120 NEIGHBORS WITH CLAWS AND HOOFS. 



Tartary are regarded as coming from a more southern 

 stock. .Naturalists, therefore, look to the countries border- 

 ing on Egypt as in all likelihood the primitive place 

 of residence of this noble animal ; and there is no doubt 

 that the Arabian breed, when perfectly pure, presents the 

 finest specimen of a horse in symmetry and graceful outline. 

 6. " Regarding the horse as of Asiatic origin, we now 

 find him associated with man in almost every region of 

 the habitable globe. Like the dog, ox, sheep, and a few 

 others of the brute creation, he seems capable of accom- 

 modating himself to very different conditions, and assumes 

 a shaggy coat or sleek skin, a size little inferior to the 

 elephant, or not larger than that of an English mastiff, 

 just as circumstances of climate and food require. His 

 spirited fidelity as the servant of man is pictured by 

 Byron, in his description of the horse of Mazeppa : 



1 The Cossack prince rubbed down his horse, 

 And made for him a leafy bed, 

 And smoothed his fetlocks and his mane, 

 And slacked his girth, and stripped his rein, 

 And joyed to see how well he fed ; 

 For until now he had the dread 

 His wearied courser might refuse 

 To browse beneath the midnight dews ; 

 But he was hardy as his lord, 

 And little cared for bed and board ; 

 But spirited and docile too ; 

 "Whate'er was to be done, would do. 

 Shaggy and swift and strong of limb, 

 All Tartar-like he carried him ; 

 Obeyed his voice, and came to call, 

 And knew him in the midst of all ; 

 Though thousands were around and nighty 

 "Without a star, pursued her flight 

 That steed from sunset until dawn 

 His chief would follow like a fawn.* 



