THE ARABIAN RACE. 217 



understand the first class of horses collectively, in- 

 cluding many breeds : the Count, however, pur- 

 chased three animals of this class, and vouches for 

 the wonderful properties ascribed to them : temper, 

 faithfulness, sagacity, courage, fierceness, &c. ; he 

 affects even to believe that they know when they 

 are sold, not granting implicit obedience until they 

 have been duly transferred with the presentation of 

 bread and salt to a new master. There are among 

 those studs many whose pedigrees ascend through 

 numerous generations of the noblest blood, perfectly 

 well attested ; and some even, it is asserted, to a 

 period of four hundred years. In the market there 

 are, however, only stallions; mares they justly re- 

 gard as of greater importance in breeding than is 

 thought in Europe, and therefore it is held so un- 

 lawful to part with any, that very rarely they can 

 be obtained by purchase. It is even considered a 

 crime to sell one under any circumstances ; and in 

 proof of the resolute opposition to the practice, w r e 

 were assured of a case that lately occurred in Cal- 

 cutta, where some Arabian dealers had sold their 

 horses, and in consequence of a heavy bribe one was 

 induced to part with his mare. Some weeks after, 

 when the dealers had already gone homeward, the 

 senior of the party was observed to have returned 

 to the city, a distance of several hundred miles ; he 

 lurked about for some days ; subsequently it was 

 discovered that he had inquired for the stables where 

 the mare was kept : she was found poisoned, and 

 he had disappeared 1 



