THE ARABIAN RACE. 223 



other, show that in the age of Cyrus and the Per- 

 sian invasions of Greece, the Arabs had not yet 

 established their own breeds according to the system 

 which the nature of the soil rendered unavoidable. 

 The Bedoueen mares, under this mode of training, 

 will travel fifty miles without stopping ;*and they 

 have been known to go one hundred and twenty 

 miles on emergencies, w^ith hardly a respite, and no 

 food. In the newspapers, there was lately an ac- 

 count of a bet against time, won by an Arab horse, 

 at Bangalore, in the presidency of Madras, running 

 four hundred miles in the space of four consecutive 

 days. This exploit occurred on the 27th July, 

 J840. 



This power is further evinced in the relation of 

 Mr. Frazer, * who states that Aga Bahram's Arab 

 horse went from Shirauz to Teheraun, 522 miles, in 

 six days, remained three to rest, went back in five 

 days, remained nine at Shirauz, and returned again 

 to Teheraun in seven days. The same officer related 

 that he once rode another horse of his from Tehe- 

 raun to Koom, twenty-four fursuks, or about eighty- 

 four miles, starting at dawn in the morning, near 

 the vernal equinox, and arriving two hours before 

 sunset ; that is, in about ten hours : " but Aga 

 Bahram," observes the author, " had always the 

 best horses in Persia." When, therefore, we take 

 together all the qualities of the Arabian horse, and 

 compare them with other races, we may find some 

 of greater single powers, but none endowed with so 

 * Frazer 's Tartar Journeys. 



