TROTTING FAMILIES. 27 



him. He was a handsome round-built bay horse with 

 black points, and he is said to have trotted in England 

 nine miles in twenty-nine minutes and thirty-eight 

 seconds, and two miles in six minutes. Bellfounder 

 was of the same blood from which the modern hackney 

 is derived, and of much the same origin as that famous 

 Marshland Shales whose name is preserved in the 

 works of George Borrow. An old advertising card 

 was discovered some years ago, in which it is stated 

 that Bellfounders dam was Velocity. In 1806 Velo- 

 city was matched to trot sixteen miles within an hour 

 on the Norwich road, and although she broke into a 

 gallop fifteen times, " and as often turned round " (that 

 being the penalty), she won the match. 



Bellfounder was described as " plump in form and 

 muscular in all his parts," and as having "a fine, 

 slashing gait." He contributed to the Hambletonian 

 family that mildness of temper for which, unlike 

 the earlier Messengers, they have always been distin- 

 guished. 



Eysdyck's Hambletonian was an animal of extraor- 

 dinary appearance, looking very much as a locomo- 

 tive might look if it were turned into a horse with no 

 more changes than were necessary to effect the trans- 

 formation. He had a long, round body, like the boiler 

 of an engine, of almost the same girth throughout. 

 His neck was short and straight, and he had a big, 

 ugly head, surmounted by ears which, though large 

 and coarse, were a little too well shaped to be posi- 

 tively ill-bred. His expression was good, phlegmatic 

 but amiable, and full of character. He stood very 

 firm and solid, on feet perfect in shape and texture ; 

 and his legs were flat, clean, heavily muscled, and free 



