MODERN FAURIEK. 157 



witnesses, who must be Arabians. This people do 

 not always indeed stick at perjury ; but in a case of 

 such serious importance, they are careful to deal 

 conscientiously. There is no instance of false testi- 

 mony given in respect to the descent of a horse. 

 Every Arabian is persuaded that himself and his 

 whole family would be ruined if he should prevari- 

 cate in giving his oath in an affair of such conse- 

 quence. The kocJdani horses are the most highly 

 esteemed, and consequently the dearest. Tliey are 

 reserved solely for riding, and are said to shew un- 

 common courage against an enemy. It is even as- 

 serted, that when a horse of this race finds himself 

 wounded, and unable to bear his rider much longer, 

 he retires from the fray, and conveys him to a place 

 of security. If the rider falls upon the ground, his 

 horse remains beside him, and neighs till assistance 

 be brought. The kochlani horses are neither large 

 nor handsome, but amazingly swift. It is not for 

 their figure, but for their velocity and other good 

 qualities, that the Arabians esteem them. The 

 English, continues Niebuhr, sometimes purchase 

 these horses at the price of two hundred or two 

 hundred and fifty pounds sterling each. 



The horses of the Bedouins or wandering Arabs 

 preserve inconceivable vigour and spirit, amidst a 

 continual succession of fatigue and abstinence. — 

 Every one of these Arabs has his mare, and his tent 

 serves him for a stable. The mare and her foal, the 

 husband and his wife and children, sleep together 

 promiscuously ; the infants often lie on the body or 

 on the neck of the mare or foal without receiving 

 any injury from these animals, which seem afraid to 

 move lest they should hurt the children. An Arab 

 never beats his mare, but treats her gently, and talks 

 and reasons with her; and she is so extremely at- 

 V tentive to the wishes of her rider, that whenever she 

 ^-perceives the approach of his heel to her side, she 

 instantly sets off with incredible swiftness. 





