OF FARRIER V. 



381 



something like a jewel about their necks, and 

 a garter, which was full of amulets against 

 poison, which they are most afraid of. The 

 grooms that dress them are as indulgent as 

 their masters ; they frequently sleek them 

 down with their hands, and never use a cudgel 

 to bang their sides, but in case of necessity. 

 This makes their Horses great lovers of man- 

 kind, and they are so far from kicking, will- 

 ing, or growing untractable by tiiis gentle 

 usage, that you will hardly find a masterless 

 Horse amongst them. 



"But, alas! our Christian grooms' Horses 

 go on at another rate. They never think them 

 rightly curried till they thunder at them with 

 their voices, and let their clubs or horse-whips, 

 as it were, dwell on their sides. This makes 

 some Horses even tremble when their keepers 

 come into their stable ; so that they hate and 

 fear them too. But the Turks love to have 

 their Horses so gentle, that at the word of 

 command they may fall on their knees, and in 

 this position receive their riders. 



" They will take up a staff or club upon the 

 road with their teeth, which their rider lias 

 let fall, and hold it up to him again ; and 

 when they are perfect in this lesson, then, for 

 credit, they have rings of silver hung on their 

 nostrils as a badge of honour and good dis- 

 cipline. I saw some Horses when their 

 master was fallen from the saddle stand stock 

 still without wagging a foot till he got up 

 again. Another time I saw a groom standing 

 at a distance in the midst of a whole ring: of 

 Horses, and I saw some Horses when their 

 master was at dinner with me in an upper 

 room prick up their ears to hear his voice, 

 and when they did so they neighed for joy." 



Sir John Malcolm in his " Sketches of 

 Feysia." gives the two following anecdotes: — , 



" When the envoy, returning from his 

 former mission, was encamped near Bagdad, 

 an Arab rode a bright bay mare of extraordi- 

 nary shape and beauty before his tent, until 

 he attracted his attention. On being asked if 

 he would sell her ; — ' What vvill you give 

 me ?' was the reply : ' That depends upon 

 her age ; I suppose she is past five V ' Guess 

 again,' said he. ' Four V ' Look at her mouth,' 

 said the Arab, with a smile. On examination 

 she was found to be rising three. This, from 

 her size and .symmetry, greatly enhanced her 

 value. The envoy said, ' I will give you fifty 

 tomans' (a coin nearly of the value of a pound 

 sterling). ' A little more if you please," said 

 the fellow, apparently entertained. ' Eighty. 

 A hundred.' He shook his head and smiled. 

 The offer at last came to two hundred tomans ! 

 ' Well ;' said the Arab, ' you need not tempt 

 me further ; it is of no use. You are a rich 

 elchee (nobleman). You have fine Horses, 

 camels, and mules, and I am told, you have 

 loads of silver and gold. Now,' added he, 

 ' you want my mare, but you shall not have 

 her for all you have got.' " 



" An Arab sheick or chief, who lived within 

 fifty miles of Bussorah, had a favourite breed 

 of Horses. He lost one of his best mares, and 

 could not for a long while discover whether 

 she was stolen or had strayed. Some time 

 after, a young man of a different tribe, who 

 had long wished to marry his daughter, but 

 had always been rejected by the sheick, ob- 

 tained the lady's consent and eloped with lier. 

 The sheick and his followers pursued, but th.s 

 lover jind his mistress, mounted on one Horse, 

 made a wonderful march, and escaped. The 

 old chief swore that the fellow was eitlier 

 mounted upon the devil, or the favourite mare 

 he had lost After his return he found the 

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