FOR PEACE AND WAR. 21 



This appears to me to be proviBg too much, and, in fact, begging 

 the question. 



Now, all that I think can be safely predicated amounts to 

 this — that a stream of fresh Arabian blood was (possibly through 

 many ages ; certainly since the end of the seventh century A.C.) 

 flowing into North Africa, with which the native horse or Barb 

 was crossed, and probably much improved ; but this neither jus- 

 tifies Abd-el-Kader nor Admiral Kous in making the declaration 

 that the Barb and Arab are one and the same race, as both con- 

 fidently assert. 



That General Daumas had grave doubts on the subject, or, 

 indeed, was of opinion that the Barb and Arab were of different 

 races, sufficiently appears from Abd-el-Kader's own statement — 

 " You say that you are told that the horses of Algeria are not 

 Arabian, but Berberein — i. e., Barbs." To this Abd-el-Kader 

 replies in a style that reminds one strongly of Admu-al Kous — 

 " This opinion recoils upon its holders ; the Berbers are genuine 

 Arabs." Compare that with Admiral Eous's dictum in his 

 second letter — "Plaice's White Turk and other nominal Turkish 

 stallions were pure Arabs." Indeed, were they ? Show that, 

 if you please, Admiral, but pray do not take it for granted. 

 For my part, I think I have succeeded in demolishing both your 

 and Abd-el-Kader's proposition, that " Barb and Arab are con- 

 vertible terms," and a little later I hope to dispose of your 

 theory about Turks being "pure Arabs." Abd-el-Kader, not 

 content with enforcing his favourite notion about the horses, 

 goes still further in order to support it; and, I own, astonishes 

 me not a little, for he makes the Berbers themselves Arabs. 

 " Doubt there is none," says he, " that the Arabian horse came 

 with his Arabian rider." Now, as the Emir insists upon it that 

 Arabs and Barbs mean precisely the same thing in horseflesh, 

 he will have to contend that their riders were the same too ; but 

 if this be so, what is to become of Jugurtha, and his cavaliers, 

 a great man of whom most of us have heard as much, if not 

 more, than of the Emir himself? 



However, seeing the absurdity of this sweeping proposition, 



