least THE HACKNEY, OR ROADSTER. S79 twenty miles an hour. A clear minute having elapsed, Rattler, who was all activity and impatience, as if perfectly conscious of the struggle he was about to be engaged in, was then let go ; and almost instantaneously laid himself down to his work with extraordinary speed. It was soon seen that he was gaining on the mare, and he was eager to improve his advantage. At the close of the tenth mile, the horse was fully sixty yards in front, having completed the distance in thirty minutes and forty seconds ! a feat unparalleled in the history of horse flesh in this country. The time of the mare was thirty-one minutes and forty-two seconds. Making allowance for breaking and turning, her credit was scarcely inferior to the performance of the horse. One of the earliest feats which is recorded in this country, occurred in the year 1604, in the reign of James I. of England, when John Lepton, Esq. of Kenwick, in Yorkshire, who was one of his majesty's grooms, undertook to ride five times between Lon- don and York, from Monday morning till Saturday night. He accordingly set out from St Martin's le Grand, between two and three in the morning of the 26th of May, and arrived at York on the same day, between five and six in the afternoon, rested there that night, and the next day returned to St Martin's le Grand about seven in the evening, where he staid till about three o'clock the next morning. He reached York, a second time, about seven at night, from whence he set off again for London about three in the morning, and reached it between seven and eight. He set off again for York between two and three in the morning 380 OF EUROPEAN HORSES. following, and getting there between seven and eight at night, completed his undertaking in five days. On the next Monday he left York, and came to his majesty's court at Greenwich, as fresh and cheerful as when he first set out. On the 17th of July, in the year 1619, one Bernard Calvert of Andoon, rode from St George's Church, Southwark, to Dover ; from thence passed by barge to Calais, in France, and afterwards returned back to St George's Church the same day. He set out about three o'clock in the morning, and returned about eight in the evening, fresh and hearty. AN EXTRAORDINARY TRAVELLER. 1741. Mr Wilson, a gentleman of Cornwall, inherited an estate of about one thousand pounds a-year in that county. In the year 1741, when he was twenty- three years of age, and the year after his father's death, he set off for the continent on his travels : rode on horseback, with one servant, over the greatest part of the world. He first viewed every European country, in doing which, he spent eight years. He then embarked for America ; was two years in the northern part, and three more in South America, tra- velling as a Spaniard, which he was enabled to do from the extreme facility he had in that language. The climate, prospect, and some other circumstances of Peru, enchanted him so much, that he hired a farm, and resided nearly a year on it. His next tour was to the East: he passed successively through all the tern- THE HACKNEY, OR ROADSTER. SSI tories in Africa to the south of the Mediterranean, Egypt, Syria, &c. and all the dominions of the Grand Signior ; went twice through Persia, once through the northern, and once through the southern provinces ; over India, Hindostan, and part of Siam and Pegu ; and made several excursions to the boundaries of China, which occupied him several months each time. He afterwards, on his return, stopped at the Cape of Good Hope ; penetrated far into Africa from that quarter, and on his return to the Cape, took the opportunity of a ship that went to Batavia, and then viewed most of the islands in the Great Indian Archipelago. Returning to Europe, he landed at Cadiz, and passed in a straight line from that place to Moscow, in his way to Kamschatka. He was in correspondence with several Cornish gentlemen, with whom he was at college, so late as the year 1783, when he was sup- posed to be preparing for Siberia. A gentleman, who saw him at Moscow in that year, represented him as healthy, vigorous, and in all respects as hearty as other people at forty-six, though he was in his sixty-sixth year. He was never heard of after that period ; and is supposed to have settled in some remote corner of the world, where intelligence was difficult to be con- veyed, 1745. In 1745, Mr Cooper Thornhill, master of the Bell Inn at Stilton, in Huntingdonshire, made a match, for a considerable sum, to ride three times between Stilton and London. He was to be allowed as many horses as he pleased, and to perform it in fifteen hours. 9.H2 382 OF EUROPEAN HORSES. He accordingly started on Monday, April the 29th, and rode h. m. s. From Stilton to Shoresditch Church, London, (seventy one miles) in - 3 52 59 From London to Stilton, in - - - 3 50 57 From Stilton to London, in - - - 3 49 56 Which was two hundred and thirteen miles in eleven hours, thirty-three minutes, and fifty-two seconds ; being three hours, twenty-six minutes, and eight seconds within the time allowed him. 1754. April 24. At Newmarket, Mr Daniel Corker's road mare finished her three hundred mile match for one hundred guineas, play or pay, within the time allowed her, which was three times twenty successive hours, and to be either rode, led, or drove. She was rode, and had several hours to spare. 1761. Dr Wastal, of Carlisle, rode from that city to London, a journey of 301 miles, in twenty-eight hours. He was present at the coronation, and instantly after, leaving the capital, performed his journey downwards to Carlisle in thirty-two hours, having been absent from the place of his business and residence only fifty-six hours ! in which time, besides employing six hours in viewing the august ceremony, he rode six hundred and two miles, without having any horses provided. Mr Ogden's celebrated mare trotted four miles in twelve minutes and fourteen seconds; forty miles in THE HACKNEY, OR ROADSTER. 383 three hours, carrying fourteen stone; ten miles in thirty- three minutes ; and at another time, the same number of miles in thirty-two minutes ; and, again, thirty miles in two hours. 1761. A match was made between Jennison Shafto and Hugh Meynel, Esquires, for two thousand guineas ; Mr Shafto to get a person to ride one hundred miles a-day, (on any one horse each day,) for twent} ;r -nine days together; to have any number of horses not exceeding twenty-nine. The person chosen by Mr Shafto was Mr John Woodcock, who started at New- market Heath, the 4th of May, 1761, at one o'clock in the morning, and finished (having used only fourteen horses) on the 1st of June, about six in the evening, though one of the horses failed after he had done sixty miles. 1773. On Tuesday, the 24th August, at thirty-five minutes past ten in the evening, was determined a match between a hackney gelding belonging to Thomas Walker, Esq. and Captain Adam Hay's road mare ; to go from London to York. Mr Walker rode his own horse, and Captain Mulcaster rode for Captain Hay. They set out from Portland Street, London. Captain Mulcas- ter, with the winning mare, arrived at Ouse Bridge, York, in forty hours and thirty-five minutes. Mr Walker's horse tired within six miles of Tadcaster, and died the next day. The mare drank twelve bottles of wine during her journey, and on the following Thursday, was so well as to take her exercise on Knavesmire. 384 OF EUROPEAN HORSES. 1783. On the 15th October, 1783, Samuel Halliday, a butcher of Leeds, undertook, for a bet of ten pounds, to ride from Leeds to Rochdale, from thence to York, and back again to Leeds, (one hundred and ten miles,) in twenty hours. He started at ten o'clock at night, upon a slender mare, not fourteen hands high, and though he rode about fourteen stone, he finished his journey with ease in less than eighteen hours. 1788. The most extraordinary instance of fleetness, in a trotting pace, which we have seen recorded, was performed on the 4th July, 1788, for a wager of thirty guineas, by a horse, the property of a gentleman of Billiter Square, London. He trotted thirty miles in an hour and twenty minutes, though he was allowed, by the terms of the bet, an hour and a half. 1791. On the 24th October, 1791, a trotting match took place on the Romford road, between Mr Bishop's brown mare, eighteen years old, and Mr Green's chest- nut gelding, six years old, carrying twelve stone each, for fifty guineas a-side, which was won with great ease by Mr Bishop's mare. They were to trot sixteen miles, which the mare performed in fifty-six minutes and some seconds. 1793. On Monday, 8th April, Mr Goldham, for a considerable bet, rode his hack twenty miles in fifty- eight minutes and a quarter, on Sunbury Common. The engagement gave him an hour ; to be done some time within the fortnight after the bet was made ; and notwithstanding the road was over-measured six THE HACKNEY, OR ROADSTER. S85 hundred yards, she performed it with so much ease, that Mr Goldham, who rode nearly eleven stone, offered one hundred guineas, that he would ride her twenty miles again in an hour, on the same day. The bets were three to one against the mare at starting. 1793. On Monday, May 13, a wager of fifty guineas was decided, between Mr Stamford and Mr Ryley, that the latter gentleman's horse, Black Sloven, would not walk twenty-two miles in four hours ; but this he per- formed with ease in eight minutes less than the specified time, on Moulsey Hurst. This horse, in November, 1791, won a match, by walking twenty miles in three hours and forty-one minutes, against that celebrated pedestrian, James Cotterell, on which very considerable bets were made, it being the general opinion, that no horse in England was able to walk either five miles or five hundred miles with any man who accustomed himself to this kind of exercise. 1793. On the 25th July, Mr Crockett's gray mare trotted one hundred miles in twelve hours, for a bet of one hundred guineas to thirty. She set off with her rider at four o'clock in the morning, and performed her task twenty minutes within the time : the person that rode was so fatigued from the intense heat, that, for the last ten miles, he was obliged to be held on his saddle by two men. The same day, the Great Brewer of Hampton rode one hundred miles in twelve hours, which he performed seven minutes within the time : the bets were thirty 386 OF EUROPEAN HORSES. guineas to twenty, that he would not sit up afterwards, till night, and drink three bottles of wine ; which he also did. 1794. Mr Bishop's celebrated mare trotted sixteen miles, on the Epsom road, in one hour, carrying twelve stone. She was matched to trot seventeen miles in one hour, on the Hertford road, with a weight of sixteen stone, four pounds, and received one hundred and fifty guineas of forfeit. On another occasion, she beat Mr Green's horse, Shields. The loser trotted sixteen miles in one hour. Shields afterwards became the property of Mr Reed. PHENOMENA, THE TROTTING MARE. 1800. This celebrated and matchless mare, for years the admiration of the sporting world, was bred by Sir Edward Astley, Bart, at his seat, Melton-Constable, in the county of Norfolk. She was foaled in May, 1788 ; her dam was a half-bred mare. As Phenomena's very extraordinary properties are not generally known, we subjoin some of her performances. In May, 1800, then twelve years old, she was matched by her pro- prietor, Mr Joseph Robson, of Little Britain, to trot seventeen miles within one hour, which she performed in July following, on the road between Cambridge and Huntingdon, in fifty-six minutes, carrying a feather ; betting against her, eighty pounds to twenty pounds — a feat unheard of in the annals of trotting. The fairness of the trotting was doubted by many, and very large bets were offered, that she did not do the same dis- THE HACKNEY, OR ROADSTER. 387 tance in the same time. Mr Robson accepted the challenge ; and, within a month after her former amazing performance, she again trotted the seventeen miles, to the astonishment of the assembled spectators, a few- seconds under fifty-three minutes ! This was for a bet of four hundred pounds to one hundred pounds. Prior to her last performance, she was matched to trot nineteen miles within the hour, for a bet of two hundred guineas to one hundred ; but, on her winning the match with such ease, the opposite party thought proper to forfeit. Mr Robson then offered to trot her, at high odds, nineteen miles and a half in one hour ; but everybody refused to make stakes to that match, in con- sequence of its being proved, by several stop-watches, that, during her last match, she did four miles under eleven minutes. This alarmed the sportsmen, who one and all declared that she literally flew, and were of opinion that she could trot twenty miles within the hour ! observing, they would have nothing more to do with her. From hard labour, and other causes, this most appro- priately named mare became so reduced, in every respect, that, in 1810, she was actually offered for sale at the low price of seven pounds ! In February, 1811, when twenty-three years old, this valuable animal trotted nine miles in twenty-eight minutes and thirty seconds. Within six months after this event, being then in the possession of Mr Bos- well, she won four extraordinary matches in one day. After performing such Herculean tasks, in her twenty- sixth year, she became the property of the late Sir R. C. Daniel, who, to his credit be it spoken, 388 OF EUROPEAN HORSES. succeeded in bringing her into such high condition, within a few months, notwithstanding the hardships to which this prodigy had been subjected, that she still retained her beautiful symmetry, and appeared fresh and clean on her legs ; convincing proofs of an equally excellent stamina, strong constitution, and good nursing. This wonderful mare was about fourteen hands three inches high ; colour, dark brown, and her near fetlock joint white. 1801. In 1801, Mr Bullock, butcher, of Glasgow, undertook, for a bet of thirty guineas, to ride fifteen miles in one hour, with his face to the horse's tail. He started from the first mile-stone leading to Kilmarnock, and accomplished sixteen miles in fifty-eight minutes. He rode without spurs, had a cloth in place of a saddle, the bridle round his waist, and a belt fixed to the crupper to hold by. The road upon which this bet was decided was very rough at the time. Considerable sums changed hands on the termination of this novel feat. 1802. A hackney, the property of Mr Jones, was backed to run twenty miles within one hour, February 24th, 1802, on Newmarket Heath, which was accom- plished, with three minutes to spare. The match was for one hundred guineas ; W. Westlake was rider. 1802. On Tuesday, 20th April, 1802, at 5 a.m. Mr Shaw set off from Barton on his famous time match, to ride to London, being 172 miles, which he was engaged to do in twelve hours. The first horse he rode tired with him at Brigg. Mr Young, of that place, imme- THE HACKNEY, OR ROADSTER. 389 diately supplied him with another, which took him four miles to Redbourne, his first intended stage. His next stages were, Miles. Miles Spital 6 Huntingdon 7 Lincoln 12 Arlington 16 Ancaster 18 Buckland 11 Coltersworth 14 Ware 13 Stamford 15 Waltham Cross 8 Stilton 14 London 12 Alconbury Hill 8 He performed the whole journey on horseback, having changed horses fourteen times. The original wager was for one hundred guineas, but bets to a very considerable amount were depending. Mr Shaw arrived at the Vine Inn, Bishopgate-street, London, at thirty- three minutes past three o'clock, in good health and spirits, being one hour and twenty-seven minutes within the time. The first eighty-four miles he rode in four hours, and one hundred and twelve miles in six hours : at one stage the horse intended for him not being ready, he continued his journey six miles farther, making twenty-one miles, which he went two minutes within the hour, and leaped over a dog that lay in his way, at Godmanchester, upon a gray mare, the property of J, Hall, Esq. Mr Shaw reached Lincoln on Thursday night, on his return home, and arrived at Hull the day following. He was dressed in an orange-coloured jacket, black cap, &c. and weighed about ten stone. In June following, the parties paid forfeit, who betted that Mr Shaw could not return from Barton to London in ten hours, using the same number of horses as in the above performance. 2 I 390 OF EUROPEAN HORSES. 1810. A gentleman took a bet of five hundred guineas to three hundred, that Mr Matthew Milton, a horse-dealer, could not ride from the corner of Dover Street, Picadilly, London, to Stamford, a distance ex- ceeding ninety miles, in five hours. He started on Thursday, 27th December, 1810, and performed the journey in four hours and twenty-five minutes, using eighteen horses. Mr Milton weighed fifteen stone. The horses were afterwards sold by auction by Mr Aldridge, in St Martin's Lane, and produced eight hundred and twenty-three guineas, on the 9th January, 1811. 1818. Mr Ives of Chelmsford, in Essex, undertook to walk against a mare belonging to Mr Crooks, junior, of the same place, the extraordinary distance of one hundred miles in twenty-four hours. The mare and the pedestrian started at a quarter past one o'clock, from the Red Lion, at Springfield, the former travelling six miles, and the latter one mile on the Colchester road. The mare performed sixty miles by ten o'clock at night, when she was taken into the stable and rested four hours ; after which, she resumed her task, and had completed one hundred and thirty-two miles by forty- three minutes past twelve o'clock the next day. The pedestrian, in the course of the night, rested three hours and twenty-eight minutes, and won his match, leaving thirty two minutes to spare, and two miles over. The mare was led throughout her journeys by the pro- prietor and some of his friends, who occasionally relieved each other ; and, at the termination of her performance, appeared but very little, if at all, distressed, considering 3 THE HACKNEY, OR ROADSTER. 391 the extraordinary number of miles she had travelled. The pedestrian accomplished his part with apparent ease ; and there is no doubt that they could have effected some miles in addition within the given time. Thousands of persons witnessed the result of this match against time ; and, at the conclusion, the victors were escorted into Chelmsford by a considerable body of horsemen. 1822. On Monday, 11th March, 1822, a trotting match took place, on Sudbury Common, between Mr Fielder's slate-coloured American horse, and Mr Dyson's Wonder. Mr Fielder and Mr Dyson were to ride their own horses. Mr Dyson took the lead, and was fifty yards a-head at the end of the first mile ; the American horse never had a chance at any period, and was beat by about two hundred yards. Neither horse broke through the match, and the ground, three miles, was done in eight minutes and forty-three seconds. What makes this performance unparalleled, is not only the speed, but the extraordinary weights which were carried. To determine a bet at Kingston, the riders were both weighed after the match, when Mr Fielder weighed thirteen stone twelve pounds, and Mr Dyson fifteen stone four pounds, without saddles. 1822. On Monday, the 17th March, 1822, a hackney mare, belonging to Mr Dixon of Barbican, started- at the four mile stone on the Romford road, to trot thirty miles in three successive hours, carrying Mr J. Coxten, weighing nearly fifteen stone. Notwithstanding the heavy weight the mare carried, she performed the dis- 392 OF EUROPEAN HORSES. tance in thirteen minutes and twenty-seven seconds within the given time. In the year 1785, a similar bet was taken, to trot thirty miles in two hours and a-half ; and the accounts state, that this was accomplished, leaving four minutes to spare. 1822. Sixteen miles an hour was undertaken, on the 31st April, 1822, by Mr Higgs, with his mare, for two hundred guineas, at Totteridge, carrying ten stone, over a two mile course. The mare broke in the second and in the last mile ; but she still performed the sixteen miles, seventeen seconds within the time. THE CHARGER. Great diversity of opinion has prevailed, in this as well as in other countries, respecting the kind of horse best suited for a charger. At one period, our cavalry were mounted on strong heavy horses, principally bred from the Flanders stock, crossed with our native kinds. But in the late campaigns, it was found, that lighter horses, with a considerable proportion of blood, were the most useful, as they got over wet marshy tracts of country with more ease than heavier animals. The qualities of a charger, or troop horse, are much the same as those of a hunter. He should be tall in stature, possessed of great action, with a fine countenance and out-swelling forehead, and an undaunted and noble spirit. THE CHARGER. 393 His eye should be bright and sparkling ; the ears small, thin, short, and well pricked ; the neck should be deep and arched, and the breast large and swelling ; the ribs full, and finely bent ; the chine broad and straight ; and the rear round and full : the tail should be broad and flaccid ; the thigh swelling and muscular ; the leg broad and flat ; and the pastern short. In action, the charger, like the hunter, enters into the spirit of it. In the words of the poet, he is thus described : — The fiery courser, when he hears from far The sprightly trumpets and the shouts of war, Pricks up his ears, and, trembling with delight, Shifts place, and paws, and hopes the promised fight. On his right shoulder his thick mane reclined, Ruffles at speed, and dances in the wind : His horny hoofs are jetty black, and round; His chine is double ; starting with a bound, He turns the turf, and shakes the solid ground ; Fire from his eyes, clouds from his nostrils flow, He bears his rider headlong on the foe. The charger also retains, as long as he lives, a remem- brance of his past services, which is beautifully expressed in the Pleasures of Memory, one of the finest didactic poems in our language : — And when the drum beats briskly in the gale, The war-worn courser charges at the sound, And with young vigour wheels the pasture ground. From the earliest antiquity, the horse has been trained to the service of man in the battle field, either in sup- porting him under a load of heavy armour, or dragging along the deadly war chariot. The oldest historians inform us, that, in early times, great attention was paid 2 12 394 OF EUROPEAN HORSES. to the military menage; as we are told by Xenophon, that horses were trained to act with precision in all manner of ways in war : and in the Roman invasion of Britain, it was found that the inhabitants were on a par with the neighbouring nations in the use of arms, war chariots, &c. A different kind of warfare gradually took place ; and, in more modern times, a very large breed of horses was used in war, which was empha- tically termed the great horse, the art of riding and managing which was studied with much assiduity ; and consequently, " riding the great horse," implying complete management, became a fashionable term amongst military men, as well as of young persons of fortune. The management of the horse in these days was not entirely with the rein, as at present. We have an account of riding the great horse, by Edward Lord Herbert, of Cherbury, in his Life written by himself. This noble- man flourished in the latter part of the reign of Queen Elizabeth, and in that of James the First, and was one of the most accomplished men of the age in which he lived. He describes his learning to ride thus : — "I spent much of my time also in learning to ride the great horse, that creature being made, above all others, for the service of man, as giving his rider all the advantages of which he is capable, while sometimes he gives him strength, sometimes agility or motion, for the overcoming of his enemy; in so much, that a good rider, on a good horse, is as much above himself and others as this world can make him. The rule for graceful riding is, that a man hold his eyes always betwixt the two ears, and his rod over the left ear of the horse, which he is to use for THE CHARGER. 395 turning him every way, helping himself with his left foot, and rod upon the left part of his neck, to make his horse turn on the right hand, and with the right foot, and help of his rod, (if needs be,) to turn him on the left hand ; but this is to be used rather when one would make a horse understand these motions, than when he is a ready horse, the foot and stirrup alone applied to either shoulder being sufficient, with the help of the reins, to make him turn any way. That a rider thus may have the use of his sword, or, when it is requisite only to make a horse go sidewards, it will be enough to keep the reins equal in his hand, and with the flat of his leg and foot together, and a touch upon the shoulder of the horse with the stirrup, to make him go sideward either way, without either advancing forward or return- ing backwards. " The most useful aer, as the Frenchmen term it, is territerr ; the courbettes, cabrioles, or un pas et un saat, being fitter for horses of parade and triumph than soldiers ; yet I cannot deny but a demivolte with courbettes, so that they be not too high, may be useful in a fight or melee ; for, as Labroue hath it in his book of horsemanship, Monsieur de Montmorency having a horse that was excellent in performing the demivolte, did, with his sword, strike down two adversaries from their horses in a tourney, where divers of the prime gallants of France did meet ; for, taking his time when the horse was in the height of his courbette, and, dis- charging a blow, then his sword fell with such weight and force upon the two cavaliers, one after another, that he struck them from their horses to the ground. " The manner of fighting a duel on horseback I was 396 /OF EUROPEAN HORSES. taught thus: we had each of us a reasonable stiff riding rod in our hands, about the length of a sword, and so rid one against the other ; he, as the more expert, sat still to pass me, and then to get behind me, and after to turn with his right hand upon my left side with his rod, that so he might hit me with the point thereof in the body ; and he that can do this handsomely is sure to overcome his adversary, it being impossible to bring his sword about enough to defend himself, or offend the assailant ; and to get this advantage, which they call in French, gagner la croupe, nothing is so useful as to make a horse go sideward till his adversary be past him, since he will, by this means, avoid his adversary's blow or thrust, and on a sudden get on the left hand of his adversary, in the manner I formerly related ; but of this art let Labroue and Pluvinel * be read, who are excellent masters in that art, of whom, I must confess, I learned much ; though, to speak ingenuously, my breaking two or three colts, and teaching them after- wards those arts of which they were most capable, taught me both what I was to do, and made me see mine errors, more than all their precepts. " To make a horse fit for the wars, and embolden him against all terrors, these inventions are useful, — to beat * Antoine de Pluvinel, principal ecuyer, or master of the horse, to Louis XIII. of France. He published a splendid folio volume, in French and Dutch, entitled, Instruction du Hoi en V exercise de monter a cheval, Paris, 1619. It consists of dialogues between the young king, the Due de Bellegarde, and himself; and is adorned with a great variety of beautiful engravings, by Crispin Pass, exhibiting the whole system of the manege, and with many portraits of the great and remarkable men of that court. THE CHARGER. 397 a drum out of the stable first, and give him his proven- der, then beat a drum in the stable by degrees, and then give him his provender upon the drum ; when he is acquainted herewith sufficiently, you must shoot off a pistol out of the stable, before he hath his provender ; then you may shoot off a pistol in the stable, and so by degrees bring it as near to him as you can, till he be acquainted with the pistol, likewise remembering still after every shot to give him his provender. You must also cause his groom to put on a bright armour, and so to rub his heels and dress him. You must also present a sword before him in the said armour, and when you have done, give him still more provender. Lastly, his rider must bring his horse forth into the open field, where a bright armour must be fastened upon a stake, and set forth in the likeness of an armed man, as much as possible ; which being done, the rider must put his horse on, till he make him not only approach the said image, but throw it down ; which being done, you must be sure to give him some provender, that he may be encouraged to do the like against an adversary in battle. It will be good also that two men do hold up a cloak betwixt them in the field, and then the rider to put the horse to it, till he leap over ; which cloak also they may raise as they see occasion, when the horse is able to leap so high. You shall do well also to use your horse to swimming, which you may do either by trailing him after you at the tail of a boat, in a good river, holding him by the head at the length of the bridle, or by putting a good swimmer, in a linen waistcoat and breeches, upon him." 39S OF EUROPEAN HORSES. THE FORCE OF HABIT. About the period of the first American war, the horses of a heavy dragoon regiment, during the summer months, were sent to grass at Haverscroft, a village between Barnsby and Pontefract, in the West Riding of the county of York. One hot summer day, a tremendous thunder storm occurring, these horses, occupying a large enclosure, were observed to collect in a body, and, afterwards, " form in a line" with as much regularity and exactness as when exercised on a field-day ; and, whilst the " thunder rolled its awful burden to the wind," and the lightning glared on every side, main- tained their position during the continuance of the storm, exhibiting a most astonishing proof of animal sagacity, and one of the most magnificent spectacles that the mind can well conceive. A PLEASING RECOLLECTION. During the American war, some squadrons of the Scots Greys, which were out for exercise, had occasion to pass up Leith Walk, near the middle of which, the trumpets were ordered to sound a halt ; at that moment a horse, which was dragging a cart of sand, happened to be passing, pricked up his ears, gave a loud neigh, and rushed into the middle of one of the troops, where he quietly took up his station, to the no small annoy- ance of those in his immediate neighbourhood. The unfortunate carter was immediately assailed by the adjutant with a volley of oaths for his carelessness ; THE CHARGER. £99 but the poor man protested that he could not help it, as the horse had made an instantaneous and precipitous bolt from him, dragging the halter out of his hands. He informed the adjutant, that he supposed his horse had taken the troops in question for some old cronies, as he had, about two years before, bought him at a sale of cast dragoon horses. A KNOWING CAMPAIGNER. During the late war, a regiment of cavalry was ordered to embark from Plymouth Dock for the Penin- sula. Amongst the horses was an old campaigner, which had been,- it was said, more than once sent on the same errand, and appeared to have made up his mind not to go on foreign service. In pursuance of this determination, he resisted, with all his might, every attempt to sling him on board the ship, kicking and plunging so furiously, that the men employed gave up the attempt in despair. A resolute fellow of a sailor, seeing how the matter stood, came forward, vowing he would conquer him, and instantly grasped the horse round the neck, with the design of fixing the necessary apparatus : Jack, however, reckoned without his host ; the horse, by a sudden plunge, shook him off, and, turning his heels, laid him senseless on the pavement, galloped off, and, after making a circle round the assembled crowd, returned to the spot where his antagonist lay, and, by another violent blow of his fore- foot, hurled him into the water, whence he was picked up by the crew of a boat which happened to be near at the moment. 400 OF EUROPEAN HORSES. LORD HERBERTS GREAT HORSE. Lord Herbert, in his Life, gives the following account of saving a person from drowning, and also of the mira- culous escape he made while rescuing him : — " I can say little more concerning myself, from the year 1611, when I was hurt, until the year of our Lord 1614, than that I past my time sometimes in the court, where (I protest before God) I had more favours than I desired, and sometimes in the country, without any memorable accident, but only that it happened one time, going from St Gillian's to Abergaveney, in the way to Montgomery Castle, Richard Griffiths, a servant of mine, being come near to a bridge, over Husk, not far from the town, thought fit to water his horse ; but the river being deep and strong in that place where he entered it, he was carried down the stream. My servants that were before me, seeing this, cried aloud, Dick Griffiths was drowning, which I no sooner heard, but I put spurs to my horse, and coming up to the place, where I saw him as high as his middle in water, leaped into the river, a little below him, and swimming up to him, bore him up with one of my hands, and brought him into the middle of the river, where, (through God's great providence,) was a bank of sand. Coming hither not without some difficulty, we rested ourselves, and advised whether it were better to return back unto the side from whence we came, or to go on forwards ; but Dick Griffiths saying we were sure to swim if we returned back, and that perchance THE CHARGEPx, 401 the river might be shallow the other way, I followed his counsel ; and putting my horse below him, bore him up in the manner I did formerly, and, swimming through the river, brought him safe to the other side. The horse I rode upon, I remember, cost me £40, and was the same horse which Sir John Ayres hurt under me, and did swim excellently well, carrying me and his back above water ; whereas, the little nag upon which Richard Griffiths rid, swam so low, that he must needs have drowned, if I had not supported him. " I will tell one history more of this horse, which I bought of my cousin Fowler of the Grange, because it is memorable. I was passing over a bridge not far from Colebrook, which had no barrier on the one side, and a hole in the bridge, not far from the middle : my horse, though lusty, yet being very timorous, and seeing, besides, but very little in the right eye, started so much at the hole, that upon a sudden, he had put half his body lengthwise over the side of the bridge, and was ready to fall into the river, with his fore-feet and hinder-foot on the right side, when I, foreseeing the danger I was in if I fell down, clapt my left foot, toge- ther with the stirrup and spur, flat-long to the left side, and so made him leap upon all fours into the river, where, after some three or four plunges, he brought me to land." KING GEORGE THE THIRD'S ADONIS. The favourite charger of George III., named Adonis, was an animal of great beauty and extraordinary saga- city. His aifection for his royal master was perhaps 2 K 402 OF EUROPEAN HORSES. equal to either. It is said, that upon one occasion, when his Majesty visited Cumberland lodge, the horse, then in the stable, heard his voice, and began neighing, and pawing the ground with great violence ; the King, hearing him, went to the door, which seemed only to increase his anxiety. His Majesty knew the cause, and said, " Well, well, I must humour him ; bring Adonis out." He was saddled, and led forth. His Majesty mounted and rode him for a short time, to the manifest delight of the creature, which appeared con- scious of the importance of his burden ; and, upon the King's alighting, he returned to his stall, perfectly quiet and satisfied. It is a curious and melancholy fact, that this horse, which carried the King so long, died mad some time after the monarch's last attack. THE CAST DRAGOON HORSE. In the beginning of the year 1794, a ludicrous cir- cumstance occurred in the Castle Yard, Dublin. A farmer had, some time previously, purchased at one of the sales an old troop horse, which was unfit for service. The animal being quiet, the farmer mounted his daughter on it, and sent her to town with milk. She unluckily arrived at the Exchange at the time of relieving guard. The horse, hearing the music to which he had been accustomed, became ungovernable by his fair rider, and, trotting, snuffing, and snorting, bolted into the Castle Yard, with his rider and her milk pails, and took its place in the midst of the ranks, to the no small amusement of all present. THE CHARGER. i(« DISTRESSING EVENT. The Honourable Norman Hilton was returning from his seat in Devonshire, on a horse which had formerly been a charger, and belonged to an officer of the guards, from whom he had purchased him. The animal was seized with a sudden illness: he stood still, and in a few seconds, dropt down, and expired. Mr Hilton's leg received a severe contusion ; but, notwithstanding the pain which he felt, he succeeded in procuring assistance ; and upon opening the body of the animal, there was found the half of a bayonet, in the abdominal viscera. The poor horse had met with this extraordinary wound at the battle of Waterloo. lord Douglas's charger. The present Lord Douglas had an aged charger, named George, which was presented to him by his sister, Lady Montague. This fine and docile animal he used for many years, while he commanded the Forfar regiment of militia. His lordship has been at all times alike the friend of man, and the benevolent protector of animals : and his moderation, forbearance, and exem- plary conduct endear him to all who have a heart to appreciate his worth. For his dogs and horses he evinces the most tender solicitude, treating them with kindness and humanity. By gentle treatment and caresses, he had so completely secured the affections of George, that he never entered the stable without being welcomed by a neigh; the horse's eye glistened 404 OF EUROPEAN HORSES. with pleasure whenever he beheld his master/ whom he tenderly loved, and whose caresses he received with apparent delight. His lordship used to dismount in the field of exercise, and throw the reins over the neck of George, who would follow him every where, with the attention and fidelity of a dog. George became at last too old to be used as a charger, when Lord Douglas sent him home, to run at liberty, in a park, for the remainder of his life. By accident, this animal got his leg broke, which rendered it necessary to shoot him, to the no small sorrow of his master, who ordered him to be buried in the grounds at Bothwell. LIEUTENANT ROBERTS S CHARGER. Lieutenant Roberts, of the Royal Artillery Drivers, while stationed at Island Bridge Barracks, Dublin, had a charger, which he had learned many tricks. One of these consisted in making the horse throw out his heels at a man, horse, or any other object behind him ; this was done by a touch on the back. On one occasion, while my regiment was stationed at Naas, I had been spending a few days in Dublin, and my friend Roberts was anxious to introduce me to Mr Thomas Moore, the celebrated poet, and had asked him to meet me at his apartments at dinner; but, unfortunately, the day he had fixed on was the 24th of the month, when it was absolutely necessary I should be at head quarters, twenty-one miles distant, before twelve at night. Mr Roberts prevailed on me to remain, and ride home on his favourite charger after THE CHARGER. 405 dinner, in place of going by the mail, assuring me that the horse would protect both himself and me, in case of an attack from robbers. I consented, rather reluc- tantly, as robberies were very frequent on that road. I had not proceeded above three miles from Dublin, on my way home, when a man on horseback came canter- ing up behind me, and called out, in rather a perturbed voice, " How far is your honor going this road ?" It was pitch dark, and being suspicious of his intentions, I thought it well to try the experiment on my horse. I touched him, when he threw out his heels, with such violence, that the fire flew from them like a flash of lightning, while he uttered a loud squeak at the same time. I made him repeat it three times. The man exclaimed, " What a devil of a baste ! Arrah ! by my shoul, my brainbox has made a narrow escape of being cloven." I desired him to keep at a respectable distance, else the horse would certainly destroy him. He assured me he was no robber, but it being so dark, and a robbery having been committed on a gentleman on horseback the preceding evening, at the Bull and Ring, about five miles farther on, he was glad to have the company of any dacent person, as he was going sixteen miles on the Naas road. However, he saw the propriety of keeping without the reach of my horse's hoofs. I jogged on, and as I knew Mr Walsh, a farmer who supplied the troops in Dublin with forage, and who lived a mile on our way, I stopt and asked the truth of the story, and finding it to be quite correct, I was glad of the company of honest Pat. 406 OF EUROPEAN HORSES, THE WORD OF COMMAND. The following whimsical circumstance, which might have been attended with unpleasant consequences, occurred near Brighton. A gentleman on a strong spirited horse, passed a pedestrian on the slope of the Downs, at nearly full speed. The horse had formerly been a charger in the 10th Royal Hussars, and the pedestrian, who had known him when attached to that regiment, instantly recognized him. In a loud and authoritative tone, therefore, as he dashed by him, he vociforated the commanding word " Halt !" It was a mandate to which the animal had been trained, and he had not forgotten it. The check it produced was as sudden as effectual ; the rider, completely unprepared for such a shock, was thrown over the horse's head, and alighted on his back some yards in advance. Happily he received no hurt of consequence. A HORSE PRESENTED. On Tuesday the 20th August, 1822, while the riding master of the Scots Greys was rambling round one of the parks near the palace of the Duke of Buccleuch, his fine courser attracted the notice of his Majesty, who was seated at one of the windows at the time. His Majesty was pleased with the noble look of the horse, and sent his groom to the riding master to inquire if he would sell him. The riding master had got him when a colt ; he was such a noble animal, and so completely broke, that, to use an expression of an officer of the Greys, THE CHARGER. 407 " he could ride round a bottle ;" and he put the groom offin the best possible manner. On the day following, the riding master was in the park, and no doubt shewing off his fine animal to the best advantage ; the groom being sent out again by his Majesty on the same errand, the riding master dismounted, and made a present of the noble animal to his Majesty. It is said he was no loser by the transaction. It was this beautiful horse which his Majesty rode at the review, a few days afterwards, on Portobello sands. EPITAPH ON SIR RALPH ABERCROMBY S CHARGER. " Alas, poor General ! Thy toils, and broils, and scenes of war are o'er ; Alas, thou sleep'st to wake no more !" " Here lies the celebrated charger of the late Lieu- tenant-General Sir Ralph Abercromby, who was killed at the memorable battle of Alexandria, 21st March, 1801, where this noble animal received, on that glorious day, seven musket balls and two sabre cuts, when he afterwards became the property of John Watson of Malta, who placed this stone over his remains, in token of his rare services, peculiar qualities, high spirit, and good temper. " This esteemed horse departed this life of miseries, September 12th, 1823, aged 36 years. ' Sua cuique voluptas !' " He is buried in the garden, under the south-west batter}', at Marsa, near Floriand, island of Malta. 408 OF EUROPEAN HORSES. THE COACH HORSE. Plate III. Fig 2. On the first introduction of coaches into Great Britain, the horses used were of the large heavy kind, as great speed was not regarded in those days ; for, if travellers could be safely conveyed fifteen or twenty miles in a day, it was then considered a great feat. The coach horses were just such as are now used in the lighter kinds of waggons. Some notion may be formed of the tardiness of their action, when it is con- sidered, that about sixty years ago, a journey betwixt London and Edinburgh occupied from a fortnight to three weeks, which is now performed in forty- three hours. These heavy horses have now given place to a lighter breed, much improved as respects speed, with a good deal of blood in them. Very compact and elegant in their figures, some of them, in appearance and qualities, are equal to hunters. The better kind of coach horses owe their origin to the Cleveland bay, and are principally bred in Yorkshire, Durham, and the southern districts of Nor- thumberland ; and some few have been produced in Lincolnshire. The coach horse is propagated by a cross of the Cleveland mare with a three-fourth, or thorough- bred horse, which is possessed of sufficient substance and height. The produce of these is the coach horse THE COACH HORSE. 409 of the highest repute, and most likely to possess good action. His points are, substance well placed, with a deep and well proportioned body, strong and clean bone under the knee, and his feet open, sound, and tough. He possesses a fine knee action, lifts his feet high, which gives a grandeur to his figure and paces ; he carries his head well, and has a fine elevated crest. The full sized coach horse is, in fact, only an over- grown hunter, too large for that sport. Some have supposed that, in Britain, the rage for breeding coach horses for so much speed, is a prostitu- tion of the powers of the animal, and that it is barbarous to drive them at the great speed which is now the pre- vailing fashion. I do not exactly see that this is very blamable, as expedition is so desirable for the mer- cantile interests of the country ; and if proper care is taken to shorten the stages, there can be little harm to the horses, travelling short distances at a pretty sharp rate. It is quite certain, that within the last few years, every means have been used to promote the establish- ing of post horse stations at very short distances. I do not mean here to vindicate the cruel treatment to which this horse is but too frequently subjected on our public roads. Many of these are unable to throw all their natural weight and power into the collar, being frequently bought, at a low price, lame, or with such tender feet, that they cannot apply them to the hard roads. In this condition, however, they are wrought, and, with brutal chastisement, compelled to draw. Forced to proceed, by the smarting lash, they acquire a peculiar mode of going, so as to save their lame 410 OF EUROPEAN HORSES. limbs, by using the sound ones only ; and in time they become as if sound on all fours. The torture the poor animal has endured rewards the inhuman perpetrator by the recovery of tolerably good movements ; but this soon brings on strains in the muscles, rapid exhaustion ensues, and death puts a period to his sufferings. We have the following judicious observations in the Library of Useful Knowledge, with which I concur, only remarking, that going short distances at a mode- rate pace does not tend to destroy a horse so much as some imagine : — " There is no truth so easily proved, or so painfully felt by the post-master, at least in his pocket, as that it is the pace that kills. A horse, at a dead pull, or at the beginning of his pull, is enabled, by the force of his muscles, to throw a certain weight into the collar. If he walk four miles in the hour, some part of that muscular energy must be expended in the act of walk- ing, and, consequently, the power of drawing must be proportionably diminished. If he trot eight miles in the hour, more animal power is expended in the trot, and less remains for the draught ; but the draught continues the same ; and, to enable him to accomplish his work, he must tax his energies to a degree that is cruel in itself, and that must speedily wear him out. " Let it be supposed, what every horse cannot accom- plish, that he shall be able, by fair exertion, and without distress, to throw, at a dead pull, a weight into his collar, or exert a force, equal to two hundred and sixteen pounds ; or, in other words, let him be able to draw a load which requires a force of two hundred and THE COACH HORSE. 411 sixteen pounds to move ; let him next walk at the rate of four miles in an hour ; what force will he then be able to employ ? We have taken away some to assist him in walking, and we have left him only ninety-si:: pounds, being not half of what he could exert when he began his pull. He shall quicken his pace to six miles in an hour; more energy must be exerted to carry him over this additional ground. How much has he remaining to apply to the weight behind him ? Forty- four pounds only. We will make the six miles in an hour ten ; for it seems now to be the fashion for the fast coach, and for almost every coach, and every vehicle, to attempt this pace. How stands the account with the poor beast ? We have left him a power equal to thirty-two pounds only to be employed for the pur- pose of draught. " The load which a horse can draw is about fifteen times greater than the power exerted, supposing the road to be hard and level, and the carriages to run with little friction ; and the horse which, at starting, can throw into the collar a weight, or force, equal to two hundred and sixteen pounds, will draw a load of three thousand two hundred. Let him, however, be urged on at the rate of ten miles in the hour ; deduct the power used in swiftness of pace from the sum total of that which he possesses, and what remains ? Not a sixth part — not that which is equal to a quarter of a ton, or, if it be a stage-coach, the energy exerted in draught by the four horses will not be equal to a ton. " The coach, and its passengers, and its luggage, weigh more than this, and the whole is still drawn on, 412 OF EUROPEAN HORSES. and must be so. Whence comes the power ? From the over-strained exertion, the injury, the torture, the destruction of the horse. That which is true of the coach horse, is equally true of every other. Let each reader apply it to his own animal, and act as humanity and interest dictate." At the great annual fair, held at York, in December, 1821, which was not long after the mania for rapid driving took place, the demand for hunters, and for blood horses, fit for running in coaches, was universally brisk, and the advance in price very considerable. The agents employed by the various coach proprietors, to effect purchases, gave horrid reports of the conse- quences resulting from increased speed in coach travel- ling ; and the various journals of the times were filled with the dreadful effects of these on horses. These journals calculated, that, on an average, one horse was sacrificed in every run of two hundred miles ! It was said, that during the short prevalence of this mania, the coaches which ran between London and Liverpool had lost seventeen horses. Sometimes the leg of a horse is suddenly snapped in going down a hill ; some- times his respiration is stopped in galloping up a hill ; but most commonly his heart and wind are utterly broken by the violence of his efforts to obey the whip. At Goatherst, near Bridgewater, in Somersetshire, the seat of Sir Charles Tynne, Bart., a tomb is erected in the park to the memory of a favourite carriage horse. The tomb is decorated with the various trappings and accoutrements with which the favourite was commonly arrayed ; and in the centre is the following ingenious inscription : — THE COACH HORSE. 413 •* To the memory of one who was remarkably steady, these stones are erected. What he undertook, with spirit he accomplished : His deportment was graceful, nay, noble ; The ladies admired and followed him ; By application, he gained applause. His abilities were so powerful, as to draw easily The divine, the lawyer, and the statesman into his own smooth tract. Had he lived in the days of Charles I. The cavaliers would not have refused his assistance ; for, to the Reins of due government he was always obedient. He was always a favourite, yet at all times He felt the wanton lash of lawless power. After a life of laborious servitude, performed, Like Clarendon's, with unimpeached fidelity, he, Like that great man, was turned out of Employment, stript of his trappings, Without place or pension : Yet being endued with a generous, forgiving temper, Saint-like, not dreading futurity, He placidly met the hand appointed to be his assassin. Thus he died — an example To all Mortals under the wide expanded Canopy of Heaven. EXTRAORDINARY FEATS OF CARRIAGE HORSES. 1750. In March, a gentleman drove a single horse chaise fifty miles, on the Hartford road, for a consider- able wager. He had five hours allowed him, and performed the feat in four hours and fifty-five minutes. 1750. On the 29th of August was decided, at New- market, a remarkable wager for 1000 guineas, laid by 2L 12 414 OF EUROPEAN HORSES. Theobald Taff, Esq. against the Earl of March and Lord Eglinton, who were to provide a four-wheel car- riage, with a man in it, to be drawn by four horses nineteen miles in an hour. The match was performed in fifty-three minutes and twenty-four seconds. An engraved representation of the carriage was afterwards sold in the print shops. 1784. In June, Sir John Lade performed a journey from Bath to London in a phaeton and four, in eight hours. Distance 107 miles. 1788. On the 2d August, Mr Nightingale of Brain- tree, in Essex, undertook, for a wager of twenty guineas, to travel with a horse, twenty years old, in a chaise, fifty miles a-day, for seven days successively ; and per- formed the journey with ease every day. 1792. The expedition of the express with the account of the drawing of the Irish lottery in 1792, has seldom been equalled, as will appear by the following road-bill of the third day's express, November 15th : — Miles. Ho. Min. Holyhead to Birmingham, . 136i in 11 45 Birmingham to Stratford upon Avon, 23^ - 2 4 Stratford upon Avon to London, . 105 - 7 45 265 - 21 34 1793. In June, an extraordinary circumstance oc- curred at Ilford, near Lewes. As the servant of Mr Ridge, of that place, was feeding a young horse which was standing in the rods of a two-wheel chaise, in his THE COACH HORSE. 415 master's yard, the animal took fright, and ran away with the carriage, which he dragged after him over a five-bar gate, and without doing any material injury to himself or the chaise ; but the harness was entirely demolished. 1794. On the 13th October, for a bet of £20, Mr Thomas Pugh's famous black mare Bess, trotted, draw- ing a light jockey cart, in which were Mr Pugh and his wife, from the market-house at Romford to Whitechapel Church, in one hour and twenty minutes, being ten minutes within the time limited for the performance. The mare, three hours afterwards, for a wager of ten guineas, trotted against Mr Housley's roan gelding, Moulder, four miles on the same road, and beat him with great ease. 1810. In this year, Mr Western of Moorfields under- took to drive his horse Scorpion one hundred miles in twelve successive hours, which he accomplished in twenty-eight minutes and a half before the time. The same distance was done in eleven hours and a half by a black mare, the property of Mr Hunt of Colchester, who was precluded the use of the whip ; which, however, the noble animal never required. 1811. Mr Steward undertook, for a wager of five hundred guineas, to drive four-in-hand fifteen miles in fifty minutes. At six o'clock in the morning, he started from Hyde Park Corner to the 15th mile stone, near Staines. He performed the distance in fifty-three minutes and twenty-two seconds, and lost the match. 416 OF EUROPEAN HORSES. GREAT BAROUCHE PERFORMANCE. 1812. A party of gentlemen, on Tuesday the 10th of* March, 1812, for a considerable wager, started from the George Inn, at Portsmouth, in Billett's barouche and four, to reach London, a distance of seventy-two miles, in seven hours and three quarters, which, to the asto- nishment of both parties, was accomplished in Jive hours and thirty-one minutes, being two hours and fourteen minutes less than the given time ; averaging about fourteen miles an hour ! The following is a state- ment of the distances, and places of changing horses : — Miles. Minutes Portsmouth to Horndean, 10 in 53 Horndean to Peterfield, 8 — 32 Peterfield to Liphook, 8 — 41 Liphook to Godalming, . 12 — 54 Godalming to Riply, 10 — 47 Ripiy to Kingston, 12 — 45 Kingston to Hyde Park Corner, 12 — 49 Changing the horses, 10 72 331 1820. A long pending match, in Yorkshire, to trot twelve miles in harness, took place on Monday, January 31st, for one hundred guineas, between Mr James Dickenson's celebrated mare, Fire Eater, and Mr Charles Tuck's brown horse, Harlequin. It was won by the latter, which performed the distance in six minutes and thirty-eight seconds. 1820. The recent feat of the son of Mr Hunt, of white- hat and boot-blacking notoriety, driving his father's van THE COACH HORSE. 417 with four-in-hand across the Serpentine, comes little behind what was done at York in 1600, when not only were various sports practised on the river Ouse, but, says Dr Drake, in his history of that city, a horse race was run, on the frozen element, from the tower at the end of Margate, under the great arch of the bridge, to the crane at Skeldergate postern. TANDEM MATCH. 1822. Mr R. Houlston's match for fifty guineas, to drive tandem fifteen miles in one hour, and to trot the first seven miles, took place, in April, over a four mile flat on the Bromley road. The horses did the first four miles in eighteen minutes and twenty-two seconds, and the other three in fourteen minutes eight seconds, leaving twenty-seven minutes for the eight miles gallop. The horses did the eighth mile in three minutes ten seconds, the next four in thirteen minutes twelve seconds, and the remaining three miles in ten minutes and fifty seconds, winning the match by eighteen seconds. It was a beautiful performance, and the pacing of the horses at the gallop was a great treat. Betting was five to four on time. GIG TROTTING MATCH EXTRAORDINARY. 1822. Mr Ambrose made a match to drive fifteen miles in one hour, at a trot ; and it accordingly took place on Wednesday the 8th May, 1822, over a piece of turf of three miles on the Epping road. The match was for a stake of five hundred sovereigns. The referees 2L2 418 OF EUROPEAN HORSES. decided, with a third person as umpire, that it was won by rather more than a second. The horse broke into a gallop in the last mile, and was turned. 1822. On Friday, the 19th July, 1822, a match was made for a horse, the property of a Mr Wilmot, to trot fourteen miles within an hour, in harness, and to draw fourteen stone, for one hundred sovereigns. The place fixed on for the performance was the Hockeril road. The first three miles were done in twelve minutes and six seconds; the next three in twelve minutes and twenty-four seconds; and half the distance in twenty minutes. The match was won without a break, in fifty seconds within time. 1822. In August, Mr Andrew's match to trot four- teen miles in one hour, in harness, over some ground on the Cranford road, for the sum of two hundred guineas, was won by a minute and ten seconds. TROTTING MATCH. 1822. In September, a mare, the property of Captain Roberts, which was matched to draw fourteen stone in a chaise, fourteen miles in one hour, performed the arduous task in fifty-eight minutes and forty-nine seconds, in the range in Attlebury Park, Herts. UNPARALLELED TROTTING IN HARNESS. 1824. Mr William Giles, of Leadenhall Market, on the 10th of April, drove his favourite mare, called the THE COACH HORSE. 419 Maid of the Mill, twenty-eight miles on Sunbury Com- mon, in one hour fifty-seven minutes and forty-eight seconds : the mare, throughout her performance, never once attempted to break from the trot ; completing her task with the greatest ease in the presence of many thousands of spectators. Two hours was the time allowed. The Maid of the Mill, at that period, was ten years old; she stood about fourteen hands three inches high ; her colour was bay, with a blaze in her face, and all her fetlock joints white. The fame of this feat was spread over the continent, and a gentleman from the Netherlands came to England for the express purpose of endeavouring to purchase this excellent mare, which he succeeded in doing, at a very high price, together with the light and elegant carriage and harness in which she performed the match. THE GALLOWAY, The Galloway is a stout compact horse, about fourteen hands in height, and takes his name from the district of Galloway in Scotland, where he was originally bred. These horses are now nearly extinct ; they were much celebrated as excellent, speedy, and steady roadsters ; very sure footed, and, on that account, invaluable in travelling over rugged and mountainous districts. The beauty and spirit of the galloway was supposed to have arisen from the breed having been the produce of the Spanish jennets, that escaped from the wreck of the 420 OF EUROPEAN HORSES. Invincible Armada ; and these, crossed with our Scot- tish horses, gave rise to this esteemed breed. But we apprehend, they were famous at a date long prior to that event, as this district is known to have supplied Edward the First with great numbers of horses. This breed seldom exceeded fourteen hands in height; their colour was generally bright bay, or brown, with small head and neck, legs black, and peculiarly flat and clean in the bone. Dr Anderson gives the following description of this variety : — " There was once a breed of small elegant horses in Scotland, similar to that of Ireland and Sweden, and which were known by the name of Galloways, the best of which sometimes reached the height of fourteen hands and a half. One of this description I possessed, it having been bought for my use when a boy. In point of elegance of shape, it was a perfect picture ; and, in disposition, it was gentle and compliant. It moved almost with a wish, and never tired. I rode this little creature for twenty-five years, and, twice in that time, I rode one hundred and fifty miles at a stretch, without stopping, except to bait, and that not for above an hour at a time. It came in at the last stage with as much ease and alacrity as it travelled the first. I could have undertaken to have performed on this beast, when it was in its prime, sixty miles a-day for a twelvemonth running, without any extra- ordinary exertion." ATTACHMENT OF PONY AND LAMB. The following instance is very singular, if not unpre- cedented. In December, 1825, Thomas Rae, black- THE GALLOWAY. 421 smith, Hardhills, parish of Brittle, purchased a lamb of the blackfaced breed, from an individual passing with a large flock. It was so extremely wild, that it was with great difficulty he had it separated from its fleecy com- panions. He put it into his field, in company with a cow and a little white galloway. It never seemed to mind the cow, but soon exhibited manifest indications of fondness for the pony, which, not insensible to such tender approaches, amply demonstrated the attachment to be reciprocal. They were now to be seen in company in all circumstances, whether the pony was used for riding or drawing. Such a spectacle, no doubt, drew forth the officious gaze of many ; and, when likely to be too closely beset, Matilie would seek an asylum beneath the pony's belly, and pop out its head betwixt the fore or hind legs, with looks of conscious security ; at night, too, it repaired to the stable, and reposed under the manger, before the head of its favourite. When separated, which only happened when effected by force, the lamb would raise the most plaintive bleatings, and the pony responsive neighings. On one occasion they both strayed into an adjoining field, in which was a flock of sheep ; the lamb joined them, at a short distance from the pony, but, as soon as the owner removed him, it quickly followed without " casting one longing, lingering look behind." Another instance of the same description happened when riding through a flock of sheep : it followed on without shewing the least inclina- tion to remain with its natural companions. The lamb afterwards fell into the possession of Mr Cunningham, teacher. 422 OF EUROPEAN HORSES. EXTRAORDINARY EQUESTRIAN FEATS OF THE GALLOWAY. 1701. In the year 1701, Mr Sinclair, a gentleman of Kirby Lonsdale, in Cumberland, for a wager of five hundred guineas, rode a galloway of his, the Swift, at Carlisle, a thousand miles in a thousand successive hours. 1753. Sir Charles Turner, Bart., of Berkleathem, made a match with the Earl of March, (afterwards Duke of Queensberry,) for four thousand guineas a-side, to be performed on the Fell, near Richmond, in Yorkshire. The conditions of the match were, that Sir Charles Turner should ride ten miles within the hour, in which he was to take thirty leaps, each leap to be one yard, one quarter and seven inches high. Sir Charles per- formed it upon a galloway, to the astonishment of every person present, in forty-six minutes and fifty-nine seconds. 1754. In this year, Mr Croker's galloway went one hundred miles a-day for three successive days, over the course at Newmarket, by which he was not at all dis- tressed. 1802. A chestnut galloway, belonging to W. Porter, Esq. of Shepperton, started at four a. m., on April 8th, 1802, from Staines, in Middlesex, to go a hundred miles in twelve successive hours, which it performed in eleven THE GALLOWAY. 423 hours and thirty-six^minutes, with great ease. The ground chosen on this occasion was Sunbury Common. In 1814, a galloway performed a much greater feat than any thing mentioned by Dr Anderson. He started from London along with the Exeter mail, and, notwith- standing the numerous changes of horses, and the very rapid driving, he reached Exeter a quarter of an hour before it ; thus performing the astonishing distance of one hundred and seventy-two miles, at an average of about nine miles an hour. The experiment was a brutal one, and fatal to the future energy of this hardy creature, which, with good treatment, might have been long an invaluable servant. Twelve months after this astonishing feat, he was seen sprained, wind-galled, and ring-boned, exhibiting a picture of the utmost wretchedness, brought on by the barbarous inhumanity of man. 1822. A match over a two-mile piece of turf, in Ashford Park, near Romford, in August, 1822, on which at least five hundred sovereigns were pending, caused much sport. A Mr Goodchild undertook to ride first a galloway on the trot, thirteen miles, in one hour, and next a horse in another hour ; and to complete the twenty-six miles, within two hours from the time of starting. The galloway performed the distance well in three minutes within the given time, and Mr Good- child mounted the horse, and won the match, with forty-nine seconds to spare. 1822. In November, a match was made to do eight 424 OF EUROPEAN HORSES. miles in half an hour, over a two-mile circle, in Ashton Park, for three hundred sovereigns, with a galloway, under fourteen hands, belonging to Mr Furzeman. This was won easily, with more than two minutes to spare. Betting was five to two against his winning. THE HIGHLAND PONY. The Ponies of the Highlands of Scotland, although very hardy, seldom being kept in a stable, even in the winter season, are cross made animals, of a small size, and much inferior, in point of appearance and action, to the galloway, so long the boast of Scotland. Their heads are large, their backs are long, and their legs short, standing considerably lower before than behind, which gives them a most unpleasant action, and rough trot ; so much so, that it is a kind of purgatory to sit them, except at an amble ; they can go considerably faster up a gentle acclivity, than on level ground, and are vastly serviceable in the higher mountain countries, being sure footed, and extremely cautious what road they pursue. We have the following proof of this, as given by that observing tourist, the Rev. Mr. Hall, in his "Travels through Scotland," who says, " that when these animals come to any boggy piece of ground, they first put their nose to it, and then pat on it in a peculiar way, with one of their fore-feet, and, from the sound and feeling of the ground, they know whether it will bear THE HIGHLAND PONY. 426 them. They do the same with ice, and determine in a minute whether they will proceed." In ancient times, the chief employment for horses in Scotland, as in other countries, was for wars and tournaments. The high roads were too defective to admit of the use of wheel carriages. Oxen appear to have been chiefly employed in the plough. Farmers generally used horses for carrying their corn to the barn yard, to the mill, or to the market. Immense numbers of horses were used by persons of rank in travelling, as well as by the nation in war. In 1342, David Bruce travelled, with forty attendants on horse- back, and his queen with sixty. In 1370, Alexander Leslie travelled with seventy ; and, in 1327, Randolph Earl of Moray and Douglas, made an invasion into England, with no less than twenty thousand horses. The taste for breeding horses must have been very general, as the exportation of them to England was carried on by men of the highest rank. James II. whose sister was married to Sigismund, Duke of Austria, brought horses and mares from Hungary, to amend the breed. In the next reign, the size of horses was much studied. The two younger sons of James II. were fond admirers of great horses, for war or tournaments. During the reign of James III. the taste still prevailed : he, himself, was fond of feats of horsemanship. He sent his grooms to Spain, and brought home twelve horses and mares ; and also to Poland, in 1509. Louis XII. sent a present of the best French horses to the King of Scotland, who in return, sent him four of his best amblers. In the reign of James V. horse-racing was in fashion among persons of 2M 426 OF EUROPEAN HORSES. all ranks. Every thing went to ruin after the accession of James VI. to the throne of England. For a consi- derable time after this period, the breed of Scottish horses appears to have totally degenerated. It would be difficult to assign a cause for this amazing falling off in the horses of Scotland. There can be little doubt but we had powerful horses in early times, without which we never could have coped with the English, in the wars in which we were constantly engaged, from time immemorial. And we have seen, that, in the middle ages, an Arabian was known to have reached Scotland, about four hundred and fifty years before we have any authentic record of this breed being introduced into England. The proportion and comparative value of horses, and the different kinds of stock in Ross-shire, Scotland, about three centuries and a half ago, may be collected from the following authentic record in the Acta Dominorum Concilii, p. 273. In 1492, " the lords of council decree and deliver, that Hutchone Ross, of Kilravock, and his son, shall restore, content, and pay to Alexander Urquhart, sheriff of Cromarty, and his tenants, the following items, carried off by them and their accom- plices, viz. six hundred cows, price of each 13s. 4d. ; five score horses, each 26s. 8d. ; fifty score of sheep, each 2s. ; twenty score of goats, each 2s. ; two hundred swine, each 3s. ; twenty score bolls of victuals, each 6s. 8d." The introduction of the larger breeds of cart horses into the north of Scotland, is but comparatively of modern date ; and the carts were formerly very small. The following account given in the letters of a gentle- THE HIGHLAND PONY. 427 man in the north of Scotland, to his friend in London, in the year 1726, will give an amusing and correct picture of the horses in those times, in the neighbour- hood of Inverness. * " In another place, you see a man dragging along a half-starved horse, little bigger than an ass, in a cart about the size of a wheelbarrow. One part of his plaid is wrapt round his body, and the rest is thrown over his left shoulder ; and every now and then he turns himself about, either to adjust his mantle, when blown off by the wind, or fallen by his stooping, or to thump the poor little horse with a great stick. The load in his cart, if compact, might be carried under his arm." The ferries in the Highlands, at this period, seem to have been in a woeful condition. In the neighbourhood of Glen- Almond, on the way to Crieff, he says, " I came to a small river, where there was a ferry, for the water was too deep and rapid to pass the ford above. The boat was patched almost everywhere with rough pieces of boards, and the oars were kept in their places by small bands of twisted sticks. " I could not but inquire its age, seeing it had so many marks of antiquity, and was told by the ferryman it had belonged to his father, and was about sixty years old. This put me in mind of the knife which was of an extraordinary age, but had at times been repaired with many new blades and handles. But, in most places of the Highlands, where there is a boat, (which is very rare,) it is much worse than this, and not large enough * 5th edition. London, 1822. Vol. I. p. 72. This very amusing book may be considered as an excellent picture of the times in which it was written, and contains many valuable additions by Dr Jamieson and Sir Walter Scott, 42S OF EUROPEAN HORSES. to receive a horse ; and therefore he is swam at the stern, while somebody holds up his head by a halter or bridle. The horses swim very well at first setting out, but if the water be wide, in time they generally turn themselves on one of their sides, and patiently suffer themselves to be dragged along." This author gives a good picture of travelling over precipitous tracts, on the small Highland shelties, which in those days were never shod. " I came to a pre- cipice of about a hundred yards in length. The side of the mountain below me was almost perpendicular, and the rest above, which seemed to reach the clouds, was exceedingly steep. The path which the High- landers and their little horses had worn was scarcely two feet wide, but pretty smooth ; and below was a lake whereinto vast pieces of rock had fallen, which I suppose had made in some measure the steepness of the precipice, and the water that appeared between some of them seemed to be under my stirrup. A certain officer of the army going this way was so ter- rified with the sight of the abyss, that he crept a little higher, fondly imagining he should be safer above, as being farther off from the danger, and so to take hold of the heath in his passage. There a panic seized him, and he began to lose his forces, finding it impractica- ble to proceed, and being fearful to quit his hold and slide down, lest in so doing he should overshoot the narrow path; and, had not two soldiers come to his assistance, viz. one who was at some little distance before him, and the other behind, in all probability he had gone to the bottom. " It is a common thing for the natives to ride their THE HIGHLAND PONY. 429 horses over such little precipices; but for myself, I never was upon the back of one of them ; and, by the account some Highlanders have given me of them, I think I should never choose it in such places as I have been describing. " There is, in some of those paths, at the very edge, or extremity, a little mossy grass, and those shelties, being never shod, if they are ever so little foot-sore, they will, to favour their feet, creep to the very brink, which must certainly be very terrible to a stranger." * " Where the soil is deeper, they plough with four of these little horses abreast. The manner is this : — Being thus ranked, they are divided by a small space into pairs, and the driver, or rather leader, having placed himself before them, holding the two innermost by their heads, to keep the couples asunder, he, with his face towards the plough, goes backwards, observing, through the space between the horses, the way of the ploughshare." f " In the Western Highlands, they still retain that barbarous custom of drawing the harrow by the horse's dock, without any manner of harness whatever ; and, when the tail becomes too short for the purpose, they lengthen it out with twisted sticks." J When a burden is to be carried on horseback, they use two baskets, called creels, one on each side of the horse ; and, if the load is such as cannot be divided, they put it into one of them, and counterbalance it with stones in the other, so that one-half of the horse's burden is, I cannot say * Letter 17, page 318. f Vol. ii. page 41. \ Page 43. 2 r>i 2 OF EUROPEAN HORSES. unnecessary, because I cannot see how they could do otherwise, in the mountains." REMEMBERS HIS OLD HAUNTS. My friend Sir Patrick Walker has obligingly furnished me with the following anecdote, which is highly illus- trative of the memory of the horse : — " When a boy at school, I had a fine spirited High- land pony, which had been bred and reared upon Drumchany, the property of my late worthy and gallant friend, General Stewart of Garth. " About five years after the pony had been brought to Edinburgh, I rode him to Perthshire, in company with several gentlemen. We were advancing in the direction of Drumchany, when it was proposed that a trial should be made of the pony's memory ; the even- ing being considerably advanced, and darkness rapidly approaching, we were desirous of taking a ford which led directly to Drumchany, but were uncertain of the precise place, although we knew it could not be far off. My pony was therefore allowed to take the lead, and advanced cheerily, when he suddenly paused, and turning quickly to the right, trotted down a furrow, through a potato field, that led directly to the ford in question, which he crossed in the same decided manner, and piloted the rest of the way to Drumchany. During my stay there, I may add, that the pony got out of the stable one night, and was found next day pasturing among the mosses where he had been bred." 1794. At Northampton races, in 1794, Mr Odell's THE HIGHLAND PONY. 431 black Highland pony, Kitty, beat Mr Benton's bay pony, Te-totum, at two four-mile heats. This was a most extraordinary performance ; for the highest of them (the black pony) was only thirteen hands two and a half inches, and the other barely thirteen hands. They ran the first four miles, carrying fourteen stone each, in twelve minutes; and the second (which was allowed to be a most capital heat) in thirteen and a half minutes. And though the odds, before starting the last time, were from eight to ten to one in favour of the black pony, she won but by about half a length. The winner had been in constant work for two years, the other had been but three weeks from grass. AN AGED PONY. A pony of thirteen hands high, the property of Mr Irving of the King's Arms Inn, Wigton, died on Friday the 23d February, 1827, in the fortieth year of his age. Until about twelve months previous to his death, he was considered one of the best hacks in that district. 432 OF EUROPEAN HORSES. THE NEW FOREST PONIES. Tradition gives to the ponies of New Forest, Dorset- shire, the same origin as the Scottish galloway, as they are supposed to have originated in the Spanish horses, which were shipwrecked on the Hampshire coast, during the reign of Queen Elizabeth. This race was afterwards improved by a commixture of the blood of Marsk, and the celebrated horse Eclipse. Although the horses of the New Forest are private property, they are allowed to run wild in that extensive tract, and have all the appearance of being in a state of nature. They are often to be seen feeding in herds of thirty or forty, and when the colts are wanted, they can only be hunted down, or taken by stratagem, being so wild. They have little to boast of in point of beauty, being in general coarse and ill made ; but are valuable on account of their hardy nature, and besides, they will work at all kinds of labour; they are also useful as roadsters, being very sure footed. The culture of waste lands has almost rendered this breed extinct : about fifty years ago, great numbers were bred in the New Forest. Old Marsk, before his value as a stallion was known, was permitted to run about New Forest, in a wild state, owing to which this breed possesses a considerable proportion of his blood. THE EXMOOR PONIES. THE EXMOOR PONIES. Exmoor, and the neighbouring districts, have a breed of ponies, which, although very ugly in their appear- ance, are, nevertheless, hardy and useful. A sporting character said, that he rode one of them about six miles, and never before witnessed such asto- nishing power and action in so small a compass. To exhibit his agility, he was turned over a gate at least eight inches higher than his back. His owner, who rode fourteen stone, travelled from Bristol to South Molton on him, a distance of eighty-six miles. He set off at same time with the coach which runs that road, and beat it by half an hour. THE DARTMOOR PONIES. The ponies of Dartmoor are celebrated and much sought after on account of their sure-footedness : they are very hardy, extremely nimble, and finely suited to the barren tracts and mountainous roads of that part of Devonshire. The size of this variety is somewhat larger than that of the Exmoor breed; they are even more ugly, being ill groomed, and having little attention paid to them. They present a very picturesque appear- ance, with their long ragged hair, some inches in length, 434 OF EUROPEAN HORSES. under the jaws. The late Captain Colgrave was de- sirous of possessing himself of one of them that was running wild amongst the herd, which had a better appearance than his fellows. He got the assistance of several men, who succeeded in separating this individual from the herd. They drove it upon some rocks by the side of a pointed hill, called in that district a Tor, One of the men followed the pony on horseback, while the Captain stood on the low grounds watching the progress of the chase. The poor animal, being driven into a corner, and seeing no prospect of escape, made a desperate leap, fairly cleared the man on horseback, and flew with such precipitation down the hill, that he distanced his pursuers, and joined the herd. In that picturesque and beautiful district, many of the farmers are even without a single cart or car, the whole produce of the farm, and manure, being carried on paniers, on ponies' backs. Sometimes, in harvest, oxen are used to drag their crops on sledges, which, however, is not very common. They also use what they term Crooks, for carrying light articles on a horse's back. These are formed of willow poles, about an inch and a half in thickness, bent in the manner of an ox bow, with one end considerably longer than the other ; these are joined by a pair of cross-bars, from eighteen inches to two feet long. Each horse has two pair of these slung to him, so that the shorter ends rest against the pack-saddle, and the longer ones stand four or five feet from each other, and rise from fifteen to eighteen inches above the horse's back. The loads are piled within and between these crooks. THE WELSH PONIES. 435 THE WELSH PONIES. It is supposed that this breed was introduced by the original inhabitants of Wales, through their commerce with their Celtic brethren in the north of Scotland. They have greatly the appearance of the Shetland breed in many districts ; but an improved race are now to be found in several of the mountainous tracts, of great beauty, with small heads, high withers, deep, yet not too round in the barrel, the joints short, the legs flat, with good round feet. It is supposed to have been produced by introducing the blood of Old Merlin. Hence, the appellation of a Mountain Merlin, which has been applied to some of these. The Welsh ponies can live on any kind of fare, being accustomed to the stunted herbage of their native mountains. They can endure long fatigue, and are not easily tired out. SAGACITY AND STANCHNESS. On the 18th September, 1819, a gentleman mounted on a favourite old shooting pony, had beaten for game all day, without meeting with any success, when, on a sudden, to his great astonishment, his pony stopped short, and he could not persuade him to move, either by dint of whip or spur. He desired his keeper to go forward ; the pony immediately drew after him. A 436 OF EUROPEAN HORSES. covey of fifteen partridges rose ; and he shot his bird, and bagged it. The above is certainly an extraordinary instance of the sagacity of horses. This gentleman had been accustomed to ride the pony, shooting, for fifteen years ; and he no doubt had acquired a knowledge of the scent of the birds. SAGACIOUS SOLICITUDE. In 1828, a favourite pony mare, belonging to Mr Field Evans, near Pool, of Henfaes, Montgomeryshire, had a colt, and both grazed in a field adjoining the Severn. One day, the pony made her appearance in front of the house, and, by clattering with her feet, and other noises, attracted attention. Observing this, a person went out, and she immediately galloped off. Mr Evans desired that she should be followed ; and all the gates, from the house to the field, were forced open. On reaching the field, the pony was found looking into the river, over the spot where the colt was found drowned. THE CLTTBESDAJLIH H®KSE. THE SHETILAH© FONT. . THE SHELTIE. 437 THE SHELTIR Plate IV. Fig 2. This diminutive breed, varying from seven and a-half to nine and a-half hands in height, seems a totally dis- tinct race from all others, and may probably be one of the earliest breeds introduced into Great Britain. They are to be found in Shetland, and all the islands on the north and west of Scotland, and also in the mountain- ous districts of the main land, along the coast. They are beautifully formed, and possess prodigious strength in proportion to their size. Their heads are small, with a flowing mane, and long tail, extending to the ground. Their backs are short, their quarters expanded and powerful, their legs flat and fine, their pasterns short, but fine, and their feet small, and beautifully formed. They are of all colours, but chestnut is the most prevailing, generally of the pale shade, though not unfrequently dark. Bay and dark-brown are also common. They are high-spirited and courageous little animals, and extremely tractable in their nature. They run wild about the mountains. There are various methods of catching them, according to the local situa- tion of the district which they inhabit. Sometimes they are hunted by numbers of Highlandmen into a bog ; in other places, they are driven up a steep hill, where the nearest of the pursuers catch them by the hind leg; and it not unfrequently happens, that both man 2 N 438 OF EUROPEAN HORSES. and horse come tumbling down together. In places such as valleys, where there are no accessible passes amongst the mountains, they are hunted from one ascent to another, till, overcome by fatigue and want of breath, they lay themselves down, and are then taken. They are occasionally brought down to the low countries, in large droves, like cattle, without halters, and sold in an unbroken state. The shelties are generally so small, that a middling- sized man must ride with his knees parallel with the animal's shoulders, to prevent his toes from touching the ground. It is surprising to see with what speed they will carry a heavy man over abrupt precipices, and broken and zig-zag roads, in their native mountains. A sheltie, nine hands, or three feet in height, carried a man of twelve stone forty miles in a day. They are seldom shod in the Highlands, and are as sure footed as an ass. When grazing, they will clamber up steep ascents, and to the most extreme edge of precipices, which overhang the most frightful abysses ; and there they will gaze around with as much complacency as if on a plain. Many of them are not larger than a New- foundland dog. These small animals are not, however, to be considered a degenerate breed ; for they are, in point of fact, possessed of physical strength, much greater, in proportion to their size, than larger horses ; and no horse whatever is able to carry weight for inches with them, as will be seen by an anecdote which fol- lows, of one belonging to the Laird of Coll. These horses are called, in the Highlands, Garrons. Till very lately, these poor little animals were broken in a very harsh, and even cruel manner. People tied a rope THE SHELTIE. 439 round their hind leg, and beat them most unmercifully with a great stick, while the horse kicked furiously, and struggled violently for his liberty, and sometimes the garron would lie down, and sometimes the High- lander, and often both together, but still the men generally kept their hold. In winter, and the early part of spring, these animals have a very ragged look, as their coats become long and thick, and their manes and tails generally have a matted appearance. A gentleman, some time ago, was presented with one of these handsome little animals, which was no less docile than elegant, and measured only seven hands in height. The gentleman was anxious to convey his pre- sent home as speedily as possible ; but, being at a con- siderable distance, he was at a loss how to do so most easily. The friend who presented him said, " Can you not carry him in your chaise ?" He made the experi- ment, and the sheltie was lifted into the bottom of the gig and covered up with the apron, and some bits of bread were given him to keep him quiet : he lay quite peaceably till the gentleman reached his destination ; thus exhibiting the novel spectacle of a horse riding in a gig. His Majesty has got a few of these shelties, of the most extreme beauty, which are allowed to run about in Windsor Park. Many have doubted the possibility of these animals being from the same primitive stock with the large horse of England ; but let them look to the Patagonian and the Laplander, where as great a disproportion in size will be found in the human species. 440 OF EUROPEAN HORSES. We have before accounted for these wide differences from the effects of food and climate, and we are borne out in this opinion, by a circumstance mentioned by Mr Parkinson, on the Breeding and Management of Live Stock.* His father had a mare that brought him thejgreat number'of fourteen colts, and all by the same horse ; the./whole^of which were the height of seven- teen hands, on their attaining three years of age. He sold the mare, in foal by the same horse, to a neighbour- ing farmer, reserving the foal to himself, which was to be delivered in a twelvemonth from the date of sale. The poor animal was completely starved at her new master's, and when she was brought back at the year's end, she was so wretched in her appearance as to be hardly recognizable. The foal, then four months old, was extremely small. It was put to the most luxuriant pasturage on the farm, being well fed with oats besides, and at the expiration of the third year, was only fifteen hands in height. Gilbert Laing Meason, Esq. of Lindertis, near Kirrie- muir, Forfarshire, has a remarkably fine breed of very small Shetland ponies, which he keeps in the highest state of grooming, and, in consequence, they are quite pictures, in miniature, of Arabian coursers. He crossed this breed with a small, but pure Arabian steed, and produced a beautiful and active breed from them. They have been found to unite fine symmetrical proportions with great speed and action. * Vol. ii. p. 139. THE SHELTIE. 441 GREAT FEAT. 1784. September the 14th, 1784, a Shetland pony, eleven hands high, carrying five stone, was matched for one hundred guineas, to run from Norwich to Yarmouth and back again, which is forty-four miles. He performed it with ease in three hours and forty-five minutes, which was thought to be the greatest feat ever done by a. horse of his height. THE AGGRESSOR PUNISHED. The following interesting fact was witnessed by the most Rev. Dr Plunket, Roman Catholic Bishop of Meath. A gentleman had a white pony, which became extremely attached to a little dog that lived with him in the same stable, and whenever the horse was rode out, the dog universally ran by its side. One day, when the groom took out the pony for exercise, and accom- panied as usual by his canine friend, they met a large dog, who very violently attacked the diminutive cur ; upon which the horse reared on his hind legs, and, to the astonishment of the groom and the bystanders, so effectually fought his friend's battle, with his fore feet, that the aggressor found it his interest to scamper off at full speed, and never again ventured to assail the small dog. SAVES A CHILD FROM DROWNING. A little girl, the daughter of a gentleman in War- wickshire, playing on the banks of a canal which runs through his grounds, had the misfortune to fall in, and would in all probability have been drowned, had not a little pony, which had been long kept in the family, 2N2 442 OF EUROPEAN HORSES. plunged into the stream, and brought the child safely ashore, without the slightest injury. LONGEVITY. In the York Herald of 30th October, 1790, appeared the following notice : — " There is at present, in a village to the south of Haddington, a very small black pony, not exceeding eleven hands high, of the Shetland breed, which was foaled in the year 1743, and, in the year 1745, was rode at the battle of Prestonpans by a young gentleman, who afterwards sold it to a farmer near Dunbar, from whom it came to the present proprietor. This pony, which is now forty-seven years of age, looks remarkably fresh, and can trot above eight miles an hour, for several hours together ; has a very good set of teeth ; eats corn and hay well ; is able to go a long journey ; and has not, to appearance, undergone the least alteration whatever, either in galloping, trot- ting, walking, or in bod}', for these twenty years past." A HORSE CARRIED BY HIS RIDER. The Laird of Coll, many years ago, when tolls were first established in Scotland, employed a countryman, of five feet ten inches in height, to go to Glasgow and Edinburgh on certain business, and furnished him with a small Shetland pony to ride on, the ordinary weight carried being sixteen stone. The messenger being stopt at a toll-bar near Dumbarton, asked the toll-man good humouredly, if he would be required to pay toll, should he pass through and carry a burden : the toll- man answered, certainly not. Whereupon he took up his horse and bags in his arm, and carried them through the toll-bar, to the great amusement of the toll-keeper. OF CART HORSES. 443 OF CART HORSES IN GENERAL. The Cart Horses of Great Britain are extremely variable in point of size, as well as in shape, differing in almost every county from the Lands-end to John- o'-Grot's House. But one principal character now prevails, that of weight, to give them more physical force in the draught. They should not be above sixteen hands high, with a light well shaped head and neck, short pricked ears, and brisk sparkling eyes ; their chests should be full and deep, with large and strong shoulders, but rather low in front, that is, with the rump somewhat higher than the forehand; the back should be straight and rather long, but not too much so, as it impairs the general strength ; the legs should be somewhat long, but not too leggy ; the fillets should be large and swelling, and the bones flat, com- pact, and closely knit ; they should stand wide on all the legs, and be wider behind than before ; they ought to have a considerable pliability in the knee joints, and be able to bend them well, which assists in pro- ducing a brisk and active step in walking. Large horses are perhaps better adapted for waggons than those of the smaller size, but certainly not when they have much flesh. But, indeed, almost all classes now see the folly of breeding horses on soft sloppy meat, which invariably increases the cellular and 444 OF EUROPEAN HORSES. adipose matter, without nourishing and enlarging the muscular fibre. The proper height of a draught horse, however, will depend upon the purpose for which he is to be employed. Such horses are therefore not unfrequently bred seven- teen hands high, and even more, with lofty forehands, and many of them deep in the counter, as is the case with the coach horse. A great object with the breeding of draught horses is to increase strength, activity, and power, to remove weight, as much as possible, and procure them of the height of sixteen hands, for general utility. Indeed, it has been proved, that horses of this height have per- formed feats of strength of greater magnitude than those of elephantine proportions. I remember to have seen a black cart horse of sixteen hands draw thirty- six hundred weight from Glasgow to Stirling, a dis- tance of twenty-seven miles, within eleven hours. The finest breed of cart horses are the large blacks, the Midland, and also the Suffolk Punches, the Clydesdale and Cleveland bays. The Earl of Egremont, one of our greatest and most successful English breeders, is said to have preserved these last in his stud, and still possesses them in purity. It is supposed that these horses are purely indigenous, and without the commixture of foreign blood. In the midland counties of England, viz. Warwick- shire, Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, and Nottinghamshire, there is a very large breed, called the Great Coach Horse. He has been bred in the Lowland rich alluvial pastures of the plains of these counties, from the Flemish and Dutch horses, with the larger OF CART HORSES. 445 old English kinds. Mr Bakewell, celebrated for his zeal and activity in the improvement of horses, not only introduced horses, but also mares, from the Netherlands ; and thus gave to those large animals Belgic blood, both from sire and dam. From this stock, about thirty years ago, he produced one of the best horses of the kind which was ever seen, and sent it to Tattersall's, for the inspection of his present majesty, King George IV. The head of this individual was light and well set on, his forehand lofty, his shoulder deep, his legs clean and flat-boned, with the general activity of a pony. It was universally acknowledged, that for lightness, cleanness of make, and bulk, he was superlatively excellent. Mr Bakewell recommended this horse as highly adapted for the purpose of breeding, with appropriate mares, cavalry horses, hunters, and strong hacks. His majesty did not, however, enter into Mr Bakewelfs views. The heavy black horse is principally bred in the midland counties, from Staffordshire to Lincolnshire. These are mostly bought at two years of age, by the Berkshire and Surrey farmers, who work them mode- rately. This amply repays their keep till four years old, when they have acquired sufficient strength for the London market. The breeders generally part with the horses at two years of age, and have a sufficient number of fillies and mares to perform their work. The farmers nearer the metropolis, who purchase the young horses, gene- rally use four of them in a plough, which teaches them how to draw, while it does not produce exhaustion. They are then sold at a considerable profit. These 446 OF EUROPEAN HORSES. horses in general turn out noble looking creatures ; but certainly, from the high feeding and fat produced by the soft food, are not able to compete with the lighter horses used in waggons, which are fed on hard and dry food. By moderate working, and care, the cart horse has been known to live to a great age. There was lately alive, in the possession of Isaac Scarth, Esq. of Stang- howe, near Skelton, in Cleveland, a horse of about forty years of age, which wrought regularly every day in the week, along with his other draught horses. THE CLEVELAND BAY HORSE. This variety is a clean well made horse, in most of his parts ; he is very strong and active, answering either the coach, team, or saddle. This breed, during the war, was much used in various of our cavalry regiments, particularly that fine regiment known by the name of the Queen's Bays. Cleveland horses have been known to carry the weight of seven hundred pounds, within twenty-four hours, and to perform this journey four times a-week ; and millers' horses of this kind have carried half a ton for several miles. OLD BILLY. Some years ago, there was, at Warrington, a horse still older than that mentioned above, and in good health. THE CLEVELAND BAY HORSE. 447 He had attained the great age of sixty-two years, an age at which it is supposed no other horse ever arrived in modern times, being exceeded only by that I have mentioned, page 157. But when we take into account that Billy was a cart horse, and accustomed to hard labour all his life, his case is much more extraordinary than a horse which, in all probability, had only been used for riding, and the favourite of a sovereign. Billy belonged to the Mersey and Irwell Navigation Company, and more than half his life had been spent in towing boats ; his sight was still good, and he pos- sessed the use of all his limbs in tolerable perfection ; his colour was of a chestnut dun, and he was scarcely fifteen hands high. He grazed in summer on the luxuriant pasture of the banks of the Mersey, and in winter was taken into stable, and fed on mashes and soft food. The head of this horse, called " Old Billy," was pre- sented, by the proprietors of the Mersey and Irwell Navigation Company, to the Natural History Society of Manchester. OLD TOMMY. There was an old horse, well known in the pretty village of Rainford, and even for many miles round, by the name of " Old Tommy." This horse was famed, not merely for his great age, and long and valuable services, but more especially for the tractableness of his disposition. His sagacity was particularly shewn on one occasion, when he lost one of his shoes in the pasture ; being aware of his loss, and knowing, from U3 OF EUROPEAN HORSES. long experience, the comfort of good shoes, he lost no time, upon the opening of the gate, in repairing to his old friend, the blacksmith, who soon discovered and supplied his want. He then made the best of his way home, and prepared for the service of the day. It need not be added, that he was a great favourite with his master, who said, although he had been of age for some years, he would not part with him for a good deal. THE CLYDESDALE HORSE. Plate IV. Fig. 1. These horses are strong, active, and steady, gene- rally from fifteen to sixteen hands high, and not unfre- quently sixteen and a half hands; and, as horses of husbandry, are perhaps superior to any in the kingdom. It is said that the country is indebted for this breed to one of the Dukes of Hamilton, who brought from Flanders six stallions of the coach kind, about the close of the seventeenth century ; and, by crossing them with mares of the country, produced the horses which are now so plentiful in the Lanark district. This statement is, however, successfully refuted by Mr William Aiton of Hamilton, in a letter to the Editor of the Paisley Advertiser, dated 9th March, 1827. He affirms, that the Marquis of Hamilton did not acquire the estates of Avondale and Crawfordjohn till some time between the years 1612 and 1625: and that all the inquiries he had made, at people who were born in the THE CLYDESDALE HORSE. 419 end of that or beginning of last century, were ineffec- tual, as none of them remembered such a circumstance. He made particular inquiry at James Granger of Priestgill, who had been born about the year 1699, and was baron bailie on that estate under three successive Dukes, and who was then about ninety years of age. He and his family had lived for several generations in that neighbourhood ; but he neither had heard of those horses, nor did he believe they had ever existed. This improved breed, called the Clydesdale horse, is not reared in the county of Lanark more than in other contiguous districts, but is to be met with in almost every county south of the Tay, and some of them even farther north. These animals have acquired the name of Lanarkshire horses, from thousands of them being sold, when they are from sixteen to twenty-eight months old, at the fairs of Lanark and Carnwath, in August every year. They are generally bought by the farmers in the lower parts of Lanarkshire, or by those in Ayr- shire or Renfrewshire, who work them but little in summer, compared with the Lothian farmers, and who rear them till they are four or five years of age. They are then sold at the fairs of Belten or Rutherglen, and carried by dealers to England. Indeed, it is not at all likely that the breed of horses could be improved, by these larger animals being put to small or jaded mares. Those who are conversant in the breeding of farm stock, will see the fallacy of such an opinion. We must, therefore, attribute the larger qualities of this breed to the improved state of the country, and, consequently, the superior feeding of the horses. There is no doubt but, from judicious cross- 20 13 460 OF EUROPEAN HORSES. ings, the breed might be improved ; but not by the foreign stallions. Farm horses get six, and road horses ten, times as much grain as was given to them long after the middle of last century. The Clydesdale horse is lighter in the body than the Suffolk Punch, and more elegantly formed in every respect, with an equal proportion of bone. His neck is also longer; his head of a finer form, and more corresponding to the bulk of the animal: he has a sparkling and animated eye, and evinces a greater de- gree of lively playfulness in his general manners than either the Cleveland or Suffolk horses. His limbs are clean, straight, and sinewy. The tread of this horse is firm and nimble : he is capable of great muscular exer- tion, and in a hilly country is extremely valuable. He is a very hardy animal, and can subsist on almost any kind of food. The equanimity of his temper, and steadi- ness of his movements, peculiarly adapt him for the plough. Not being too unwieldy in his size, he is no burden to the soil, while a pair are equal to the task of drawing a plough through a full furrow, with great ease. The horses of Clydesdale are not only celebrated on account of their value for agricultural purposes, but are also adapted for the saddle, and useful as car- riage horses. REMEMBERS HIS PHYSICIAN. A cart horse, belonging to Mr Leggat, Gallowgate Street, Glasgow, had been several times afflicted with the botts, and as often cured, by Mr Downie, farrier THE CLYDESDALE HORSE. 461 there. He had not, however, been troubled with that disease for a considerable time ; but, on a recurrence of the disorder, he happened one morning to be employed in College Street, a distance of nearly a mile from Mr Downie's workshop. Arranged in a row with other horses engaged in the same work, while the carters were absent, he left the cart, and, unattended by any driver, went down the High Street, along Gallowgate Street, and up a narrow lane, where he stopped at the farrier's door. As neither Mr Leggat, nor any one appeared with the horse, it was surmised that he had been seized with his old complaint. Being unyoked from the cart, he lay down, and shewed, by every means of which he was capable, that he was in distress. He was again treated as usual, and sent home to Mr Leggat, who had by that time persons in all directions in search of him. AGED HORSE. In June, 1828, there was in the possession of Mr Maclaren, farmer at Balhaldy, a horse who had attained the great age of thirty-eight years, and who was strong and active. He was four years old when he was pur- chased by Mr Maclaren, so that he acted the part of a faithful servant thirty-four years. He ate his corn and hay readily, was in good condition, and seemed to retain his sight unimpaired. As a proof of his strength and activity, it may be mentioned, that Mr Maclaren's farm contains one hundred and twenty acres, the ploughing on which, in 1827, was performed by his old favourite and another horse, without any assistance. 452 OF EUROPEAN HORSES. It rarely happens that horses of the cart breed are fit for work after arriving at the age of twenty-four years. EXTRAORDINARY FEAT OF A DRAUGHT HORSE. An unparalleled instance of the power of a horse? when assisted by art, was shewn near Croydon. The Surry Iron Rail-way being completed, and opened for the carriage of goods from Wandsworth to Mertsham, a bet was made that a common horse could draw thirty- six tons for six miles along the road, and that he should draw his weight from a dead pull, as well as turn it round the occasional windings of the road. A number of gentlemen assembled near Mertsham to witness this extraordinary triumph of art. Twelve wagons loaded with stones, each wagon weighing about three tons, were chained together, and a horse, taken promiscuously from the timber cart of Mr Har- wood, was yoked into the team. He started from near the Fox Public-house, and drew the immense chain of wagons, with apparent ease, to near the turnpike at Croydon, a distance of six miles, in one hour and forty- one minutes, which is nearly at the rate of four miles in an hour. In the course of this time he was stopped four times, to shew that it was not by the impetus of the descent the power was acquired. After each stoppage, a chain of four wagons were added to the cavalcade, with which the same horse again set off with undiminished power. And, still farther to shew the effect of the railway in facilitating motion, the attending workmen, to the number of about fifty, were directed to mount the wagons ; still the horse proceeded with- THE CLYDESDALE HORSE. 453 out the least distress ; and, in truth, there appeared to be scarcely any limitation to the power of his draught. After the trial, the wagons were taken to the weighing machine, and it appeared that the whole weight was as follows : — Tons cwt. lbs. Twelve wagons first linked together, weighed 38 4 2 Four ditto, afterwards attached, - - 13 2 Supposed weight of fifty labourers, - 4 55 6 2 PUNCTUAL TO HIS DUTY. The following instance of the willingness of a horse to perform his duty, was given to me by a farm servant, to whom the circumstance occurred, and ought to have been a reproof to the thoughtless hind. In the spring of 1829, at the time this ploughman was engaged in harrowing, a relative of his, who had been long abroad, serving as a sergeant in the army, returned home, his purse being well stored with cash. During his stay in the neighbourhood, he had a par- ticular pleasure in regaling his old comrades, and seldom failed to send them home reeling drunk. John, our hero, who had the care of a pair of beautiful Clydes- dale horses, which cost sixty pounds each, on returning home one evening quite tipsy, went, as usual, before going to bed, to supper his horses, and give them a drink. For the latter purpose, it was his practice to let them loose, when they went by themselves to a 2 02 454 OF EUROPEAN HORSES. running stream hard by, and, after quenching their thirst, returned to the stable, while John stood at the door to receive them. On the evening in question, it would appear John had forgot, either to tie them up, or to shut the stable doors. The dissipation of the previous night had given him a sair head, so that he could not get up till half-past seven, being two hours later than his ordinary time. On going to the stable, he found the door open, one of the steeds gone, and the other standing loose in his stall. He searched everywhere in vain for the absent horse ; at length he met a boy, at whom he inquired if he had seen a horse, who answered him in the affirmative, and told him, that at half-past six, as he was going his errand, he saw one without a halter or attendant, going into a certain field. The man, overjoyed at his information, hastened thither, and, to his surprise, found the strayed animal standing in a ploughed field, by the harrows, where he had unyoked him the preceding evening. PROOF OF MEMORY. A curious instance of instinct occurred at Bris- tol about ten years ago, which proves the great local memory possessed by horses. A person, apparently a townsman, recognized a horse, bestrode by a country- man, to be one which he himself had lost about nine months before. He seized his property, and put in his claim : " This is my horse ; I will prove it in two minutes, or quit my claim." He then liberated the horse from restraint, let him go at large, and declared his proof to THE SUFFOLK PUNCH HORSE. 455 be in that the horse would be found at his stables, at some distance — a fact that was proved, in a few minutes, by the two claimants, and several bystanders, repairing to the stables, where they found the horse " quite at home." THE SUFFOLK PUNCH HORSE. This hardy and excellent breed has become now nearly extinct. They seldom exceeded sixteen hands in height. Their colour was almost invariably chest- nut, or sorrel. They had rather large coarse heads, their ears were generally too long for modern taste, and placed very distant from each other, although, in some instances, they were short, pricked, and well shaped. The carcass was deep, capacious, and com- pact. The shoulders were wide and thick at top, and somewhat low, with the rump more elevated, from which it is supposed they were enabled to throw so much of their weight into the collar. They were large and strong in the quarters, full in the flanks, and round in the legs, with short pasterns. These horses were celebrated on account of their speedy walking. They also trotted well, and were re- markably sure-footed ; and, as draught horses, for steady drawing, and great physical power, might be said to have generally excelled all other horses. In the Sports- 456 OF EUROPEAN HORSES. man's Repository, we are told, that " they were the only race of horses which would, collectively, draw repeated dead pulls, namely, draw pull after pull, and down upon their knees against a tree, or any body which they felt could not be moved, to the tune of Jup, Ji ! ! and the crack of the whip, (once familiar, but abominable sounds, which even now vibrate on our auditory nerves,) as long as nature supplied the power ; and would renew the same exertions to the end of the chapter." About thirty years ago, a brutal practice, at which humanity shudders, prevailed in many of the southern counties — that of masters and men making bets on drawing matches ; and in these feats totally destroyed some of their very best horses, as they would pull till they dropped down. It is incumbent on every proprietor and driver to know, that few horses will draw dead pulls, and, indeed, few are able to do so. And most good horses will, if encouraged, draw what they really are strong enough to perform ; and beyond this a good one will not go. Whipping and bawling, therefore, to a steady horse, can only have the effect of stupifying him, and render- ing him callous and stubborn ; and certainly there can- not be a greater cruelty than overworking so noble and useful an animal. The hideous yelling of most carters and farm servants, which is still prevalent when driving horses, not only in this country, but also on the continent, is a barbarous custom ; for I have known many instances where gen- tlemen subdued this practice in their servants, and the THE SUFFOLK PUNCH HORSE. 457 most gentle and temperate accents were found to succeed better than the frightful and thundering exclamations in general use. Every possible means should be used, by those who have either influence or power over this class of men, to abolish this noisy practice, which not only stuns the poor willing animal, but is also a great nuisance while passing through a town. The old Suffolk breed of horses brought very high prices, but of late a larger breed has become fashionable in that county and neighbouring districts, which, for largeness and beauty, certainly excel the old breed. They have been produced from a cross with the York- shire half and three-part bred horses of the coach kind, and are particularly beautiful and lofty in the forehand. In the year 1813, at a sale in Suffolk of the stock of a celebrated breeder, which was, in consequence, nume- rously attended by persons of rank and opulence, the horses brought considerable prices. The following were amongst a few of them. A mare, with a foal at her foot, £124, 4s. ; a three-year-old filly, £85, Is. ; a mare which had lost the sight of one eye, but of a beautiful form and powerful make, £98, 14s. The whole of his stud consisted of fifty mares, geldings, and foals, and brought the large sum of £2263, 13s. 6d. The present breed has many of the qualities of its ancestors. It is somewhat taller, higher, and finer in the shoulders. But although this horse is not possessed of the powers of the old breed, and the farmers cannot boast of ploughing more land than their neighbours, they are nevertheless valuable animals. The late Duke of Richmond produced an excellent race of carriage horses from this breed, crossed with 458 OF EUROPEAN HORSES. one of his finest hunters. They had great strength and activity, with beautiful figures. Suffolk horses were highly esteemed in Norfolk, Essex, and the neighbouring counties. Mr Wakefield of Barnham, in Essex, had a superb stallion of this breed, for which he refused the sum of four hundred guineas. THE DRAY HORSE. The Dray Horse should have a broad breast, a low forehand, deep and round barrel, with broad and high loins, and ample quarters, and his shoulders ought to be thick and upright. The forearms and thighs should be thick, the legs short, the hoofs round, with the heels broad, and the soles not too flat. These horses are frequently seventeen hands high, and upwards ; and, from the slowness of their movements, are only fit for the drays and slop carts of the metropolis. This variety is better adapted for show than great physical power. With their fine harness, and sleek carcasses, they are particularly qualified to gratify the vanity of their owners. But the plea urged by those who use them is, that their great bulk fits them better for the shafts of a dray, in the ill-paved streets of London. Certainly they are to be pitied, for they suffer sad jolting, and many hard blows against their ribs from the dray shafts ; and it must be admitted, that a light horse would be upset in so ponderous a machine, where the streets are so irregular. THE FARMER'S HORSE. 459 THE FARMER'S HORSE. The economical farmer generally possesses himself of horses of all work, that are fitted either for draught or saddle. It may be urged, that a horse accustomed to go in harness is neither a safe nor a good roadster, as his paces, from being accustomed to pulling, are slow and stiff, while he depends much upon the collar in keeping him up. Deprived, therefore, of his usual support, he is very apt to come down ; but a person who is aware of this, may easily contrive to keep him on his legs, by exercising a firm bridle hand. The farmer's horse should be somewhat higher than the hackney ; about fifteen hands and two inches may be the best size. His shoulder should be thicker, lower, and less slanting, than that of the roadster, which better adapts him for the draught, in which, it is presumed, he will be generally employed. He should be stout and compact, without being clumsy ; and if possessed of a little blood, so much the better. His weight should be such as to enable him to draw an ordinary load, and his activity fitted for getting over the road with tolerable speed. There can be little doubt that the moderate sized horse is the best suited for agricultural purposes, and farmers have wisely abandoned the ponderous steeds of former times ; and thus save both time and the extra food required for larger horses. 4W OF EUROPEAN HORSES. THE SPANISH HORSE, OR JENNET. Spain was early celebrated for a breed of fine horses. These took their rise in the Moorish horse, or Barb, at the time the greater part of the peninsula was under the subjection of the Moors. When the Roman empire was at its height, the horses of Calpe were in higher repute than any other European breed. Calpe, the modern Gibraltar, is situated at nearly the south-west extremity of Spain ; consequently, nearly opposite to Abyla, on the Barbary coast, and from thence they received their horses ; hence the origin of the jennets. Vegetius, an early and credible writer, imputes the origin of the jennets to the horses from Africa. Many consider this race as next best to the Arabian coursers. These horses are well trussed, and firmly knit about the joints ; they are active, ready, and very graceful in their paces, and are said to be extremely intelligent, with great memories ; full of spirit and playfulness, without vice ; very gentle in their dispositions, with an ardent fondness for their masters and keepers. The jennet is of a moderate size, and of an extremely graceful deportment. The Upper Andalusian breed are at present considered the best in Spain, and make excellent chargers, on account of their courage and high spirit. They retain many of the points of their progenitor, the barb. In earlier ages there was a breed, rather long in the limbs, with the crest very prominent, and the 3 THE SPANISH HORSE. 461 neck finely arched, and was in high estimation with the knights, which is particularly spoken of in old legends and romances of chivalric times. An inferior breed was used by their esquires, more stunted in their make, and stronger, both in carcass and limb; but capable of enduring great fatigue. The Spanish horses, except those of Andalusia, Estremadura, and Grenada, in general are elegantly made about the pasterns and feet. Their head is, how- ever, rather large ; the ears lie rather too low, and, for the most part, somewhat too long to be beautiful ; the forehand rather heavy, the crupper having somewhat the form of that of a mule. They are small about the belly. The finest horses in Spain have always come from the provinces above mentioned. The breed has been preserved with strict attention to purity, in a line of celebrated ancestors at the Chartreuse of Xeres ; and these have remained in the hands of few proprietors, who, like the Arabs, are tenacious of their mares. They have long limbs, which gives a lightness to their ap- pearance, and elasticity to their motions — qualities esteemed by the Spaniards beyond all others. The jennets were called by Pliny thieldo?ies, or tellers and measurers of their steps, and he describes them as they are found at the present day. They are celebrated, both by ancient and modern writers, on account of the pliancy of their limbs, their free and unembarrassed action, and the elasticity of their paces. The Roman historian Justin, in describing the Lusi- tanian, or Portuguese horses, compares their great swiftness to that of the winds, on which account they 2P OF EUROPEAN HORSES. might be said to be born of the winds. From this arose the fable that the mares of Lusitania were impregnated by the south wind, thus alluded to by Homer : — The natives were content to till The shady foot of Ida's fruitful hill. From Dardanus, great Ericthonius springs, The richest, once, of Asia's wealthy kings ; Three thousand mares his spacious pasture bred, Three thousand foals beside their mother fed. Boreas, enamour'd of the sprightly train, Conceal'd his godhead in a flowing mane. With voice dissembled to his loves he neigh'd, And coursed the dappled beauties o'er the mead : Hence sprung twelve others of unrivall'd kind, Swift as their mother mares, and father wind. * Cordova, in Catalonia, once so justly celebrated for its breed of horses, has of late years strangely fallen off. Mr Swinburne, in his Travels in that country, in 1792, mentions, that at the bridge of Alcolea, where he passed to the south of the river Guadalquivir, are kept the king's stallions. One or two of them are noble horses ; but the Andalusian breeder values a horse for such points in his make as would deter an English jockey from buying him. The former requires his horse to be forward and bulky in the shoulders, with his fore-legs far back, under his belly, and the tail set so low, as always to be squeezed close to his hams : he never suffers him to lie down, but keeps him constantly stand- ing on a clean pavement, sloping from the manger, with his fore-legs chained to the ground. Very few good- looking horses are now to be met with at Cordova. A * Pope's Homer's Iliad, book xx. line 258-269. THE SPANISH HORSE. 463 gentleman of that city assured Mr Swinburne, as indeed he had heard before, that the breed was much neglected, and little care taken to preserve it pure and genuine ; the king haying given the superintendence of his stud to a stranger, a foot officer, who perhaps never rode any thing but an ass or a mule in his life. Before this change, the office was always held by a Cordovese nobleman, who, as well as his friends, piqued himself upon breeding and exhibiting the most choice horses possible ; but, in disgust, they had entirely laid aside all thought or taste for that pursuit, and seemed quite indifferent about the animals they rode or drove. The horses of Portugal were once considered very superior, but have fallen off greatly of late. I, however, understand, that breeders in that country are again trying to restore their wonted character, by introducing the Spanish horses, of the Andalusian breed, for propa- gation. UNACCOUNTABLE CHANGE OF TEMPER. I am indebted to my friend Sir Patrick Walker for the following interesting anecdote : — " In the camp of Chicky, July, 1815, I saw a Spanish horse, which was rode by my friend Captain , of the Rifle Brigade ; and when I remarked his good temper and docility, as singular in a horse of his description, the Captain gave me the following account of him: — In one of the last actions in Spain, in which he was engaged, he had lost his own horse, and this Spanish steed, which he after- wards procured, was found on the field. This horse was used constantly by the Captain, in all after move- 464 OF EUROPEAN HORSES. ments in Spain, and on the advance to Paris. His attachment and manners were more like that of a dog than a horse, for he seemed to watch his master's mo- tions with a consideration like something beyond mere instinct. Whilst the Captain slept, he never seemed inclined to move, and when the division bivouacked in the field, he would lay himself down on the ground, beside his cloak, when the Captain spread it to repose in for the night. This good understanding continued during all the time I remained in and about Paris. The Captain having come to Edinburgh, about a year or two afterwards, I inquired particularly after the Spanish horse, and was sorry to find he had parted with him. Whether from too much ease, too high feeding, or some other cause, he had become so fero- cious, that it was not possible to control him ; every spark of his former character had fled, and those whom he once regarded with attachment, dared no longer approach him without the hazard of being torn with his teeth or destroyed by his feet. In short, he became so useless and so dangerous, that the Captain contemplated shooting him, but rather than do so, he parted with him." TERRA FIRMA PREFERRED. The United Kingdom steam vessel, having on board thirteen spirited horses from London, belonging to Monsieur Ducrow's equestrian company, arrived in Edinburgh in the spring of 1827. On nearing the stone pier at Newhaven, two of them, getting a glimpse of the green sward, were so exhilarated, that they lost all patience, leaped into the water, and made directly for THE SPANISH HORSE. 465 the land. The groom instantly sprung after them ; and when some of the hands in the yawl approached to pick him up, he told them not to mind him, but to attend entirely to the horses. He then kept swimming beside them, guiding and cheering them in their progress to the land. When they got out of the water, their snorting, rearing, and gamboling, evinced that they were highly gratified at having their feet once more on the turf. ASTLEYS SPANISH HORSE. This singularly sagacious animal was accustomed, at the public performances in the Amphitheatre of Astley, to ungirth his own saddle, wash his feet in a pail of water, fetch and carry a complete tea equipage, with many other strange things. He would take a kettle of boiling water off a flaming fire ; and acted in fact like a waiter at a tavern or tea garden. Mr Davies, late proprietor and manager of the Royal Amphitheatre, had the greatest regard and attachment for this horse, from his wonderful tractability and ex- treme docility. When, from age, he had lost all his teeth, and was unable to masticate corn, he was fed upon bread. At last, nature being exhausted, he died at the great age of forty-two years. Mr Davies, witli an idea to perpetuate the memory of so valuable an animal, caused his hide to be tanned, and made into a thunder drum, which stands to this day on the promp- ter's side of the theatre, and when its rumbling sounds die on the ears of those who are acquainted with its history, it serves as his parting knell. 2P2 466 OF EUROPEAN HORSES. THE ITALIAN HORSE. Italy, which, in the time of its glory, could boast of the best horses in Europe, has now sadly fallen off. Like its men, they have become a degenerate and ignoble race. The Italians do not appear to have availed themselves of the natural advantages of their country, which is peculiarly well situated for obtaining Eastern blood. On the contrary, they have been in the practice of crossing their own horses with animals from different parts of Europe. The horses of Naples were at one time of high repute, but are now of no value, compared to those of England. This is the more remarkable, as Italy is well adapted to the constitution of that animal. The steeds used in the public conveyances are poor miserable creatures, wretched in appearance, and pos- sessed of no physical powers. CALIGULA. The Emperor Caligula, who was as bad a horseman as any in his empire, was one day on horseback, with his whole court about him. These obsequious gentlemen, conceiving that flattery was one of the most certain keys to the heart of man, took occasion to compliment THE ITALIAN HORSE. 467 him on his dexterity in managing his steed : at that moment, the animal threw him on the ground, as if to prove by what a pack of contemptible sycophants he was surrounded. The Emperor, seeing that the horse had more sincerity than these flatterers, to prove his con- tempt for them, formed a resolution from that moment to raise him to those conspicuous honours which he afterwards enjoyed, as prime minister of his empire. ITALIAN RACING. During the Carnival at Rome, amongst other amuse- ments, they have horse-racing, which commences towards dusk in the evening. As soon as this is announced, the coaches, cabriolets, triumphal cars, and carriages of every kind, are drawn up, and line the street, leaving a space in the middle for the racers to pass. Five or six horses are trained on purpose for this diversion ; they are drawn up abreast in the Piazza del Popolo, exactly where II Corso, or the race street, begins. Certain balls, with little sharp spikes, are hung along their sides, which serve to spur them on : they have also pieces of tinfoil fastened on their hinder parts, which, as the animals rush through the air, make a loud hissing noise, and frighten them for- ward. As soon as they begin to run, these horses, by their impatience to be gone, shew that they under- stand what is required of them, and take as much pleasure as the spectators in the sport. A broad piece of canvass, spread across the entrance of the street, prevents them from starting too soon : the dropping 468 OF EUROPEAN HORSES. that canvass is the signal for the race to begin. The horses fly off together, and, without riders, exert them- selves to the utmost, impelled by emulation, and the shouts of the populace. They run the whole length of the Corso ; and the proprietor of the victor is rewarded by a certain quantity of fine scarlet or purple cloth, which is always furnished by the Jews. At Ancona, a gun is fired when the horses first start, that preparations may be made at the farther end of the course to receive them ; when they have run half- way, another gun is fired, and a third when they arrive at the goal. Mr Macgill, in his Travels, mentions a curious cir- cumstance, which took place at a horse-race at Ancona. He says — " To guard the course, a great number of Roman soldiers under arms are generally ranged on each side of it. The morning after the first race, the wind blew from the north, and was rather cold. I was sitting with his excellency the governor, Signor Vidoni, when a messenger arrived from the general, with his compliments, requesting that the race might be deferred till another day, as he thought the weather too cold to put his troops under arms. The governor replied to him, that, « as the weather was not too cold for the ladies, he thought it was not too much so for Roman soldiers.' I have seen, on a day which only threatened rain, a guard of Roman soldiers turn out, every one of whom had an umbrella under his arm, the drummer and fifer alone excepted."* * Macgill's Travels in Italy, vol. i. p. 22-24. THE ITALIAN HORSE. 469 This diversion, such as it is, seems highly entertaining to the Roman populace ; although it appears extremely foolish to those who have been accustomed to English horse-racing. It is only during the last eight days of the Carnival that horse-races are allowed. II Corso is about eight hundred and sixty-six toises in length. The horses used for racing are commonly small Barbs ; and it has been observed, by a stop watch, that, by means of a signal, this distance has been ran in a hundred and forty-one seconds, being about thirty- seven feet in a second. This swiftness will, upon reflec- tion, appear greater than it at first seems to be. It is quite evident, that we cannot allow more than two strokes, or galloping progressions, in one second, since each stroke requires at least three really distinct instants of time ; the one when the horse springs from the ground, that in which he is seen bounding through the air, and another when he touches the ground again ; so that two strokes to a second imply six separate instants, scarce distinctly perceptible in so short a time. These horses being of a small size, and running over thirty-seven feet in a second, must advance about eighteen feet each stroke, and nearly equal to four times the length of their bodies, taken from the breast to the crupper. It is true that this length is more than doubled by the extension given to their fore and hind legs in their gallop. All things considered, how can the swiftness of the English horses be much greater ? The following account exceeds probability. "A.M. du Fay, in 1737, wrote from Newmarket, that the 470 OF EUROPEAN HORSES. English four-mile course,* where he was a spectator, was ran in eight minutes, wanting three or four seconds. These miles are eight hundred and twenty-six French toises, which give more than forty-one feet and two- thirds each second, or nearly five feet more than the Barb at Rome. It is very remarkable, too, that these run at full freedom, whereas the English racers are charged with the weight of the rider. Moreover, this velocity of forty-one feet and two-thirds in a second, is a pretty common degree of swiftness ; for, out of ten which started together, the horse which came in last was not above twelve or fifteen paces short of the first ; and, what is more, it is asserted, that the same course has been several times run over in six minutes and six seconds. This was confirmed by a person who has often betted at Newmarket." Now, this velocity, which amounts to about fifty-four feet in a second, is, to that of the Barbs, almost as three to two. It should be farther observed, that instead of an English mile, or a small matter more, which is the measure of the Roman course, that of Newmarket is four miles, a space too long for any horse to keep an equal speed all the way, and it is certain he must slacken towards the end ; consequently, the maximum of the velocity must be above fifty-four feet in a second, and especially near the beginning of the course. It is, accordingly, said, that the famous running horse, * The English mile was fixed by Henry VII. at 1760 yards, of three feet each ; and, consequently, contains 5280 English feet, being equal to 4957 Paris feet, or 826 Paris toises, the proportion of the English to the French being as 1352 to 1448. THE ITALIAN HORSE. 471 Stirling, sometimes ran the first mile in one minute, which is at the rate of eighty-two feet and a half in a second! — an inconceivable swiftness, even supposing it a little exaggerated, as it is probable it was ; but, for farther satisfaction, we find it confirmed by Dr Maty.* If such a velocity had continued some seconds, it might fairly be pronounced that the horse went as swift as the wind. The greatest known velocity of a ship at sea is six marine leagues in an hour ; and supposing the ship to take the velocity of the wind which impels it, the speed of that wind would not amount to eighty feet in a second ; but of course the ship cannot move with the * Dr Maty was librarian to the British Museum, and author of the Journal Britannique, a work which is highly valued. " There are," says the Doctor, " two courses at Newmarket, the long and the round ; the former is exactly four English measured miles and 380 yards, or 7426 yards, equal to 3482 French toises : the second is not four English miles, wanting 420 yards of it, that is, only 6640 yards, or 3116 toises. Childers, the swiftest horse in the memory of man, ran the first course in seven minutes and a half, and the second in six minutes and forty seconds, which amounts to forty feet five or six inches in a second ; whereas all horses since are at least seven minutes and fifty seconds in per- forming the former, and seven minutes the latter, that is, forty- four feet and five or six inches in a second." These I look upon as certain ; and it is commonly supposed, that these racers cover, at every stroke, a space of about twenty- four English feet. This differs but. little from the above con- jecture, of about two strokes in a second. Each stroke would be about eighteen and a half French feet for the swiftest Barb at Rome, and twenty-two or twenty-three for the English racers ; so that the swiftness of these should be, to that of the Barbs, nearly as four to three. 472 OF EUROPEAN HORSES. velocity of the wind, as water is a more dense medium than air. Mrs Piozzi gives the following account of horse races at Florence : — " The street is now covered with saw-dust, and made fast at both ends ; the starting-post is adorned with elegant booths, lined with red velvet for the court and first nobility ; at the other end a piece of tapestry is hung to prevent the creatures from dashing their brains out when they reach the goal. Thousands and ten thousands of people on foot fill the course, so that it is a great wonder to me still, that numbers are not killed. The prizes are now exhibited to view quite in the old classical style, — a piece of crimson damask for the winner, a small silver basin and ewer for the second, and so on, leaving no performer unrewarded. At last came out the concurrent^ without riders, but with a narrow leathern strap hung across their bodies, which has a lump of ivory fastened to the end of it, all set full of sharp spikes, like a hedgehog, and this goads them along while galloping, worse than any spurs could do, because the faster they run the more this odd machine keeps jumping up and down, and pricking their sides ridicu- lously enough, and it makes one laugh to see that some of them are so tickled by it as not to run at all, but set about plunging in order to rid themselves of the inconve- nience, instead of driving forward to divert the mob, who leap, caper, and shout with delight, and lash the laggers along with great indignation indeed, and with the most comical gestures. I never saw horses in so droll a state of degradation before, for they were all striped or spotted, THE ITALIAN HORSE. 473 or painted of some colour to distinguish them from each other, and nine or ten of them start at a time, to the great danger of lookers on, I think." At Bari and Francavilla, horse flesh is said to be publicly sold in the market, and the tail left on to shew the purchasers to what beast it belonged. The wits among the populace, nickname these shamble horses caprio ferrato, or shod-deer. Skippon says, that when he was at Rome, while passing the church of St Antonio, on the birth day of that saint, he saw a priest standing on the steps which led up to the principal door of the edifice, sprinkling holy water on horses, and also on the people, as they passed by. The villurians, or hackney coachmen rode up and down this day on their horses, mules, and asses, trimmed with ribbons and bells. A mace was carried before them, while trumpets were sounded as they went in procession. Many of them had large tapers in their hands ; one fellow on a mule (which some said drank the conse- crated water) talked with the priest. We are told by Misson, in his " Travels through part of Italy," that at the church of St Anthony, all the horses of Rome received benedictions every year, on the festival of that saint. Ray, in his " Travels through Venice, &c." informs us, that, in Naples and Sicily, a sort of cheese was made, which they called Caseo di Cavallo, or horse cheese ; but for what reason he could not learn. These cheeses were made up in several forms ; some had the appear- ance of a distended bladder, others were the shape of a cylinder, and various other figures. They were neither fat nor strong, yet well tasted, and very palatable to 2Q 474 OF EUROPEAN HORSES. those who were accustomed to the use of them. The pulp, or body of them lay in flakes, or laminae, and had much the appearance of wood. SYBARITE HORSES. The dance of animals was not unknown to antiquity ; dogs, bears, apes, elephants, &c. were admitted into their corps de ballet ; but horses exceeded all the rest in the gracefulness of their steps and the docility of their tempers. Pliny informs us, that the Sybarites, whom we have surpassed in this, if in nothing else, were the first who introduced this tractable quadruped to their balls. The passion of this people for amuse- ment, however, proved fatal to them on this occasion ; for the Crotonitae, having instructed their trumpeters to sound the usual charge in a pitched battle between the armies of these two nations, the horses of the latter fell to dancing, instead of advancing to the charge, and were with their riders cut in pieces. THE GRECIAN HORSE. Although Greece possessed, at a very early period, a race of excellent horses, they seem to have sadly degenerated in point of form, having at present neither figure nor sprightliness to recommend them. They are, however, vigorous, and extremely sure-footed. THE GRECIAN HORSE. 475 The mode of travelling in Greece, as in Turkey, is on horseback: none of the roads are practicable for carriages in all their extent. Even the conveyance of merchandise takes place on the backs of horses, mules, and asses ; and, when the journey extends to Bosnia and Dalmatia, traders unite in caravans. The implements of agriculture with the Greeks are few and simple. In light lands, like those of Messina, the plough consists merely of a share pointed with iron, without any other parts attached to it. It is either dragged by one horse or two asses. Alexander's horse. Alexander the Great had a horse, which would not allow any person to mount him but his master, when he was accoutred with his full trappings. This horse was called Bucephalus, from the resemblance of his head to that of a bull. (Bovg %z . TfflE DZGGTA1 TEGE MOUMAIH ZE3SA THE DZIGGTAI. 517 SECTION FIFTH. OF ALLIED SPECIES. THE DZIGGTAI. Species II. — Equus Hemionus. — Cuvier. The specific characters of the Dziggtai are, — his skin is isabella, or light bay in summer, of a clean and thriving appearance ; of a redder hue in winter, and the hair very long; his mane and dorsal line, which enlarges on the crupper, are generally black; and his tail terminated by a black tuft. He is generally the size of an ordinary wild horse ; and his proportions are intermediate between the horse and the ass. He is probably the wild mule of the ancients. He lives in troops in the sandy deserts of Central Asia. Messerschmit was the first who noticed this animal ; but we had no precise description, till it was given by Pallas. His name, in the Mongol language, signifies large ear. His ears are much longer than those of the horse, but straighter and better formed than those of the mule. His head is strong, and rather heavy ; the forehead narrow and flattened, with a peculiar projection above the nostrils, from whence the nose suddenly droops ; 518 THE DZIGGTAI. the bristles or beard numerous, and about two and a half inches in length ; the mane short and thick ; the chest capacious ; the back long and curved ; and the crupper is somewhat thin : the shoulders are narrow, and the limbs light ; pasterns long, with the hoofs black, somewhat produced like those of the ass ; the tail re- sembles that of a bull, very thick at its base, is black, nearly two feet long, with a thick tuft at its point, reaching nearly three inches beyond his hock. In Wombwell's menagerie, ther© is a fine specimen of this animal, a female. The colour, along the back, upper part of the neck and forehead, dark fawn ; the lower part of the face, pale ash, and the muzzle gray ; the lower part of the throat, breast, belly, and legs, cream white ; the mane, dark brown, differing from that of the rest of the genus, in being somewhat frizzled, fine, and not unlike human hair, and ending abruptly about four inches above the withers ; the list, along the spine is dark brown, half an inch broad at its com- mencement at the end of the mane, gradually increasing in breadth till it reaches the top of the hip bone, where it is five inches, when it decreases till it terminates on the tail, about nine inches from its insertion, in nearly an acute point. Towards the top of the forearm in each leg, in the inside, there is a black semilunar shaped patch, occupying the place of the wart in horses. This is common to the whole genus, except the horse, and seems to have been hitherto overlooked by naturalists. She is about twelve hands high, and four years of age. It is from this beautiful and rare animal that our figure is taken, having had a painting done from the life, by Mr Forbes, on purpose for the work. THE DZIGGTAI. 519 The Dziggtai is a light and nimble animal ; his limbs, beautifully fine, with flat shank bones, the knee joints long and straight, that seem peculiarly formed for speed, which he possesses in an astonishing degree, as he runs with the speed of the wind, carrying his head in an erect position, with the nostrils expanded. His air betrays extreme energy, being wild, fiery, and un tame- able in his disposition. The flesh of this animal is esteemed a great delicacy by the Mongols, Tungooses, and other hordes, on the borders of the Great Desert. Like the rest of the genus, he is gregarious, and is seen in troops of from twenty to thirty in number, and, some have said, even in herds of one hundred. Like the horse, his character is pacific, and he never attacks other animals. Each troop has a chief, who watches over its safety, conducts its general movements, and gives the signal of alarm, in cases of danger. This signal is said to consist in leaping several times round the object he dreads. This temerity often occasions his death ; in which event, the herd disperses, in opposite directions, and become more easily a prey to the hunters. It is in vain to attempt following the Dziggtai on horseback, as it would quickly leave the fleetest courser of the desert far behind. It is remarkable, that all means to domesticate this animal have hitherto proved abortive, and this even when taken young. They are considered by the natives as untameable; for, the individuals which have been tried generally killed themselves, in their exertions to escape their thraldom. Pallas, however, thinks they might be subdued by proper treatment. Indeed, it has been found, that all animals 520 THE DZIGGTAI. are susceptible of some degree of domestication ; and, if this were persisted in, the Dziggtai might eventually become a useful servant of man. Sonnini is of opinion, that this species will become extinct, from the circumstance of man not being able to subjugate them ; and from their being such a favourite delicacy with the Asiatics. EARLY HISTORY OF THE ASS. 521 SKETCH OF THE EARLY HISTORY OF THE ASS. The third species of the horse tribe is the Ass, — an animal which has been under the dominion of man from the earliest ages. Indeed, he seems to have been sooner domesticated than the horse ; for, as I have before noticed, asses are mentioned in the twelfth chapter of Genesis, as domesticated, 1920 years before the Christian era, although nothing is said of the horse. In early times, the ass was not, as is now the case with us, considered a despicable animal ; for we find that he was rode by the rich and noble, in preference to the horse ; as will appear from the following instances, which I select from many that are recorded in the Sacred Writings : — When Abraham went to offer his son Isaac, he rode upon an ass ;* Joseph and his brethren rode on asses when they went down to Egypt to purchase corn ;f and we are told, that when Moses left Jethro, his father- in-law, he took his wife and his sons, and set them upon asses, and returned to Egypt. J In the enumeration of Job's property, which appears to have been very great, we find, that he had five hundred she asses ; § * Genesis, xxii. 3. j Genesis, xliii. 24. 1 Exodus, iv. 20. § Job, i. 3. 2 U 15 522 SKETCH OF THE and, in his prosperity, he is said to have had a thousand she asses.* It is likely that the preference of females arose from the circumstance, that the ass can subsist on a scanty and coarse fare ; so that, in the patriarchal ages, the she ass would not only bear the rider through the desert and barren tracts, but also, with her milk, contribute to the support of her master. Jair, the Gileadite, one of the judges of Israel, had thirty sons; who rode on thirty ass colts, f Anah, the Horite prince, did not think it derogatory to his rank, to feed the asses of Zibeon, his father. J In ancient times, the ass was used for drawing chariots; for, when Isaiah predicted the fall of Babylon, he describes the watch- men as seeing " a chariot with a couple of horsemen, a chariot of asses, and a chariot of camels." § Herodotus says, the Indians had war chariots drawn by wild asses. The Jews considered the ass as an unclean animal, because his hoof was not cloven, and he did not chew the cud ; therefore refrained from eating his flesh, and offering him as a sacrifice. But we find that, in cases of want, these laws were disregarded ; for, when Samaria was besieged by the Syrians, " an ass's head was sold for fourscore pieces of silver." || The contempt of the Jews for this beast did not cease with his exis- tence ; for, unlike other animals, which, when they died, were buried under ground, he was thrown into the fields or ditches, to be eaten by wild beasts or birds. Such also was the burial of their criminals, or those * Job, xlii. 12. f Judges, x. 4. % Genesis, xxxvi. 24. § Isaiah, xxi. 7. : ! 2 Kings, vi. 25. EARLY HISTORY OF THE ASS. 523 they wished to treat with ignominy : Jehoiakim, king of Judah, was doomed to be thus treated, — " He shall be buried with the burial of an ass, drawn and cast forth beyond the gates of Jerusalem." * Herodotus gives a curious account of the alarm of the Scythian horses, on the approach of asses and mules, animals to which they were unaccustomed. " In these attacks of the Scythians," says he, " on the camp of Darius, the Persians had one advantage, which I shall explain : it arose from the braying of the asses and appearance of the mules. I have before observed, that neither of these animals are produced in Scythia, on account of the extreme cold;f the braying, there- fore, of the ass greatly distressed the Scythian horses, which, as often as they attacked the Persians, pricked up their ears and ran back, equally disturbed by a noise which they had never heard, and figures which they had never seen. This was of some importance in the progress of hostilities." J The ass found favour among the ancient astronomers ; for, in the sign of Cancer, there are two stars, called the two asses, placed there, it is said, by Bacchus, who, in his fury, caused to him by Juno, travelled to the Dodonaean temple of Apollo to recover his wits by the counsel of the oracle. He came to a certain lake, over which he could not pass ; and, meeting there two asses, took one of them, and went safely over on its back dry- footed. Afterwards, when he recovered his wits, in thank- fulness for that good turn, he resolved to immortalize * Jeremiah, xxii. 18. f The same thing is affirmed by iElian. \ Beloe's Translation of Herodotus, vol. ii. book iv. chap, cxxix. 524 SKETCH OF THE them, and, accordingly, placed the two asses amongst the stars.* The ass was unknown in northern Europe in the time of Aristotle. The Greeks at that time possessed a fine race of them : they passed to Italy, and are now to be met with as far north as Sweden. The ancient poets affirm, that, when Jupiter made war against the giants, he was assisted by Bacchus and Vulcan, as also by Selinus and the Satyrs, all mounted upon asses. When the battle commenced, the asses brayed horribly for fear ; and the giants became so terrified by voices which they had never heard before, that they took to their heels, and so were discomfited. Poppsea Sabina, the wife of Nero, is said to have kept five hundred asses to afford her milk, in which this luxurious woman was accustomed daily to bathe. Even in her banishment, she was attended by fifty of these animals, for the same purpose ; and, from their milk, she invented a kind of ointment or pomatum, to preserve her beauty, called, from her, Poppccanum.f At the feast of asses among the Romans, the bakers put bread crowns on the heads of asses. Hence, in an ancient kalendar, the ides of June are thus denoted, — Festum est Vestce, asinus coronatur. J This honour was conferred on the ass, because, by its braying, it had saved Vesta from being violated by the Lampsacan god. Hence the formula Vestce delictum est asinus.§ At these festivals, called Vestalia, banquets were also pre- * Pliny and Hyginus. f See the lives of Nero and Otho by Suetonius. | It is the feast of Vesta, the ass is crowned. § The ass is the delight of Vesta. EARLY HISTORY OF THE ASS. 525 pared before the houses, and meat was sent to the vestals to be offered to the gods ; millstones were decked with garlands, the asses that turned them were led round the city covered with wreaths of flowers ; and the ladies walked in the procession barefooted, to the temple of the goddess. During the middle ages, the continuance of many profane festivals and customs was allowed by the Ca- tholic clergy all over Europe, to supersede the ancient Pagan festivals, to which the converted barbarians were obstinately attached ; and these were celebrated on days on which the heathen feasts were held, and were often scenes of the most corrupt licentiousness. The feast, of which an account follows, may have had its origin in that of Vesta, just mentioned : — " The most absurd of these feasts, and which, as if intended to be a complete burlesque on Christianity, was celebrated on the birth-day of our Saviour, was the feast of asses. Du Cange gives a list of all the lessons and hymns which were read and chanted in mock devotion on this occasion, page 402. Mr Millin has given an account of it, from the Missal composed by an archbishop of Sens, who died in 1222, which has been thus abstracted : — " On the eve of the day appointed to celebrate it, before the beginning of vespers, the clergy went in procession to the door of the cathedral, where were two choristers singing in a minor key, or rather with squeaking voices, — Lux hodie, lux lctitire, me judice, tristis Quisquis erit, removendus erit soleranibus istis. 2U2 526 SKETCH OF THE Sicut hodie, procul invidiae, procid omnia mcesta ; Laeta volunt, quicumque celebrant Asinaria Fasta. Light to-day, the light of joy — I banish every sorrow ; Wherever found, be it expell'd from our solemnities to-morrow ; Away be strife, and grief, and care, from every anxious breast ; And all be joy and glee in those who keep the ass's feast. " After this anthem, two canons were deputed to fetch the ass, and to conduct him to the table, which was the place where the great chanter sat, to read the order of the ceremonies, and the names of those who were to take any part in them. The animal was clad with precious priestly ornaments, and, in this array, was solemnly conducted to the middle of the choir ; during which procession the following hymn was sung in a major key. The first and last stanzas of it were : — Orientis partibus Adventavit asinus, Pulcher et fortissimus, Sarcinis aptissimus. Hez, Sire Ane, hez ! &c. &c. Amen, dicas asine! Jam satias de gramine : Amen ! Amen ! itera, Aspernare Vetera. Plez, Sire Ane, hez ! These have been thus Englished: — From the country of the East Came this strong and handsome beast, This able ass — beyond compare, Heavy loads and packs to bear. Huzza, Signor Ass, huzza ! EARLY HISTORY OF THE ASS. 527 Amen ! bray, most honour'd Ass, Sated now with grain and grass : Amen repeat, amen reply, And disregard antiquity. Huzza, Signor Ass, huzza ! " After this the office began by an anthem in the same style, sung purposely in the most discordant manner possible. The office itself lasted the whole of the night and part of the next day ; it was a rhapsody of whatever was sung in the course of the year at the appropriated festivals, forming altogether the strangest and most ridiculous medley that can be conceived. As it was natural to suppose that the choristers and the congre- gation should feel thirst in so long a performance, wine was distributed in no sparing manner. The signal for that part of the ceremony was an anthem, commen- cing < Conductos ad proculum^ &c. (Brought to the glass, &c») " The first evening after vespers the grand chanter of Sens headed the jolly band in the streets, preceded by an enormous lantern. A vast theatre was prepared for their reception before the church, where they per- formed not the most decent interludes. The singing and dancing were concluded by throwing a pail of water on the head of the grand chanter. They then returned to the church to begin the morning office ; and on that occasion, several received, on their naked bodies, a number of pails of water. At the respective divisions of the service, great care was taken to supply the ass with drink and provender. In the middle of it a signal was given by an anthem, — < Conductus ad ludos,' Sfc. (Brought to play, &c.) and the ass was conducted into 523 SKETCH OF THE the nave of the church, where the people, mixed with the clergy, danced round him, and strove to imitate his braying. When the dancing was over, the ass was brought again to the choir, where the clergy terminated the festival. " The vespers of the second day concluded with an invitation to dinner, in the form of an anthem like the rest, 'Conductus ad prandium,' (Brought to dinner, &c.) And the festival ended by a repetition of similar thea- tricals to those which had taken place the day before. " How much these licentious absurdities must have diminished the moral uses and influence of Christianity, especially when the priesthood itself was part of the actors, may be easily conceived." * Strabo informs us, that it was a practice among the inhabitants of Cuma, a town of iEolia, in Asia Minor, when a woman was taken in adultery, first to lead her to the market-place, and set her upon a stone. She was afterwards mounted on the bare back of an ass, led through the city, and then brought back to stand on the stone, a spectacle to all the populace, which rendered her infamous ever after. She had the appel- lation of Onobatis, that is, one who had ridden on an ass. It was not, however, the simple act of riding on an ass which was thought disgraceful, but to ride on its bare back was considered so by the Cumani, as well as by the Parthian s. Arcadia was much celebrated in early times for its breed of asses, as also Tomochain, in Persia, where * Turner's History of England during the Middle Ages, vol. v. 105-107. EARLY HISTORY OF THE ASS. 529 they were said to be very beautiful, and so highly valued, that they were sold for thirty pounds of silver. On the other hand, the asses of Illyria and Thracia were very small, and in India, they were not bigger than rams. In Britain, the ass was amongst the domestic animals as early as the time of King Ethelred, and afterwards in the reign of Henry the Third ; but he was lost in England during the time of Elizabeth, and was probably introduced again in the succeeding reign. The original country of the ass seems to be involved in as great obscurity as that of the horse, for although we are well aware that he is now spread over many of the vast desert tracts of both Asia and Africa, yet we are quite uncertain where he existed in an unre- claimed state. It is, however, very probable that he was a native of the extensive wilds which border on the Arabian deserts, and those of Libya and Numidia. He is also found in a wild state in many of the islands of the Archipelago, and abounds in that of Cerigo. The wild ass is spoken of by Job, one of the oldest writers, as inhabiting the deserts. The Almighty is represented as answering Job out of the whirlwind in the following terms, — " Who hath sent out the wild ass free? or who hath loosed the bands of the wild ass? whose house I have made the wilderness, and the barren land his dwellings. He scorneth the multitude of the city, neither regardeth he the crying of the driver. The range of the mountains is his pasture, and he searcheth after every green thing."* * Job, xxxix. 5-8. 530 SKETCH OF THE The wild ass, or onager of the ancients, is said to run with astonishing swiftness, and, when pursued by the Arabs, mounted on even the fleetest horses they possess, cannot be overtaken. Leo Afrieanus says it yields only to the horses of Barbary ; and Xenophon, in his Anabasis, affirms that it outruns the fleetest of horses. Oppian says it has feet like the whirlwind; iElian states, that it seems as if it were carried forward by wings like a bird; and Hamer asserts, that it is still supposed to surpass all other animals in swiftness.* These testimonies are confirmed by Professor Gmelin, who saw many troops of wild asses in the deserts of Great Tartary ; and affirms that their swiftness is such, that the best horses cannot equal them in speed. So extraordinary are their powers in this respect, that, when they are pursued, they quickly leave the hunter far behind, and, as if it were to mock him, turn round, stop, and gaze at him, till he has approached within a short distance, and then resume their flight. In the words of Job, the wild ass " scorneth the multitude of the city" that invade its retreats ; or, as the original term properly implies, it laughs at their numbers and their speed, and seems to take a malicious pleasure in disap- pointing their hopes. A similar description is also given by Xenophon, who flourished four hundred years before the Christian era. Speaking of the country near Cunaxa, he says, " Of wild creatures the most nume- rous were wild asses, and not a few ostriches, besides bustards and roe-deer, which our horsemen sometimes chased. The asses, when they were pursued, haying * Vol. ii. page \ 85. EARLY HISTORY OF THE ASS. 531 gained ground of the horses, stood still, (for they exceeded them much in speed,) and when these came up with them, they did the same thing again, so that our horsemen could take them by no other means but by dividing themselves into relays, and succeeding one another in the chase."* The Arabs continue this sport to the present day, and sometimes shoot them with arrows, for the sake of their flesh, which they highly esteem. Olearius relates, that the king of Persia invited him to an entertainment, which was given in a small build- ing near the palace, somewhat resembling a theatre. The company were refreshed by a collation of fruits and confections. Afterwards, thirty wild asses were driven into the area, among which the sovereign dis- charged several shot and some arrows. This example was followed by some of his suite. The asses finding themselves wounded, and no means of escape, began to bray in a terrible manner, and to bite each other with great fury. They continued their conflict, and were fired upon until they were all dispatched. The king then ordered them to be conveyed to his kitchen at Ispahan. The pursuit of the wild ass seems undertaken more for pleasure than any hopes of success, as they are seldom or never taken alive. It is only by stratagem that they are obtained. The hunters lie in ambush for them on the margin of salt lakes and ponds, where they resort to drink. Pits are made, and concealed, half filled with succulent plants, and the tender branches * Spei.man's Translation of Xenophon's Anabasis, book i. chap 5. 532 SKETCH OF THE of trees, so as to prevent them from breaking their limbs in their fall. When a wild one is reclaimed, he will sell for a high price. It is said the king of Persia has always stables of them. The favourite range of the wild ass is a mountain district, where salt ponds or marshes are contiguous. He prefers brackish water to that which is pure, and has a strong predilection for plants which are impreg- nated with saline particles, or have bitter juices, such as the axtriple, kali, and chenopodium. It is this taste, which he inherits from nature, that makes him shun the fertile valley for the desert tract. In these desert wilds the ass is compelled to traverse a great extent of country in search of food. The wild asses of Great Tartary come annually in large herds, which spread themselves over the moun- tain deserts to the north and east of the sea of Aral, where they pass the summer or autumn ; they con- gregate in vast herds, and return to the mountain countries of northern Asia. They generally spend the winter in the warm parts of Persia or India, and advance in summer to the north of the Aral, where the pasturage is both fresh and abundant, and drink plen- tiful. David says, " He sendeth the springs into the valleys which run among the hills ; they give drink to every beast of the field ; the wild asses quench their thirst."* It, however, not unfrequently happens, that these resources are dried up, and the poor animals are exposed to dreadful privations, as well as the other beasts of the * Psalm civ. 10, 11. EARLY HISTORY OF THE ASS. 533 desert. When this is the case, they ascend to the tops of mountains, and, taking their stations on precipitous rocks, suck in the air, which, in some measure, alleviates their sufferings. They may be seen for hours together, with their heads erect, and their mouths open, sucking in the cool air. Even this circumstance is noticed in the Sacred Volume, " The wild asses did stand in the high places ; they snuffed up the wind like dragons ; their eyes did fail because there was no grass."* The eye of the wild ass is naturally large and brilliant, and his sight extremely acute; but in these trying cases it becomes dim, and its power of vision is circumscribed. The figure of the wild ass strongly resembles that of the domestic kinds, though he is more sprightly in his general aspect ; his colour is brighter, and he has a streak extending from his head to his tail, which is sometimes white, although it is usually brown, with a brown stripe across his shoulders : his usual colours are dun, gray, or brownish yellow; with the belly silvery gray. Cartwright says, he saw large herds of wild asses on the banks of the Euphrates, among which were many all white. Gmelin brought with him a white one from Tartary. Wild asses live in herds, each headed by a chief: they are extremely timid and provident against danger. A male takes upon him the care of the herd, and is always on the watch. If he observe a hunter, who, by creeping along the ground, has got near them, the sentinel takes a great circuit, to reconnoitre the enemy, and when he is satisfied of danger, he rejoins the herd, which sets off with great precipitation. Sometimes * Jeremiah, xiv. 6. 2X 534 SKETCH OF THE his curiosity costs him his life, by approaching so near, as to afford the hunter an opportunity of shooting him. The exquisite sense of hearing and smell in these animals, makes it next to an impossibility to approach without being discovered. Some authors are of opinion, that the wild ass, in his present state, has sprung from emancipated individuals ; but this is merely a conjecture, as we have no authority whatever for entertaining this opinion. The wild ass, now extremely common in America, is the offspring of domestic ones, introduced by the Spaniards, after the conquest of that country. The climate seems extremely favourable to the constitution of these animals, for they have multiplied to such an amazing extent, as to become a nuisance in many places. Ulloa tells us, that in Quito they are hunted by a number of persons on horseback, in the following manner : — Sportsmen are attended by many Indians on foot, who form a wide circle, which closes, and drives the asses into a narrow compass; the hunters then throw a noose over them, and, being secured with ropes, leave the poor animals in this state till the end of the chase, which frequently lasts several days. They are so alarmed during these pursuits, that neither precipices nor declivities stop their progress; and they will run down places where a horse would be shaken to atoms. When persons close upon them, they defend themselves with their teeth and heels, and strike with such amazing rapidity, that the hunters often receive severe contu- sions, the animals all the time going at full speed. The owners of the grounds where they abound, allow the hunters to take away as many as they please, by paying 2 EARLY HISTORY OF THE ASS. 535 them a small acknowledgment. When the sport is over, the hunters frequently pair the wild and tame asses together, but this is often a dangerous experi- ment. A remarkable property of these animals is, that as soon as they have once carried a burden, they lose their natural swiftness, their ferocity forsakes them, and they become dull, stupid, and obedient. * SPECIFIC ACCOUNT OF THE ASS. Species III. — Equus Asinus. — Linnaeus. THE ASS. Plate V. Fig. 1. In ancient Hebrew, the Ass is called Hamor, and in more modern times, Gajedor, Tartak, and Caar, but more properly Phaerce. In Persic, Care, and the wild ass, Gour. In Greek, Onos, and Killos. In Latin, Asinus ; by the ancient Romans, Onager ; in Italian, Asino ; in Spanish, Asno ; in French, Ane ; and in German, EseL The head of the ass is large and thick ; the ears very long ; the mane short and erect, with a dark brown stripe from the shoulders to the insertion of the tail, which is * Ulloa, vol. i. p. 316. 536 SPECIFIC ACCOUNT OF THE ASS. thick, covered with short hairs, and stunted towards its end. A dark stripe extends from the top of the withers to the insertion of the thigh, on each shoulder : the whole animal is covered with thick-set woolly-like hair. His general colour is ash-coloured brown ; some- times chestnut ; very dark brown, approaching to black ; and sometimes, though rarely, white. In June, 1827, at the Malt and Shovel Inn, Borough- bridge, Mr Winteringham had a beautiful colt foal, the offspring of an English ass : He had a very curiously marked body, head, and neck, something like a piebald horse. He was of the finest symmetry, little inferior in form to an Arabian. The Israelites placed a high value on white asses ; for, in the song of Deborah, the governors of Israel are described as riding on white asses.* The ass is three or four years in coming to perfection, but will propagate when two years old, and will con- tinue to do so till about twenty-five years of age : TElian says till thirty ; alluding, probably, to those in eastern climates. The female goes with young above eleven months, and rarely brings forth more than one at a time. This animal seldom lies down to rest, unless extremely fatigued: he sleeps standing, and requires much less repose than the horse. Although we can at once distinguish the difference between the horse and ass, yet, when we come to a minute examination of their different parts, we discover a very great similitude ; and anatomists find great diffi- * Judges, v. 10. SPECIFIC ACCOUNT OF THE ASS. 537 culty in ascertaining to which species bones of these animals belong. The internal organization is also exactly similar. But notwithstanding this striking resemblance, they are perfectly distinct, nature having placed an insuperable bar between them ; for the mule produced between these quadrupeds is barren, like all other hybrid animals. It is this wise provision that maintains the continual duration of species ; the world would otherwise have been filled with an endless variety of monsters. Although nature has permitted one step out of her ordinary laws, she has said, " Thus far shalt thou go, but no farther," and has uniformly marked these monsters with certain sterility. The ass is by no means that stupid animal which he is generally supposed to be. He possesses all the senses in a very high degree, and his perceptions are clear and precise ; but his apprehension is not nearly so acute as that of the horse. It may, however, be said, that he has more solid good qualities. I am speaking of him as he is found in Great Britain ; for he is a very different animal where the climate is favourable to his constitu- tion. In warm countries, he is not only lively and playful, but also very active in his paces. His dispo- sition is naturally timid ; hence the caution of his move- ments, which the thoughtless have improperly attributed to stupidity and obstinacy. When overloaded, the ass shews the injustice of his master by hanging down his ears, and will refuse to proceed with his burden. The ass is robust in his constitution, and is subject to few diseases. These, in a great measure, arise from the total want of care bestowed on this excellent, though 2X2 538 SPECIFIC ACCOUNT OF THE ASS. much neglected animal. His temperance is very great, being able to subsist on a scanty meal of the coarsest herbage. If the ass were propagated in this country with the same care as the horse, and were the same attention paid to introducing fine animals from Spain and Persia, and the breed crossed, this degraded animal would quickly rise in our estimation ; as he has qualities of some kinds superior to the horse : he is more sure-footed, and, in carrying a burden, exceeds the horse considerably in strength : the Hebrew word athon, is a term for the ass, from a root, which signifies strong, or firm ; he is less given to starting than the horse, a failing in this quadruped by which many lose their lives. Those very qualities, which unthinking man ought to appreciate, have, on the contrary, the effect of bringing upon the unfortunate animal an overwhelming load of unmerited hardships and barbarous chastisement. His services are despised by the rich ; and he is destined only to share the labours and privation of the poor and needy, whose hearts are hardened by poverty, with hardly a kindly feeling to bestow on the humble and patient animal, who exerts all his energies in their service ; and whose meal is often so limited, as to be scarcely sufficient to sustain life ; and on whom the abject wretch but too frequently wreaks his chagrined feelings. Is it then to be wondered at, that the poor brute should exhibit a character of stupidity and dulness ? But it is only in northern Europe that he is thus despised : for, in eastern countries, he is held in high estimation, and is treated with that care and attention which he so justly merits. He is much used for the saddle, and is invaluable in mountainous countries for SPECIFIC ACCOUNT OF THE ASS. 5S9 transporting travellers and their baggage, where the horse is of no use. We are informed by Dr llussel, in his History of Aleppo, that there is a large breed, which are of great value. In Persia, also, they bring from seventy-five ducats to an hundred crowns. The asses reared in the island of Malta are remarkable for strength and beauty ; of these, several of late have been imported to Britain, a circumstance which has tended so much to increase the price of these animals at Malta, that no less a sum than thirty-five pounds sterling has been known to be paid for one jack-ass.* With kind treatment, the ass is very susceptible of education ; he is possessed of an excellent memory, and delicate senses. He never fails to remember a road he has once travelled ; and his extreme caution and timidity require him to be forced to take a new one, should it be necessary to lead him out of his usual route. The ass has a natural dread of water, but can be brought to cross fords by habit. If his eyes are covered, he never fails to come to an instant halt, and nothing will force him to proceed. When young, the ass is rather a pretty animal, even in this country : he is sprightly and playful ; but soon loses these qualities by age or bad treatment, and becomes dull and wayward. He is often much attached to his owner, and has been known to scent him at a distance, and distinguish him from others in a crowd. To illustrate the pleasures to be derived from the picturesque, Mr Dugald Stewart, in his Philosophical Essays, gives an example of the ass, whose claim to * See Boisgelen's History of Malta. 540 SPECIFIC ACCOUNT OF THE ASS. a place among interesting objects, he shews to be founded on higher and more intelligible grounds, than the shagginess of his hair, or the length of his ears. The following passages are worthy of attention : — " But the ass, it must be remembered, has, beside his appearance, strong claims, on other accounts, to the painter's attention. Few animals have so powerful an effect in awakening associated ideas and feelings ; and, accordingly, it is eminently picturesque, in the poetical sense of that word, as well as in the acceptation in which it is understood by Mr Price.* Not to speak of the frequent allusions to it in Holy Writ, what interest are we led to attach to it in our early years by the Fables of JEsop ; by the similes of Homer ; by the exploits of Don Quixote ; by the pictures which it recals to us of the by-paths in the forest, where we have so often met with it as a beast of burden, and the associate of the vagrant poor, or where we have stopped to gaze on the infant beauties which it carried in its panniers ; in fine, by the circumstances which have called forth, in its eulogy, one of the most pleasing efforts of Buffon's eloquence, — its own quiet and inno- fensive manners, and the patience with which it submits to its life of drudgery J It is worthy, too, of remark, that this animal, when we meet with it in painting, is seldom the common ass of our own country, but the ass ennobled by the painter's taste ; or copied from the animal of the same species which we have seen in the patriarchal journeys, and other scripture pieces of eminent masters. In consequence of this circumstance, * Mr Uvedale Price, Essays on the Picturesque. SPECIFIC ACCOUNT OF THE ASS. 541 a pleasing association, arising from the many beautiful compositions of which it forms a part, comes to be added to its other recommendations already mentioned, and has secured to it a rank on the canvass, which the degradation of its name will for ever prevent it from attaining in the works of our English poets." On the Peninsula, it is the practice, for ornament, and to prevent galling, and partly, perhaps, for the sake of cleanliness, to shave the hair of the asses and mules, in various forms ; the usual mode being to cut it close upon the back, and half way down the sides, and to hog the mane. In asses, they shave the tail ; whilst the mules, from a more convenient fashion, preserve the advantage of a large bunch of hair at the extremity. From the tail, two or three raised lines generally run across the hams, and an intermediate row or two of lozenges completes the finery. The ears, also, are sometimes shaved ; small tufts of hair being left on the tips. To make these decorations, is the office of the gipsies ; and, in the evenings, it is impossible to pass the outskirts of a town where they are found, without seeing numbers of them engaged in this singular employment. It is highly amusing to observe the quickness and accuracy with which they manage their huge scissors, — one Gitano at the head, and another at the tail of the beast, which finds itself adorned with a security not at all guaranteed by the rapidity of execution. The Gitanos are far greater cheats than the horse- dealers of any other country, and practise more fraud than is known in the annals of English jockey ship, - — concealing faults and applying temporary remedies, 542 SPECIFIC ACCOUNT OF THE ASS. lying beyond all measure, and holding up the most wretched mules and asses for soundness and low price. In Andalusia, a figurative expression is, that " A Gitano makes a dying ass gallop." These people are most notorious thieves, and the stealing of asses and mules is but too common a crime among them, in which they are rarely detected ; for these animals, being generally the property of the lower classes, are seldom traced; and, besides, the practice of clipping them above mentioned, adds to the difficulty of proving their property ; and, being low priced, they are more easily exchanged or sold than horses. In Egypt and Arabia, asses are frequently seen of great size and elegance. In their attitudes and move- ments, they exhibit a degree of gracefulness, unknown even in the asses of Spain. Their step is light and sure, and their paces brisk and easy. They are not only in common use for riding, in Egypt, but the Mahometan merchants, the most opulent of the inhabitants, and even ladies of the highest rank ride them. Not long since, Christians were not permitted to appear in the capital on any other animals. In the principal streets of Cairo, asses stand, ready bridled and saddled, for hire. The person who owns the ass accompanies it, running behind to goad it on, and to cry to those on foot to make way. They are regularly rubbed down and washed, which renders their coat smooth and glossy. They are fed on the same fare as horses, which usually consists of chopped straw, barley, and beans. Denon says, that they here seem to enjoy the plenitude of their existence, for they are healthy, active, and cheerful, and the mildest and most SPECIFIC ACCOUNT OF THE ASS. 543 safe animals which a person can ride. Their natural pace is a canter or gallop, and, without fatiguing the rider, they carry him rapidly over the large plains which lie between different parts of this straggling city. In October, 1823, a Spanish ass, belonging to Major Thornton, near Carlow, Ireland, sold for £106, 17s. 7d. He kept another of the same breed, which he valued still higher. Skippon mentions, in his Journey through Italy, fyc. in the year 1663, that he saw ass races at Florence, and also cart and wagon races, at which the Great Duke was usually present. In France, during 1776, and the following years, when there was such a mania for horse-racing, which seemed to prevail even among females, the Queen herself, not satisfied with the amusements of horse and foot races, actually established ass races. By her presence, she animated the countrymen in the neigh- bourhood of Paris, and the winner had for his reward three hundred livres, and a golden thistle, in allusion to the plant to which asses are so partial. The rough voice, or braying, of the ass, proceeds from two small peculiar cavities at the bottom of the larynx. It is a long disagreeable noise, consisting of alternate discords, from sharp to grave, and from grave to sharp. He seldom cries but when pressed with hunger or love. The voice of the male is harsher, coarser, and more disagreeable than that of the female. Pliny says that pipes were made of the hollow bones of asses, and were supposed to be more harmonious than those made from other animals. The Arabs used to manufacture a cloth from a mixture of the hair of asses 544 SPECIFIC ACCOUNT OF THE ASS. and goats, which they called Mesha. The inhabitants of the Desert made their tents and sacks of that substance. Asses' flesh has, from very remote ages, been an article of food in different countries. Xenophon mentions, in his Anabasis, that the Greek army pursued them at Cunaxa for the sake of their flesh, which, he says, was like that of the red-deer, but more tender.* Mecsenas, a Roman, who wrote a his- tory of animals, recommended the eating of young asses' flesh : he flourished during the time of Augustus, and died eight years before the coming of our Saviour. This custom also prevailed at Athens, and Galenus says it was a common practice at Alexandria and its neighbourhood. The flesh of the tame ass is much tougher than that of the wild ass, and said to be less palatable. The Persians esteem the flesh of wild asses so highly, that its delicacy has even become proverbial among them. All the world is aware, that Bologna sausages are as delicate and palatable a food as possibly can be eaten ; yet they are made with asses' flesh : this is remarked by Gibbon, for which he quotes Labat. The milk of asses, from the earliest times, has been considered to possess peculiar qualities, and to be very efficacious in various diseases. Pliny says, " Asininum lac bibendo, qui liberati sunt podagra, chiragrave inter exempla sunC \ And he also writes, " Conferre aliquid * SrELMAN's Translation, book i. chap. v. ■f There are examples of persons, who, by drinking ass milk, have been freed from the gout in their hands or feet. Lib. 28, chap. 9. SPECIFIC ACCOUNT OF THE ASS. 545 et candori in mulierum cute existimatur" * He was also of opinion, that there was more virtue in the milk and bones of wild asses, as an antidote against poison, than those of the tame ass, which was supposed to have that quality. Ass milk has a very strong resemblance to woman's milk ; its colour, taste, and smell, being nearly allied. When left at rest for some time, a cream forms on its surface, but by no means in such abundance as on woman's milk. It contains less curd, and a greater pro- portion of sugar of milk. Previous to digestion, all milk becomes coagulated. Ass milk, as it contains less curd than that of a cow, is therefore recommended as a lighter diet for persons labouring under diseases which weaken the digestive organs. It is much used in pulmonary complaints. GREAT PERFORMANCE. For a wager of fifteen pounds, Mr D. Wilson, clothier, of Ipswich, in 1826, undertook to drive an ass, his own property, in a light gig, to London and back again, a distance of one hundred and forty miles, in two days. The ass went to London at a pace little short of a good gig horse, and fed at different stages well ; on his return he came in, without the aid of a whip, at the rate of seven miles in an hour, and performed the whole journey with ease. He was twelve hands and a half high, and half-bred Spanish and English. * It is thought also to contribute to the fairness of the skin in women. Lib. 11, chap. 41. 546 ANECDOTES OF THE ASS. DESCENDING THE ALPS. The manner in which asses descend the Alps is truly extraordinary. In the passes of these mountains there are often on one side lofty eminences, on the other most frightful abysses; and as these generally follow the direction of the mountains, the road, instead of lying on a level, forms, at every little distance, steep declivities of several hundred yards downwards. These can only be descended by asses ; and the animals them- selves seem sensible of the danger, from the caution which they use. When they come to the edge of one of the descents, they stop of themselves, without being checked by the rider ; and if he inadvertently attempts to spur them on, they are immoveable. They seem all this time ruminating on the danger that lies before them, and preparing themselves for the encounter ; they not only attentively view the road, but tremble and snort at the hazard. Having resolved on the descent, they put their fore-feet in a posture as if they were stopping themselves ; they then also put their hinder-feet together, but a little forward, as if they were going to lie down. In this attitude, having taken a survey of the road, they slide down with the swift- ness of a meteor. In the mean time all that the rider has to do is to keep himself fast in the saddle, without checking the rein ; for the least motion is sufficient to disorder the equilibrium of the ass, in which case both must unavoidably perish. Their address in this rapid descent is quite amazing, for, in their swiftest motion, when they might seem to have lost all government of themselves, they follow the different windings of the ANECDOTES OF THE ASS. 547 road, or track, as if they had previously settled in their minds the route they were to follow. THE EXPERT WATER DRAWER. In the year 1818 an ass was employed at Carisbrook Castle, in the Isle of Wight, in drawing water by a large wheel from a very deep well, supposed to have been sunk by the Romans. When his keeper wanted water, he would say to the ass, " Tom, my boy, I want water ; get into the wheel, my good lad ;" which Thomas imme- diately performed, with an alacrity and sagacity that would have done credit to a nobler animal ; and there can be no doubt he knew the precise number of times necessary for the wheel to revolve upon its axis to complete his labour ; for, every time he brought the bucket to the surface of the well, he constantly stopped and turned round his honest head to observe the moment when his master laid hold of the bucket to draw it towards him, because he had then a nice evolution to make, either to recede or advance a little. It was pleasing to observe with what steadiness and regularity the poor animal performed his labour. DANCING ASS. John Leo, in his " Descriptio Africae," printed in the year 1556, gives an account of an ass, which, if true, proves that this animal is not so stupid and indo-- cile as he is commonly represented. He says, " When the Mahometan worship is over, the common people of Cairo resort to the part of the suburbs called Bed- Elloch, to see the exhibition of stage-players and mountebanks, who teach camels, asses, and dogs to 548 ANECDOTES OF THE ASS. dance. The dancing of the ass is diverting enough ; for, after he has frisked and capered about, his master tells him, that the Soldan, meaning to build a great palace, intends to employ all the asses in carrying mortar, stones, and other materials ; upon which the ass falls down with his heels upwards, closing his eyes, and extending his chest, as if he were dead. This done, the master begs some assistance of the company, to make up the loss of the dead ass ; and having got all he can, he gives them to know that truly his ass is not dead, but only being sensible of his master's neces- sity, played that trick to procure some provender. He then commands the ass to rise, who still lies in the same posture, notwithstanding all the blows he can give him, till at last he proclaims, by virtue of an edict of the Soldan, all are bound to ride out next day upon the comeliest asses they can find, in order to see a triumphal show, and to entertain their asses with oats and Nile water. These words are no sooner pronounced, than the ass starts up, prances, and leaps for joy. The master then declares, that his ass has been pitched upon by the warden of his street, to carry his deformed and ugly wife; upon which the ass lowers his ears, and limps with one of his legs, as if he were lame. The master, alleging that his ass admires handsome women, commands him to single out the prettiest lady in com- pany ; and accordingly, he makes his choice, by going round, and touching one of the prettiest with his head, to the great amusement of the company." ANECDOTES OF THE ASS. 549 AN ASS CAST AWAY. In March, 1816, an ass belonging to Captain Dundas, R.N, then at Malta, was shipped on board the Ister frigate, Captain Forrest, bound from Gibraltar to that island. The vessel struck on a sand bank off the Point de Gat ; and the ass was unfortunately thrown overboard, in the hope that it might possibly be able to swim to land ; of which, however, there seemed but little chance, for the sea was running so high, that a boat which left the ship was lost. A few days after, when the gates of Gibraltar were opened in the morning, the guard was surprised by Valiant (as the ass was called) presenting himself for admittance. On entering, he proceeded immediately to the stable of Mr Weeks, a merchant, which he had formerly occupied. The poor animal had not only swam safely on shore, but, without guide, compass, or travelling map, had found his way from Point de Gat to Gibraltar, a distance of more than two hundred miles, through a mountainous and intricate country, intersected by streams, which he had never traversed before, and in so short a period, that he could not have made one false turn. RACE BETWIXT AN ASS AND BULL. A race between two such animals would not appear very promising ; but it is a fact, that such a race was run, on Wednesday the 5th November, 1794, at Low Laughton, near New Mills, in Derbyshire ; that it was sharply contested, and won by the bull, at four heats. It was done in true turf style, each animal having a rider properly equipped, with spurs and whip, The bull, 2Y2 550 ANECDOTES OF THE ASS. whose strength and disposition might not readily submit to the guidance of reins, had a ring through his nose, from which chains were hung on his horns, and then from a bridle. Many bets were depending on the issue. • SAIfUTARY PUNISHMENT. i ' In August, 1825, at Swalwell, a man set his bull dog to attack an ass, and the poor animal defended himself so gallantly with his heels, keeping his rear always pre- sented to his assailant, that the dog was unable to fix on him. He at length rapidly turned round on his adversary, and caught hold of him with his teeth, in such a manner, that the dog was unable to retaliate. He dragged him to the river Derwent, into which he put him over the head, and, lying down upon him, kept the enemy under water till he was drowned. A RABID ASS. In September, 1822, Mr William Rayner, of Birkley, and his wife and brother, were attacked by an ass, in Birkley-lane, near Huddersfield, which seized the back part of the lady's dress in his mouth. He was instantly knocked down by Mr Rayner, with a large stone, who repeated his blows, aided by his brother, till the ass appeared to be dying. They then dragged him to a steep bank, and left him in strong convulsions. They had not proceeded far, however, when the ass was again on his legs, and in pursuit of the party, who, to save themselves, leaped over a wall, which they had scarcely done, when he arrived, and attempted to scale the wall, but was knocked down with a stone, and soon ANECDOTES OF THE ASS. 551 after expired. After he died, it was ascertained, that he had been bitten by a dog in several parts of his body, and is supposed so to have become rabid under the canine infection. EXTREME TIMIDITY. Sudden and unexpected impressions frequently pro- duce violent effects upon the animal system. Strong emotions of mind may deprive a man of his intellects, and even of his life. There are instances on record, of persons dying in consequence of having received sudden intelligence either of a joyful or distressing nature. This is caused by the circulation of the blood being first accelerated, and afterwards suddenly stopped. Host relates, in his account of Fez and Morocco, that he once saw, at Meknes, a live ass given to lions, to be devoured by them. As soon as the ass entered the den, and saw the lions, he immediately fell down dead. One of the lions instantly seized upon him, and sucked out his blood ; but life had previously been completely extinguished in him, for he did not move a limb or muscle. A MUSICAL ASS. An ass, at Chartres, used to go to the Chateau d' Ouarville, to hear the music that was often performed there. The owner of the Chateau was a lady who had an excellent voice, and, whenever she began to sing, the ass never failed to draw nearer the window, and listen very attentively. Once, when a piece was per- formed, which no doubt pleased him better than any he had heard before, he left his ordinary post, walked 662 ANECDOTES OF THE ASS. without ceremony into the music-room, and, in order to add to the concert what he thought was alone wanting to render it perfect, began to bray with all his might. THE OLD MAN AND ASS. The generally received opinion, that asses are stub- born and intractable animals, alike unmoved by harsh or affectionate usage, is, in a great measure, unfounded, as will appear from the following anecdote, related in Church's Cabinet of Quadrupeds, on the authority of Mr Swan, which ought to be a useful lesson to those who too often inflict unmerited and cruel punishment on two such useful and willing creatures as the horse and ass : — " An old man, who, a few years ago, sold vegetables in London, used in his employment an ass, which conveyed his baskets from door to door. Frequently he gave the poor industrious creature a handful of hay, or some pieces of bread, or greens, by way of refresh- ment and reward. The old man had no need of any goad for the animal, and seldom, indeed, had he to lift up his hand to drive it on. His kind treatment was one day remarked to him, and he was asked whether his beast was apt to be stubborn. < Ah ! master,' he replied, * it is of no use to be cruel ; and as for stub- bornness I cannot complain, for he is ready to do any thing, or go any where. I bred him myself. He is sometimes skittish and playful, and once ran away from me — you will hardly believe it, but there were more than fifty people after him, attempting, in vain, to stop him ; yet, he turned back of himself, and never stopped till he ran his head kindly into my bosom.' " EARLY HISTORY OF THE MULE. 553 SKETCH OF THE EARLY HISTORY OF THE MULE. The Mule, like the horse and ass, has been known from the patriarchal ages. We find him first mentioned in the Sacred Writings 1740 years before Christ. In Genesis it is said, " This was that Anah, that found the mules in the wilderness, as he fed the asses of Zibeon, his father." * Authors have disputed whether he actually found mules, or was the person who first discovered the mode of breeding them. Aristotle and Pliny are of the latter opinion. However this may be, mules do not appear to have become common in Judea, till the reign of David, which was about five hundred years after the death of Anah. This circumstance seems to favour the opinion of Bochart, who thinks that he found the mules, and did not breed them, as the Hebrew verb masta signifies to find, and not to invent. These mules might therefore be some which were produced between wild horses and asses ; although this is very improbable, as hybrids are only known to be generated under the influence of domestication. Or, if the manner of engendering the mule was known to the Israelites, that people probably desisted from breed- ing them, in consequence of the law of God against * Genesis, xxxvi. 24. 554 SKETCH OF THE their propagation ; for it is said, " Ye shall keep my statutes. Thou shalt not let thy cattle gender with diverse kinds."* It is, therefore, likely, that the mules which David and the nobles of his kingdom rode, were imported from other countries, where they appear to have been common long before his reign. In Greece and Cappadocia they abounded, as, in early times, the latter country paid an annual tribute of two thousand mules to Persia. The saddle mules seem to have been held in higher estimation than horses ; for David, the greatest poten- tate of his time, rode a mule, which was kept for his own particular use. When his son Solomon went down to Gihon to be invested with royal dignity, he com- manded him to ride on his own mule ;f and they were among the presents which were annually given to Solomon. J Absalom rode on a mule, when, in the wood of Ephraim, he was caught by the hair of the head on an oak bough, and hung till he died. Bochart is of opinion that the siege of Troy happened long prior to the time of David. Homer often mentions the mule, and says that the pestilence sent by Apollo seized first on the mules and dogs belonging to the Grecian camp : " On mules and dogs the affection first began. "§ Mules were used by the ancients for many purposes : they were employed by the Israelites in carrying pro- visions to David and his followers; they bore the * Leviticus, xix. 19. f 1 Kings, i. 33. \ 1 Kings, x. 25. § Pope's Homefs Iliad, book 1, line 69. EARLY HISTORY OF THE MULE. 555 warrior to the fiekV and drew the chariot from which he fought. Homer represents Priam as yoking mules in the car which was to convey the valuable presents to Achilles, intended as a ransom for the dead body of Hector. " Last, to the yoke the well mateh'd mules they bring, (The gift of Mysia to the Trojan king.")* Or, when literally translated, " a splendid present which the Mysians had formerly presented to the aged monarch." f The prince of poets also alludes to mules being used in ploughing during his time : " So distant they, and such the space between, As when two teams of mules divide the green. "J Priam's chariot was drawn by mules, and the com- bustibles for the funeral pile of Patroclus were conveyed to the Grecian camp by these animals. That mules were, in those times, animals of great speed, we have the testimony of Pindar, the Greek lyric poet, who says, that they contended for the prize in chariot races, as noticed in the following sentence : " Pelias came briskly pressing forward, in a chariot drawn by mules." Pollux says, that races of chariots drawn by mules were contested at the Olympic games. Pausanias gives the names of many competitors in this sport. Mule races in chariots were one of the pastimes of the Romans, and these animals were highly valued * Pope's Homefs Iliad, book 24, line 343. f Ibid, book 24, line 277, t ^id, book 10, line 420, 556 PARTICULAR ACCOUNT OF THE MULE. for their swiftness. We have also the testimony of the book of Esther to the same effect, for he was among the animals on which dispatches were conveyed through the empire of Persia : " And he wrote in the king Ahasuerus' name, and sealed it with the king's ring ; and sent letters by posts on horseback, and riders on mules, camels, and young dromedaries." In Catholic times, mules were used in Great Britain for riding, being often brought over by the Italian prelates. PARTICULAR ACCOUNT OF THE MULE. Plate V. Fig. 2. The mule was called in Hebrew, Pored; in Chaldee, Cudana ; in Arabic, Kegal ; in Greek, Hemionos, and Astrabe; in Latin, Mulus, andJIinnus, and Semiasinus ; in Italian, Mido ; in French, Muletj and in German, Multhire, or Mulesel. This extremely useful animal is engendered between the horse and she ass, and between the jack-ass and mare. The former was called Hinnus,* and the latter, the Mulies, which has been considered the best from the earliest times. Pliny says, the hinnus is small, slow, and stubborn, while the mulus is large, swift, and good tempered. The same is asserted by iElian, and holds * Vauro, book % chap. 8. PARTICULAR ACCOUNT OF THE MULE. 557 good to the present day. The figure which we have given was painted by Mr A. Forbes, from a beautiful specimen of the latter kind, in the possession of the late Mr Ryrie of Edinburgh. Mules are to be found of almost all colours, and, as was the case with the horse and ass, white ones were highly valued by the ancients. Mules are healthy animals, and will live to the age of thirty years. They are invaluable for carrying burdens in mountainous and precipitous tracts, being extremely sure-footed, and much less liable to stumble than the horse. Their long and sweeping pace on a plain, makes their motion extremely easy and agreeable to the rider. In Spain, Italy, and Flanders, large mules are produced. In the latter country, when under the dominion of Spain, they sometimes reached sixteen or seventeen hands in height. Sir John Malcolm says, — " In almost all the other provinces (but Khorassan) of the kingdom, mules are in more general use (than camels;) and their extraordinary strength and activity, combined with their power of enduring fatigue, places this animal, in the estimation of the natives of Persia, next to the horse, and their breed is hardly an object of inferior care."* The largest mules I have noticed in Great Britain were those used on the Bridgewater Canal, near Man- chester, where many of them measured upwards of fourteen hands in height, and were beautifully formed. In Spain, the mule is rode by people of the first rank, and fifty or sixty pounds sterling is no uncommon price for one. * Malcolm's Persia, vol. ii. p. 516. 2Z 558 PARTICULAR ACCOUNT OF THE MULE. Rae Wilson, in his Travels in Egypt, says, that the Arabs treat their mules with great humanity, and are extremely incensed against persons who compel them to go at a rate beyond what is proper with their bur- dens. Few persons, who can afford to ride, think of walking, but go about in Cairo on mules : these stand in the street for hire. He says, that the muleteers in Cairo exceed sixty thousand. This, however, appears a very large number, when it is considered that horses and numerous asses are also used in that city. In his Travels through the Holy Land, he states, that he rode on mules without saddles or stirrups. The Arabs lay thick clothes, and sometimes their jackets, over them, secured by strings under their belly. The following extract from Townsend's Journey through Spain, will prove the extreme docility and intelligence of the mule: — " In this little journey, I was exceedingly diverted and surprised with the docility of the mules, and the agility of their drivers. I had travelled all the way from Barcelona to Madrid, in a coche de colleras, with seven mules ; and, both at that time and on subsequent occasions, had been struck with the quickness of un- derstanding in the mule, and motion in the driver ; but, till this expedition, I had no idea to what extent it might be carried. " The two coachmen sit upon the box, and, of the six mules, none but the two nearest have reins to guide them : the four leaders being perfectly at liberty, and governed only by the voice. Thus harnessed, they go upon the gallop the whole way ; and, when they come to any short turning, whether to the right or to PARTICULAR ACCOUNT OF THE MULE. 559 the left, they instantly obey the word, and move alto- gether, bending to it like a spring. As all must undergo tuition, and require frequently some correction, should any one refuse the collar, or not keep up exactly with the rest, whether it be, for example, Coronela or Capitana, — the name pronounced with a degree of vehemence, rapidly in the three first syllables, and slowly in the last, being sufficient to awaken attention, and to secure obedience ; the ears are raised, and the mule instantly exerts its strength. But, should there be any failure in obedience, one of the men springs furiously from the box, quickly overtakes the offending mule, and thrashes her without mercy ; then, in the twinkling of an eye, leaps upon the box again, and calmly finishes the tale he had been telling his companion. " In this journey I thought I had learnt the names of all the mules ; yet one, which frequently occurred, created some confusion, because I could not find to which individual it belonged, nor could I distinctly make out the name itself. " In a subsequent journey, the whole difficulty vanished, and my high estimation of the mule, in point of sagacity, was confirmed. The word in question, when distinctly spoken, was Aquella otra, that is, you oilier also ; and then, supposing Coronela and Capitana to be pairs, if the coachman had been calling to the former by name, Aquella otra become applicable to the latter, and was equally efficacious as the smartest stroke of a long whip ; but if he had been chiding Capitana, in that case Aquella otra acted as a stimulus to Coronela, and produced in her the most prompt obedience." In the United States of America, mules are propa- 560 PARTICULAR ACCOUNT OF THE MULE. gated extensively; as also in Peru, and the other southern kingdoms. There are male and female mules, but both are steril ; for it seems a fixed law in nature, (to use the common phraseology,) that the union of animals, of different species, shall not produce an offspring which are again fertile. But for this wise provision of Providence, there would be no end to the variety of species. It is, how- ever, well known, that animals of the same natural families, although specifically different, may propagate : such as the horse and ass, the horse and zebra, the quagga and the mare, the lion and the tiger, &c. among quadrupeds; and the goldfinch with the canary, &c. among birds ; whose offspring, although occasionally enabled to reproduce, seldom or never continue to do so beyond one generation. It was a proverb among the ancients, when they wished to express a thing that never was to happen, " Cum mula pepererit."* Among the few exceptions to the general sterility of the mule, which have presented themselves in modern times, may be mentioned three instances which occur- red in the island of St Domingo. The first of these occurred in October, 1771, at the habitation of Mr Verron, at Terreins Rouges, where the animal lived till June, 1776. The second was at La Petite Anse, the plantation of M. Noord, in 1774; but the young animal died soon after its birth. The third event happened in 1778, at La Grande Riviere, the abode of M. Gouivon. The foal came dead into the world. The foetus is * When a mule shall bring forth. Suetonius' Vita Galh. ehap. iv. THE MOUNTAIN ZEBRA. 561 preserved in the Cabinet of the Society of Arts, &c. at Cap Francois. Some time about the year 1766, a she mule, belong- ing to Mr David Tullo, a farmer at Auchtertine, parish of Newtile, Perthshire, Scotland, produced a foal. As he said, he could not allow the mule to be idle, he ordered the foal to be drowned in a ditch the second day after its birth. He stated, in a declaration on the subject, that the mule seemed to care little for her foal, and that she had but little milk. On the 4th February, 1780, James Small and Robert Ramsay attested, before George Watson, Esq. of Ballantyne house, justice of the peace, the truth of the mule having foaled. THE MOUNTAIN ZEBRA. Species IV. — Equus Zebra — Linnaeus. Equus Montanus— Gray. Plate VII. Fig. 2. This animal has been long known by the name of the zebra, but is now called the mountain zebra, as Mr Burchell ascertained another species which Mr Gray has distinguished by the name of the zebra of the plains. But, although Burchell was the discoverer of that new animal to naturalists, he, in fact, confounded it with the common zebra, which only inhabits mountainous tracts at the Cape of Good Hope, Congo, Guinea, and Abyssinia. Mr Gray, however, gave a more distinct 2Z2 362 THE MOUNTAIN ZEBRA. and specific account of these animals ; the following is his description of the mountain zebra: — " Fur white, with close narrowish black bands on the body, neck, and legs, and brown ones on the face ; nose bay, dorsal line indistinct from the others ; belly and inside of the thighs bandless ; tail blackish ; mane erect, thick, bushy, banded with white ; ears with black bands and white tips." * The mountain zebra is, perhaps, of all quadrupeds, the most elegantly formed, and the most beautifully clothed, by the hand of nature. The glossy sleekness of his skin, and astonishing regularity of the stripes which cover every part, appear the effect of art. The head is large, the ears long, the neck arched, the mane erect and bristly, alternately striped with black and white, the shoulder high, the bod}* short and compact, the loins strong, the haunches beautifully rounded, the legs small, finely formed, and placed well below the body. The colour of the skin is cream white, or pale fawn, covered with equidistant stripes, either black or dark brown, intermingled with Sienna yellow; the stripes on the head form a centre on the forehead, and those which cover the neck and body terminate underneath in sharp points ; the belly is white, with a list along its centre, from the inside of the gaskin ; inside of the thighs and forearm white ; on the latter there is a large wedge- shaped patch of black ; stripes on the legs transverse ; a longitudinal ill denned black list runs along the back, from the end of the mane to the tail, which, at its base, is covered with transverse stripes, the rest of the tail is bushy, terminating in a bushy point. * Gray in Zoological Journal, vol. i. plate 241. THE MOUNTAIN ZEBRA. 563 When aged, the colour becomes paler, of a rusty brown. There is a female now in the possession of Mr Wombwell, about fifteen years old, the bands on whose legs have turned so pale, that they are very indistinct. Such is the beauty of this creature, that it seems by nature fitted to gratify the pride, and formed for the service of man : all attempts, however, to render it serviceable, have hitherto been abortive : wild and independent in its native mountains, it seems ill adapted to servitude and restraint. If, however, it were taken young, and considerable care bestowed on its education, we should think its domestication might be accomplished. The zebra appears to have been known to the Romans under the name of hippotigris, which signified a tiger-horse. But as Pliny makes no mention of it, there is a strong probability it had been seldom seen by that nation. Bassianus Caracalla is said to have killed, in one day, an elephant, a rhinoceros, a tiger, and a hippotigris.* In the year 1803, General Dundas brought a female zebra from the Cape of Good Hope. She was purchased, and deposited in the Tower, where she became more docile than the generality of zebras brought to Europe, and was tolerably obedient to her keeper, when in good humour. This man was servant to the general, and attended her during the voyage home. He would sometimes, with great dexterity, spring on her back, and she would carry him an hundred and fifty, or two hundred yards, when she generally became restive, and would oblige him to dismount. Sometimes, when irri- tated, she plunged at the keeper, and attempted to kick * Dion. Cassius, lib. 75. cap. xiv. t. 77. c. 6. S64 THE MOUNTAIN ZEBRA. him. She one day seized him by the coat with her teeth, and threw him on the ground ; and, had he not got out of her way with some rapidity, she would, in all proba- bility, have destroyed him. He had much difficulty in managing her, from the irritability of her temper, and the great extent to which, in almost every direction, she could kick with her feet, and the propensity she had of seizing, with her teeth, whatever offended her. Strangers she would by no means allow to approach, unless the keeper held her fast by the head, and, even then, there was a risk of receiving a blow from her hind feet. There was a zebra kept at Kew, of a ferocious and savage disposition. No one dared to approach him but his keeper, who could occasionally mount his back. He was seen one day to eat a large paper of tobacco, paper and all, and was said to eat flesh, or any kind of food which was given him. These practices he might acquire on his voyage home. The beautiful male zebra, which was burned about twenty years ago at the Lyceum, near Exeter Change, was so gentle, that the keeper used frequently to put young children upon its back, and without any attempt from the animal to injure them. In one instance, a person rode it from the Lyceum to Pimlico. But this docility, in an animal naturally vicious, is to be attributed to its having been bred and reared in Portugal, from parents that were themselves half reclaimed. The inhabitants at the Cape of Good Hope have long endeavoured, without success, to tame the zebra. Sparmann, however, mentions one instance of a rich merchant, who succeeded, so far, in bringing zebras under subjection. He one day attempted to harness THE MOUNTAIN ZEBRA. 565 them to a chariot; but his temerity had nearly cost him his life, for they became quite furious, and rushed back to their stalls. The voice of the zebra can scarcely be described. It is thought by some to have a distant resemblance to the sound of a post horn. Others have thought it like the cry of a partridge. It most frequently exerts its lungs when alone. There have been three instances in Europe of female zebras producing mules. The first we are acquainted with took place in England. Lord Clive, on his return from the government of India, brought a female zebra from the Cape. An experiment was first tried with an Arabian horse, but failed. Various asses were then tried, but with no better effect. At last recourse was had to stratagem ; one of these asses was painted like a zebra, when the plan succeeded. The result was a foal, which resembled both father and mother. It had the form of the father, and the colour of the mother, only the tints were not so strongly marked. The fate of this mule is unknown, as it was lost sight of after his lordship's death. The second instance took place at Turin, between an ass and a female zebra ; but the offspring did not survive. The third instance took place in the Menagerie of Paris. From a female zebra and a Spanish ass, of the largest size, proceeded a very well formed female mule. This animal became larger than its mother ; but, as it grew up, it had much the form of the sire. It was exceedingly indocile. Its colour was of a deep gray, with indistinct bands on the legs, withers, and tail. It took a particular delight in rolling on the damp 566 THE ZEBRA OF THE PLAINS. ground. It was desperately vicious, and attacked every one that approached it, with its teeth. It never neighed. This animal has been described and figured by Frederick Cuvier.* THE ZEBRA OF THE PLAINS. Species V. — Equus Burchellii. — Gray. Plate VI. Fig. 1. The following is Mr Gray's specific description of the zebra of the plains: — " Body white; head with numerous narrow brown stripes, which gradually unite together, and form a bay nose, the neck and body with alternate broad stripes of black, and narrow ones of brown, the latter of which nearly fill up the interstices between the black stripes, and only leave a narrow whitish margin. The dorsal line is narrow, and becomes gradually broader in the hinder part, distinctly margined with white on each side. The belly, legs, and tail, quite white ; the mane alternately banded with black and white." This beautiful animal differs materially from the common zebra ; the ground colour of his body being entirely white, interrupted by a regular series of black stripes, commencing on the ridge of the back, and ter- minating at the bottom of his sides : betwixt these are narrower and fainter ones of a brownish colour On the shoulders, and over the haunches, these stripes assume * Mam. Lith. lib. 15. TEE ZEIWRA OF THE PLAINS THE «§"UX&©A. THE ZEBRA OF THE PLAINS. 567 somewhat of a bifurcated appearance, between the divi- sions of which there are a few transverse lines of the same colour ; but these suddenly and abruptly disappear, and are not continued on the legs, as in the common zebra, being perfectly white. Along the spinal ridge there is a narrow longitudinal line, bordered on each side with white. The mane is long, stiff, and erect, with the transverse bands of the neck broadly continued through it, and distinctly tipped with deep black. The lines of the face are narrow, and perfectly regular ; from the centre of the forehead they radiate downwards over each eye ; along the front of the muzzle they are longi- tudinal, with the outer ones slightly curved outwards ; and on the sides they form broader transverse fillets. From where the bands unite on the extremity of the muzzle, the nose, and the upper lip, those parts become nearly of a uniform blackish brown. The tail is of a yellowish white. There is no longitudinal ventral line ; and the back part of the ears are occupied towards the tips by patches of black. The hoofs are moderately large, deep in front, and shallow behind, and consider- ably expanded at their margin. In Wombwell's collection there is a fine male animal of this species : he differs, however, from that in the Tower menagerie, in having a longitudinal ventral list, and somewhat in the stripes on his head, and in the dorsal line having no distinct white margins. This zebra was one of the same lot which arrived from Africa with that of the Tower, the whole of which are now dead, but a female in the possession of Mr Cook, near Doncas- ter, which, some time ago, produced a mule from an ass. Little is known of the habits of this animal in a state of nature. He inhabits the plains in the neighbour- 568 THE QUAGGA. hood of the Cape of Good Hope ; whereas the common zebra universally ranges over the mountainous districts. A fine female specimen of this zebra is now in the menagerie of the Tower of London, where she has been for two years past. She is so far domesticated, although still very shy, and will permit a boy to ride about on her in the yard. She is frequently allowed to run at liberty through the Tower, with a man by her side, whom she never attempts to leave, except to run to the canteen, where she is frequently regaled with a draught of ale, for which she has a strong liking. From the docility evinced by this animal we can see no good reason why zebras might not be trained for use ; and they certainly would have an elegant appearance in a curricle. THE QUAGGA. Species VI. — Equus Quagga. — Cuvier. Plate VI. Fig. 2. The head and neck of the Quagga are dark blackish brown, the rest of a clear brown, growing paler below, and underneath is nearly white, as well as the legs. The head and neck are striped with grayish white, longitudinal on the forehead and temples, and transverse on the cheeks ; between the mouth and eyes they form triangles ; there are ten bands on the neck ; the mane is blackish, short, much thicker than that of the zebra, commencing on the forehead, and is, like theirs, striped ; a longitudinal black band runs from the termination THE QUAGGA. 569 of the mane along the spine, and loses itself in the tail, which is like that of a cow, with a dark brown or black tuft of hair at its extremity. The height of the quagga, or couagga, is about four feet, or twelve hands, at the withers. In his form, proportions, lightness of figure, and smallness of head and ears, he bears a greater resemblance to the horse than the zebra, but his tail is like that of a cow. In Wombwell's menagerie there is a specimen of this animal, which appears to be a distinct variety. The belly and legs are of a pale ash colour. There is a short list running from the end of the neck stripes along the breast, which terminates between the fore- arms ; on each of which there is a longitudinal wedge- shaped patch inside, longer and narrower than on the dziggtai and zebra. The ears are somewhat larger than is usual in the quagga ; the mane longer and thicker, and the hair on the tail whitish ash colour, covered with hair, nearly as much as in the zebra of the plains ; and his general colour, along the back, darker than in any I have hitherto seen. Quaggas associate in herds, frequently to the number of one hundred, in the most solitary regions of Southern Africa. Delalande observed great flocks of them at the mouth of the Grootvis river, which, during the night, would approach near to his tent ; but they are never to be found in company with zebras, the species to which they are most nearly allied in general confor- mation. The cry of this animal bears a strong resem- blance to the barking of a dog, and is particularly sharp in the rutting season. He is very easily tamed, and rendered obedient to domestic purposes. Of late years they have frequently been seen, in pairs, running in 3 A 570 THE QUAGGA. the curricles of the haut-ton in London ; often forming part of the parade of Hyde Park, and other fashionable places of resort. They seem as obedient to the reins and whip as horses. It is a matter of surprise, that this animal has not long before now been domesticated by man ; because his constitution is fitted for the hottest climate, so that he would be extremely valuable in those burning regions, where the heat destroys the. capabilities of the horse. In a wild state, the quagga is possessed of great natural courage ; for, according to the report of travellers, he effectually repels the attacks of wolves and hyaenas, with which his native country abounds. The natural pliability of his disposition, his great activity, and physical strength, peculiarly fit him for the service of man ; and when these become more generally known, I have no doubt he will be added to our domestic animals. The name of this animal, in his native country, ex- presses the sound of his voice. The late Earl of Morton succeeded in engendering mules between a male quagga and a mare. They were not, however, handsome animals. Some time after this quagga died, the mare which had propagated with him, produced a foal, three seasons after having the mule, which had the indistinct markings of the quagga, although she had not been with that animal from the time she had the hybrid foal to him. The skin of the quagga, after he died, fell into the hands of Mr Clerk of the Edinburgh Riding School, who unfortunately allowed it to fall into a state of decay. TERMS USED IN DESCRIBING A HORSE. PLATE VIII. Fig. 1. a the muzzle, b the face, c the forehead, d the jowl, e the poll, / the crest, g the withers, h the wind-pipe, i the back, / the point of the shoulder, k the breast, or bosom, I the arm, or forearm, m the knee, nnn the cannon, ooo the fetlock, p p the small pastern, q the large pastern, r the hoof, s the heel, t the elbow, « the girth, » the flank, w the sheath, j- the siifles, y the ham, or hock, z the coronet. A the hip, B the croup, C the dock, D the quarter, E the thigh, or gaskin, F the ham string, G the point of the hock, H the loins, I the gullet. DESCRIPTION OF THE SKELETON. PLATE VIII. Fig. 2. A the head, a The posterior maxillary or jaw-bone, b the superior maxil- lary or upper jaw. The small hole towards the nose, in the division in front of the letter b, is the foramen through which pass the nerves and blood-vessels which chiefly supply the lower part of the face ; c the orbit, or cavity in which the eye is contained ; d the nasal bones, or bones of the nose ; e the suture, dividing the parietal bones below, from the occipital bones above ; / the inferior maxillary bone, containing the upper incisors, or cutting teeth. B The seven cervical vertebrae, or bones of the neck ; C the eighteen dorsal vertebra?, or bones of the back ; D the six lumbar vertebrae, or bones of the loins ; E the five sacral vertebrae, or bones of the haunch ; F the caudal vertebrae, or bones of the tail, — the usual number bemg fifteen, sometimes, however, they vary ; G the scapula, or shoulder blade ; H the sternum, fore- part of the chest, or breast-bone ; I the costae, or ribs, seven or eight of which articulating with the sternum, are called the true ribs, and the remaining ten or eleven, wlueh are united together by cartilage, are called false ribs ; J the humerus, or bone of the arm ; K the radius, or bone of the forearm ; L the ulna, or elbow, with its process, the olecranon ; M M the carpus, or knee, consisting of seven bones ; N N the metacarpal, or shank bones, — the large metacarpal, or cannon, or shank in front, and the smaller metacarpal, or splent bone behind ; g the fore-pastern and foot, consisting of the os sufltagi- nis, or the upper and longer pastern bone, with the sesamoid bones behind, articulating with the cannon and greater pastern; the os corona?, or lesser pastern, the os pedis, or coffin bone, and the os naviculare, or navicular, or shuttle-bone, not seen, and articulating with the smaller pastern and coffin bones ; h the corresponding bones of the hind feet. O O The small metacarpal or splent bones; P the pelvis, or haunch, consisting of three portions, — the ilium, the ischium, and the pubis ; Q the femur, or thigh bones ; R R the patella, placed on the stifle joint; S S the tibia, and fibula; the latter is a small bone behind ; these are also called the ham bones ; T T the bones of the tarsus, or hock, six in number ; U U the metatarsals of the hind leg, called shank or cannon bones ; W W the os calcis, or point of the hock ; X X X X the sesamoid, or fetlock bones. 572 ON THE TEETH OF THE HORSE. PLATE IX. The horse, in a state of maturity, which is at five years, has forty teeth- He has six incisory, or cutting teeth, in each jaw ; these are situated in front ; two canine teeth, or tusks, in each jaw, situated behind the incisors ; and six molars, or grinding teeth, in each jaw, situated behind the tushes. The age of a horse is known by certain marks on their incisory teeth j but no reference whatever is made to the grinders. Fig. 1. represents the anterior portions of the lower jaw of a foal, with the two central incisory teeth, or nippers, which make their appearance in seven or eight days after birth. Fig. 3. Between two and three months the centre nippers have reached their proper level, and the second pair grown, as represented. Fig. 2. represents the nippers complete in number, at a year old. The four middle teeth being worn level, and the two outer ones becoming fiat. - The mark of the two middle teeth get faint and wide ; in the next two it becomes darker and more narrow, being darker, longer, and narrower, in the outer two. Fig. 4. The nippers at two years old, which exhibit a considerable change in the shape and markings. Fig. 5. shews the nippers at three years old ; the central ones being consi- derably larger than the others, doubly grooved on their outer convex surface. The marks on the next two incisors being nearly obliterated, and beginning to disappear in the corner nippers. When a horse is rising three years, his two central nippers above and below fall out, and are replaced by new ones, having the hollow mark in the middle ; at the end of this year the tushes will have made their appearance, as represented in the figure ; there is also a visible difference in the form of the jaw. Fig. 6. The nippers at four years. The central nippers are perfectly formed ; and the sharp edges a little worn off, with the mark shorter, wider, and fainter. Fig. 7. At five years the jaw is nearly perfect. The tushes are much developed. Fig. 8. In the sixth year the marks in the centre nippers are worn out. There will, however, be some difference of colour in the centre of the toothy as the cement, or enamel, which fills the cavity, is of a brownish hue. Fig. 9. represents the jaw at eight years old ; at which period the marks on the lower jaw are nearly filled up ; "but on the upper jaw they generally continue till ten ; the two central ones are, however, obliterated at eight. At tliis period the disgraceful practice of Bis/toping is often resorted to ; a term given from the name of the villanous inventor. The marks on the surface of the corner nippers, which have now nearly become plain, are imi- tated as at the age of seven, by an engraving tool. They are then burned with a hot iron, when a permanent black stain is left. This practice is sometimes employed on the next pair of nippers in a slight degree. By this infamous trick the ignorant are often imposed on. But the irregular appearance of the cavity, the diffusion of the black stain around the tushes, the sharpened edges and concave inner surfaces, are awanting, which no art can imitate ; thus an attentive observer need not be deceived. Fig. 10. shews the nippers at ten, when merely the rudiment of the funnel remains. Fig. 11. A jaw at twelve-year-old, the nippers have lost the central enamel, and the septum of the root is rounded. Fig. 12. represents the jaw at sixteen; all the nippers have become trian- gular in shape ; and the septum of the root forms a rounded point on all the tables of the teeth. The above description applies to the teeth of the dziggtai, ass, mule, zebra, and quagga, Avhich all undergo a similar change. TfELviar* ••culp t JPLATE IX. INDEX. Absurd refusal of an Italian General not to allow his soldiers to guard a race course, because it threatened rain, 468. Age of a horse, how known, 156 ; the greatest on record, 157. Alexander the Great, his love of hunting, 113. Amazons, warlike women of antiquity, celebrated equestrians, 27. America, South, wild horses of, 52 ; mares never ridden, 55 ; singular dexterity of the natives in catching them, 59. Anah supposed to be the first who bred mides, 553. Animals of the chase in Welsh statutes, J 21. Antipathy between the horse and camel, 159. Arab, elopement of one with the daughter of a chief, 185. Arabia, its climate particularly well adapted for breeding horses, 39, 167 ; not the original country of the horse, 24. Arabian, the first one brought to England, 47, 83 ; to Scotland, 93 ; description of, disposition, &c. 167 ; different breeds of, 169 ; hardihood of, 176 ; celebrated horses brought to England, 188 ; curious pedigree of, translated from the Arabic, 178. Arabs, aversion to sell mares, 181 ; great attachment to their mares, 182; Bedouins great breeders, 177; prefer mares for riding, 180 ; great love of horses, 174. Asiatic and South American horses, their difference of temper, 61 ; first introduction of the former into Europe, 41. Ass, used for chariots in early times, 522 ; considered unclean by the Jews, ib. ; wild, description of, 529 ; great speed of, 530 ; flesh used as food in Persia, 531 ; hunted for food by the Africans, 544 ; esteemed by the Arabs, 531 ; by the Greeks, 544 ; migrations of the, 532 ; Bologna sausages made from it, 544 ; races in Florence and France, 543 ; milk used by delicate people, 544; specific account of, 535; fond of music, 551. Asses, the feast of, a profane festival, 524; frightened the Persian cavalry, 523 ; their wonderful dexterity in descending the Alps, 546 ; white ones much valued in early times, 536 ; Assyrians, from whence they obtained their horses, 21. Astonishment of the Mexicans at first sight of horsemen, 60. Athelstan, horses much valued in his reign, 64. 3A2 574 INDEX. Attachment between horses and dogs, 332, 362 ; horse and hen, 364 ; lamb and pony, 420. Barbs, having been at Mecca, considered saints ever after by the Moors, 235 ; celebrated ones brought to Britain, 245. Bawling to horses condemned, 456. Bears, formerly beasts of chase in Britain, 127. Blackstone, judge, comments on the Forest Laws, 139. Blood of horses drank by Sarmatians, 31 ; by Tartars, 206. Boars, -wild, formerly beasts of chase in Britain, 127. Bologna sausages made of ass flesh, 544. Botam-chan invests the Crimea, &c. 46. Breaking, first, of the horse attributed to the Lapithae, 22 ; manner of, wild horses in South America, 57. Bunbury, Sir C. first introduced short races, 289. Bustard, its attachment for the horse, 161. Calmuck horses, a trial of speed between them and an English racer, 214; women celebrated riders, 215. Canadian horses very fond of fish, 516. Canute, his statute against stag hunting, 138 Carriages invented during Elizabeth's reign, 82. Cart horses, general remarks on, 443. Cassibelaunus, his numerous war chariots, 63. Caution to young sportsmen, 317 ; proof of, in a horse, 162. Cats, wild, formerly beasts of chase in Britain, 127. Champlain, Lake, curious account of passing on the ice, 515. Charlemagne, his great love of hunting, 125. Charles III. of Spain, devotedly fond of hunting, 134. Childers, flying, description of, 263 ; speed at which he ran, 264 ; portrait of, Plate II. fig. 1. • Chili, manner of catching and breaking the wild horses of, 57. Classification of horses, first took place in England, during the reign of Edward III. 72. Clydesdale horses not directly sprung from Flanders breed, 448 ; portrait of, Plate IV. fig. 1. Coach horse, portrait of, Plate III. fig. 2. Colours of a horse described, 151. Corrals, or enclosures for wild horses, in South America, 57. Crusaders, introduced Eastern horses into Europe, 46. Darley Arabian, his introduction set aside the prejudice against Eastern horses, 88. David, king of Israel, hamstrung all the horses he took in war but three hundred, 22. INDEX. 575 Description, beautiful one in Job, of the horse, 18 ; new transla- tion of, by Dr Scott, ib. Dead pulls, bad effects of, on horses, 410. Desperate leap of a Dartmore pony, 434. Distinct eras in the history of British horses, 89. Don, wild horses in its neighbourhood accounted for, 51. Dongola horse highly thought of by Bruce, 249. Douglas, the Earl of, his great retinue in 1327, 425. Dragoon horses, curious instances of their recollection, 398, 402. Dry soil, climate, and food, suits the constitution of the horse, 39. Dziggtai, an animal of the horse tribe of great swiftness, 517 ; its flesh esteemed by the Mongols, &c. 519; portrait of, Plate VII. fig. 1. Enactments, early, in "Wales, regarding the horse, 64v Early history of the horse, 17. Edward II. introduced Lombardy steeds, 70 ; Edward III. many foreign horses, ib. ; Edward VI. made horse stealing death, without benefit of clergy, 80. Eclipse, pedigree of, 258. Egypt, period at which the horse was supposed to be introduced there, 20 ; Sidtan of, vain display of his magnificence, 250. Egyptian asses very large, 542 ; used in Cairo as hacks, ib. Elizabeth, in her reign, horses were few and bad, 81. English race horses, when first introduced into France, 85 ; in great repute in France in the year 930, 64. Englishman hooted for riding a mare in South America, 55. Epitaph on Sir Ralph Abercrombie's charger, 407 ; on a hunter, 309 ; on a coach horse, 413. Ethiopians, early equestrians, 28. Etrurian horses much prized, 34. Existence of two primitive breeds of horses disputed, 36. Exportation of English horses prevented, 72. Extraordinary case of twin foals, 155. Farthest northern range of the wild horse, 48. Feats, extraordinary, of the American horses, 511 ; Clydesdale coach horse, 413; draught horse, 452 ; Galloway, 422; German horse, 489 ; hackney, 368 ; hunter, 338 ; race horse, 276 ; Sheltie, 441. Forests, British, definition, description, and number of, 137. Fox chase remarkable, 319. Fitzherbert's qualities of a good horse, 80. Fluctuation in price of horses in the reigns of Stephen, and Henrv II. 69. 576 INDEX. Francis I. of France, anecdote of, 129. Frederic the Great of Prussia, his ideas of hunting, 136. Galloways, their origin ascribed to Spanish horses, 419. Gauchos, their mode of catching wild horses in S. America, 59. Generic character of the horse, 144. Germany, formerly a capital crime in that empire to kill a horse, ass, or mule, 486 ; how put a stop to, 487. Gipseys in Spain, horse, ass, and mide dealers, and cheats, 541. Godolphin barb, description of, 238 ; produce, 240 ; his favour for a cat, 239 ; portrait of, Plate I. fig. 2. Gaul, hunters of, their annual sacrifices, 128. Great horse, on the management of, by Lord Herbert, 394. Hunt, royal document concerning, of date 1194, 131. Henry VIII. arbitrary law of, 76 ; great tournament in France, 77 ; the various breeds of horses during his reign, 78. Herds of wild horses in Asia described, 49 ; in America, 52. Hippotigris of the ancients, is the zebra of the moderns, 564. Historical sketch of the progress of horses in Great Britain, 63. Horse, little used by the Hebrews, 19 ; or by the ancient Arabs, ib> ; when first mentioned in the sacred writings, 20 ; when first introduced into Egypt, ib. ; first rode in Britain, 64; first used in chariots, 24 ; flesh eaten, and blood drank, by the Sarmatians, 31 ; by the South Americans, 60 ; blood drank by the Tartars, 206 ; his name in different languages, 149 ; fond of music, 157, 334; seems to reason, 161 ; his tail used as a mark of dignity, 219, 232 ; Scottish, much fallen off at the accession of James I. 426 ; of Calpe, in Spain, celebrated,, 460 ; Andalusian 461 ; of Cordova, degenerated, 462 ; kilHng of, once a capital crime in Germany, and how abolished, 486 ;. recollection of an injury, 330 ; fights for a dog, 332, 441 ; kills lambs, 333 ; mimics death, 334 ; protects his master, 337. Hunyadi, Count, exertions to improve the horses of Hungary, 488. Huns, great equestrians, 29. Hunter, description of, 307 ; epitaph on an excellent one, 309 ; follows a pack of hounds without a rider, 311 ; the mysterious- hunter, a remarkable story, 321 ; portrait of, Plate II. fig. 2. Hunting with dogs first attributed to Pollux, 112; as practised by the Greeks, ib. ; a chief concern among the Romans, 116 ; gave rise to monarchical states, 117; mode adopted by the Sicilians, 118; as practised by the early Germans and Britons, 119 ; in Mexico, 128 ; in the Highlands of Scotland during the reign of James V. 130 ; in France in 16th century, ib.; hv Lapland, 132 ; in India, 133 ; in Spain, 134. INDEX. 577 Indian, East, different breeds of horses, and names, 225 ; how bred by the East India Company, 229 ; races of, 230. Indians, early accustomed to use horses, 28. Israelites forbidden to multiply horses, ib. Italian horse racing, curious account of, 467. Julius Caesar's opinion of the horses of Britain, 63. Kalendar racing, the first one in Germany, 489. King James I. purchased first Arabian brought to England, 186. King John, a great improver of English horses, 70. Kings' plates, account of, 301. Koumiss, a liquor made by the Tartars from mares' milk, 209. Leaps, miraculous, 315, 329, 355. Lasso, for catching wild horses in South America, 56. Libyan horses, in early times, had great action, 32. Longevity of horses, 157, 442, 446, 447, 451, 508. Malcolm, Sir John, reflections on the death of an Arabian, 185. Malte-Brun's opinion as to the origin of British horses, 37. Maltese asses, large, beautiful, and high priced, 539. Mare, riding them considered dishonourable, in early times, in Britain, 73 ; instance of, having a foal at the age of 49 years, 156. Mare's milk, a favourite food among the Tartars, 164; koumiss, a fermented liquor, made from, by the Tartars, 209. Masinissa, an African general, on horseback for four days, 32. Mazeppa, beautiful description of wild horses from, 50. Medes and Scythians in early times had fine horses, 31 Memory, instances of, in horses, 359, 362, 430, 454. Mexican mode of hunting, 129. Modern history of the horse, 36. Moors, their cruelty to young horses, 236 ; singular practice among them on horseback, 227. Moray, Earl of, his retinue in 1327, 425. Mule, much valued for riding by the Israelites, 554; used in drawing chariots by the ancients, 555 ; its name in different lan- guages, 556 ; of Flanders, 16 hands high, 557 ; in Cairo, used as hacks, 558 ; Spanish mules draw carriages, 558 ; three instances of prolific ones in St Domingo, 561 ; one instance in Scotland, ib. ; flesh eaten during the siege of Rome, 562. Mysterious hunter, a curious tale, 321. Napoleon's Norman carriage horses, 66. New Forest, when first made, 124 ; ponies of, 432. 578 INDEX. Newmarket, when it first became famous, 86. Nimrod, the first hunter, 110. Nissean horse, remarkable for its stature, 30. Nubian horse kneels to receive his rider, 248. Onager, the wild ass of the ancients, 530. Opinions, divided, respecting the first riding of the horse, 22. Ousley's, Sir G. opinion respecting the early uses of the horse, 24. Parthians celebrated for the management of their horses, 20. Parts of the horse described, 573 ; figure to illustrate the technical terms, Plate VIII. fig. 1. Pastimes of the Londoners in the reign of Henry II., 68. Practice of eastern monarchs sending horses as presents to the kings of France, 45. Persia, in early times, much celebrated for horses, 28 ; their high value at the present time, 199 ; horse races, 201. Peruvians, method of obstructing the Spanish cavalry, 60. Picturesque, pleasures to be derived from, illustrated, by an allu- sion to the ass, 539. Pony which set partridges, 436. Portraits of, Wellesley Arabian, Plate I. fig. 1 ; Godolphin Barb, ib. fig. 2 ; Childers, Plate II. fig. 1 ; Hunter, ib. fig. 2 ; Clydesdale horse, Plate IV. fig. 5; Sheltie, ib. fig. 2; Duke of Buccleuch's hackney, Sam, Plate V. fig. 1 ; Coach horse, ib. fig. 2 ; Zebra of the Plains, Plate VI. fig. 1 ; Quagga, ib. fig. 2 ; Dziggtai, Plate VII. fig. 1 ; Mountain Zebra, ib. fig. 2. Primitive abode of the horse, 48. Proportions of the horse, what they should be, 150. Quagga, account of, 568 ; portrait of, Plate VI. fig. 2 ; driven in London in carriages, 570; mule produced betwixt a male one and a mare, ib. ; extraordinary circumstance concerning one, ib. Race horses, celebrated, 265. Racing forbidden in Pennsylvania and New England, 510. Racers, spirited ones, seldom win by the use of the whip, 290. Restrictions, early, respecting the size of British horses, 74. Romans, their character as horsemen, 33. Royal hunt, a modern one in Germany described, 484. Rules, &c. connected with racing, 293. Rut, its season with horses, 154. St Leger, the great stakes of, at Doncaster, 285. Sam, the Duke of Buccleuch's hackney, with portrait, 351. INDEX. 579 Sarmatians, celebrated equestrians, 31. Scotland, curious account of the horses of, in 1728, 427. Sheltie carried home in a gig, 439; carried by a man, 442. portrait of, Plate IV. fig. 2. Shrewsbury, Earl of, introduced Spanish stallions in the reign of William L, 67. Sicilians, their mode of hunting, 1 18. Siege of Troy, supposed prior to the time of David, 554. Skeleton of the horse, Plate VIII. fig. 2 ; description of the various bones, 573. Sociality of the horse, 365. Solomon's stables, magnificent appearance of, 25 ; from Avhence he received his horses, 26 ; opposite opinions respecting the number of stalls, 26. Spartans, delighted in hunting, 116. Specific account of the horse, 147. Speed, comparative, of the race horse and greyhound, 262. Sportsman's choice, a poem, 308. Stallions, foreign, too seldom introduced into Britain, 257. Statute, heads of, respecting horse racing, 152. Sullivan, James, known by the name of the Whisperer, 152 ; re- markable manner of taming furious horses, 153. Superstitions of the ancients and moderns respecting the horse, 95 ; fable of Phaeton, 96 ; sun worshipped, 97 ; Centaurs supposed half men half horses, ib. ; refuted by Lucretius, 100 ; Neptune produces a horse, 101 ; Xanthus foretold the death of Patro- clus, 102 ; Caesar's death presaged by his horse, 104 ; Perseus, his origin, 105; Arabs, their fear of the black horse, 105; Brama, the God of the Hindoos, ib. ; Odin, the Scandinavian God, ib. ; the Unicorn, 108 ; the Water Kelpy, ib. Sybarites, a powerful and warlike people, 27. Tartary, wild horses of, 203 ; horses' blood drank in, 206 ; mares' milk much used as food in, ib. ; a fermented liquor from, 207. Tartars, always carried two horses into action with them, 47. Tax, when first imposed on running horses, 88. Teeth of the horse, twelve figures of, Plate IX. ; description of, from birth to fifteen years, 573. Terms and phrases used in hunting, 141 ; in describing a horse, 573. Thornton, Mrs Colonel, her great horse race, 280. Thorough-bred, the term described, 255. Thracian horses, in ancient times ill shaped, 33. Toorkoman horses, capable of enduring extreme fatigue, 212. 380 INDEX. Tournaments and horse racing became frequent in the reign of Henry II., 67 ; account of a modern one in Germany, 481. Turf, abbreviations of terms used on, 303. Turkish horses, remarkable for their gentleness, 217;- -celebrated ones brought to Britain, 220. Twin-foals, a remarkable case of, 155. Value, relative, of the horse in the year 1000, 65. Varieties of the horse accounted for, 41. Voltemads, intrepid conduct, saving shipwrecked mariners, 244. Wellesley Arabian, 188 ; portrait of, Plate I. fig. 1. Whisperer, his wonderful powers in taming wicked horses, 152. William the Conqueror improved the English breed of horses, 66. Wyndham, Sir Wm. remarkable anecdote of, 325. Xenophon says, all Greek horses were taught to swim, rear, bite, &c. 28; much attached to hunting, 114. Zebra, common or mountain, 562 ; portrait of, Plate VII. fig. 2 ; hitherto has not been broken for the saddle, or used as beasts of burden, 564 ; of the plains, 567 ; portrait of, Plate VI. fig. 1 ; in the Tower of London, its ferocity to its keeper, 569 ; at Kew, 565 ; four instances of producing mules, 566 and 569. THE END, EDINBURGH; Printed by Andrew Shortreei>, Thistle Lane. ■ '