THF HORSE. 365 



Connecticut, and on their good mares, produced a numerous 

 progeny of unrivalled cavalry horses, which rendered inval- 

 uable services in the troop commanded by that consummate- 

 partisan, Captain (afterwards General) Lee, of the revolution. 

 It is said the favorite white field-horse of General Washing- 

 ton, was of the same stock, lie was afterwards sold to 

 Captain Lindsey, as a special favor, and taken to Virginia, 

 where he produced some good racers. Bussorah, a small 

 sorrel horse, brought into this country from the head of the 

 Persian Gulf, in 1819, then 5 years old, got many choice 

 roadsters, though few, if any racers. The Narraganset 

 pacers, a race belonging to our eastern states, but for many 

 years almost extinct, possessed for a long time an unrivalled 

 reputation for spirit, endurance and easy, rapid motion 

 under the saddle; and they are said to have originated from a 

 Spanish horse, many of which are pure descendants of the 

 Barb. As an oflfeet to these isolated examples of success 

 in this country, we have numerous instances of the importa- 

 tion of the best Orientals, which have been extensively used 

 on some of our superior mares, without any marked effect. 

 We shall refer to three prominent importations only. The 

 first consisted of two choice Arabians, or Barbs, selected in 

 Tunis by General Eaton, and sent to his estate in Massa- 

 chusetts. The second was a present of four choice Barbs 

 from the Emperor of Morocco to our government, in 1830; 

 and the third consisted of two Arabians, sent by the Imaum 

 of Muscat, near the Persian Gulf, to our government in 1839 

 or '40. These were all claimed to be, and no doubt were, 

 of the pure Kochlani, the unadulterated line royal; yet none 

 have earned any distinguished reputation. 



It is to England we are mainly indebted for the great 

 improvement in our blood, road and farm horses. A numer- 

 ous race of fine horses were reared on that Island, long pre- 

 vious to any authentic history of it ; for in his first invasion, 

 Julius Ciesartook many of them to Rome, where they imme- 

 diately became grt,at favorites, although this mistress of half 

 the known world, had already plundered every region of some 

 of their best breeds. What might have been the particular 

 merit of the English horse at the time of the Norman inva- 

 sion, is not known, but it is certain that the Saxon cavalry 

 under Harold, were speedily over-powered by William, at the 

 battle of Hastings, which at once secured the throne to the 

 Conqueror. History first informs us of the improvement of 

 British horses, by importations from abroad during this reign, 



