GENERAL HISTORY OF THE HORSE 393 



think it more than probable that the Egyptians ob- 

 tained their best steeds from the south, as the local 

 situation of that country was but ill adapted to pre- 

 serve them in perfection. This monarch, as well as 

 several of his successors, obtained coursers from 

 Togarmah, now understood to be the modern Cap- 

 padocia, or the lands which border the Euxine Sea, 

 which was in early times the seat of several flourishing 

 and powerful kingdoms. 



To trace the history of the progress of the horse 

 from that period to the present time would require a 

 larger space than our limits will admit, and we must 

 now turn to that part of his history which refers to the 

 place of his nativity. 



Left only to conjecture, we can only suppose, from 

 a combination of circumstances, that Asia was the 

 original country of the horse ; for there he is found to 

 the 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 on the original discovery 

 of these continents. The great tract of desert country 

 around the Sea of Aral, as well as those of 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 continent, and also in many parts of 

 Africa. 



On each side of the river Don horses are found in 

 a wild state ; but these are supposed to be the off- 

 spring of Russian horses which were used at the 

 siege of Azof, in the year 1697, as many were turned 



