190 Professor Low on the 



refers to a further intermixture with the horses of Spain > 

 when the terrible Armada of Philip pursued its disastrous 

 flight round the extreme north of Scotland. Many of the 

 huge galleons and smaller vessels of that ill-fated expedition 

 were stranded on the Zetland shores, and others found refuge 

 in the creeks and natural bays of the country. It is further 

 known that the Spanish ships were largely supplied with 

 horses ; and it may therefore be believed that some of these 

 Spanish horses were left behind, which could not fail to im- 

 press their characters on those of the Islands, probably few 

 in number, and held in little esteem. But this supposition 

 is almost confirmed by the aspect and properties of many of 

 the existing race, numbers of which are extremely handsome, 

 or fleeter in proportion to their size than any of the other 

 ponies of Scotland, and tend very generally to the brown or 

 bay colour, characteristic of the horses of southern climates. 



But whatever be the origin or degree of mixture with other 

 races of the horses of Zetland, their diminutive size marks 

 the influence of a rigorous climate and scanty nourishment. 

 Their ordiuary height is about 36 inches, or 9 hands ; many 

 of them do not exceed 7i hands, or 30 inches ; and some fall 

 even below the latter standard. 



These little horses in their native islands are left almost 

 in the state of nature until they are caught for use. They 

 have no shelter from the continued storms of tempestuous 

 seas, beyond what the crags, ravines, and sides of hills, afford ; 

 and they scarcely ever receive any food but what they can 

 collect on the sedgy bogs, the heathy hills, and barren shores 

 of the country. They are thickly covered with a coat of 

 long hair, which becomes felted upon them like a garment 

 during the inclement season. Their colour is generally bay 

 or brown, sometimes mixed with white, and often it is of a 

 dullish black, and sometimes piebald. They are sagacious 

 and cunning, stealing into the patches of growing corn when 

 opportunity off'ers. They are gentle, and easily reduced to 

 obedience, and when domesticated and kindly treated, ex- 

 hibit almost as much sagacity as a dog. They will enter 

 an apartment and receive crumbs from the table, and stretch 

 themselves on the floor. They have sometimes been put in 



