ON SABLE ISLAND. 19 



pens, when a young stnd horse wants to form a gang, he proceeds surreptitiously at night 

 and inveigles away a mare to some other part of the island. When her master finds her 

 missing, he searches for her, and if he tinds her a furious tight with her captor ensues. If 

 victorious, he marches her off with him back to the gang. If defeated, the conqueror will 

 in all probability despoil him of other females, and thus break up the gang. The mares 

 accept the situation when the fighting is over, give in their allegiance to the conqueror, and 

 live peaceably with him till some new domestic trouble arises." 



They are extremely hardy, enduring the most inclement weather with only the shelter 

 of some sand-hillocks. Dr. Gilpin saw none lying down to rest. They refuse the shelter of 

 a stable, and shun the society ot man. When caught and confined, they will, in the rough- 

 est weather, escape from the stable, and put a mile or two between it and them before 

 stojiping to graze. In this they differ remarkably from the cattle, which, when left out, 

 besiege the barn-door with their lowing through the winter.' In severe weather they gather 

 together in the gulches or hollows between the sand-hills. Here thej' are said to arrange 

 themselves in regular order, the cojts in the centre, the older outside of them, and the 

 master horse in the most exposed situation of all. Each spring, however, some of the old 

 and infirm are found to liave perished through the severity of the weather. 



In the letter of Mr. Morris, which we have quoted, he proposes killing some of the 

 horses for food. This was done to a considerable extent both by himself and his successors. 

 In the year 1805, some wrecked men being upon the island and the supply of provisions 

 becoming deficient, Mr. Morris was under the necessity of killing some of the horned cattle 

 or wild horses, and offered them the first on allowance or the latter in moderate quantities. 

 They say, "We all chose the horse venison, which was equal and some superior to any 

 common beef on the continent." 



In subsequent years they were used as occasion requiretl in the same way. In the 

 journal of one of the superintendents we find such entries as the following; "Deer. 10, 

 1842. We got another Fatt liorse for to eat." The young males were usually selected for 

 slaughter, being distinguished from the old horses by their superior condition, and by the 

 latter having a long mane. They were usually shot, but they were so wild that it was not 

 easy to approach within gunshot of them. As it was desirable that they should not be 

 unnecessarily maimed, great care was taken by the marksman to secrete himself in a suital)le 

 place until an animal approached sufficiently near to render his aim certain, so as to kill 

 him by a single sliot. Tlie flesh was said to l)e tender, and those who used it professed to 

 relish it. As late as 1850 we find tlie superintendent shooting cripi)led or disabled animals 

 for food for the liogs. 



Very soon after the founding of the establishment it was proposed to render them 

 serviceable. On the 20th April, 1803, an order came from the commissioners to the super- 

 intendent, if he could get hold of any of the horses, to send them to Halifax by the vessel 

 visiting the island, and in June Mr. Wallace, the chief commissioner, mentions four 

 having been received, one for the governor, (Mie for General Bowyer, one for himself, and 

 one for his sou. In subsequent years the catching and exporting of these animals has 

 formed an important part of the business of the men employed at the station, and their sale 

 affords a contribution to the expenses of it. 



' See paper in ' Proceedings of N. S. Institute of Science,' i., 60 ; also pamphlet published in 1858 by Dr. E. 

 Gilpin. 



