THE ARABIAN RACE. 215 



time of King Solomon, and even older. There are, 

 however, different opinions expressed by native 

 writers on this head : one asserts the highest breed 

 proceeds from the stallion Zad-el-rakeb and the mare 

 Sherdat Shekban, both the property of Muthaym 

 ibn Oshaim, chief of the primitive Arabian tribe 

 of Yemen : others that Mashour, stallion of Okrar, 

 chief of the Beni Obeide, was sire of the noblest 

 breeds ; while the more pious Arabs claim the five 

 most renowned races for lineal descendants of Rhab- 

 da, Noorna, Waya, Sabha, and Hesma, the five 

 favourite mares of their prophet. There can be no 

 doubt that Mohammed, although no connoisseur, 

 was well mounted ; and it would not have been a 

 token of great fanaticism in his followers to value 

 descendants from his stud.* It is likely, therefore, 

 that some truth may be attached to the claim ; but 

 at present the five recognised great races are deno- 

 minated Tauweyce, JVlonakye, Kohayl, Saklawye, 

 and Gulfe or Julfa : the names of studs derived from 

 the two first mentioned we have not found detailed, 

 but the third or Kohayl reckon among others of 

 renown the Aguz, Kerda, Sheikha, Dubbah ibn 

 Kurysha, Kumeyseh, and Abu Moaraff: the Sak- 

 lawye have the Jedran, Abriyeh, and Nemh el 

 fcubh; and the Julfa has the Estemblath. There 



* Had he been one of a riding tribe, the world would have 

 heard of a mystical mare ; but being a camel-driver, he only 

 dreamed of the Borak, that mysterious camel which carried 

 him up to the third heaven, and the object of profound discus- 

 sions ainona; the Ulema, as to whether it was red or white. 



