I40 THE HISTORY AND ART 



fummer and winter folcly upon grafs in the great de- 

 farcs, which arc between the rivers Don, Folga, and 

 7~aik. In winter time they fcrape away the fnow with 

 their feet, and eat the dead grafs which is under it, and 

 the tops of young trees and flirubs. Tliey recover very 

 foon in fummer the damage they fuftaincd from the 

 rigours of the wintry feafon.. After Midfummer the 

 grafs becomes very dry and hard, when they retura 

 to the great meadows, which are on the banks of the 

 Volga, and other rivers. They go in great herds, of 

 four or five hundred, and even a thoufand horfe. Such 

 an herd is called in the Ruffian, and all the Tartarian 

 and Kalmuck languages, T'aboon. They are excellent 

 fwimmers, and pafs the river Volga, which is from one 

 to two miles in breadth, with great eafe ; fo that when 

 a Ruffian has bought one of them, and brings it on 

 this fide the river, didant an hundred miles (Englifh) 

 from the place where its firil raafter, the Kalmuck, lived,, 

 the horfe will pafs the river, and find its way to the 

 Taboon. They are fo cheap, as to be bought at firfl 

 for one Rnbel, or four fliillings flerling each horfe. 

 They are feldora put to draw carriages, but devoted 

 chiefly to the faddle. They are brought with difficulty 

 to eat barley, oats, or any kind of grain, preferring 

 to them grafs, either frefli, or dry and withered. 



The Nogay horfes are a breed belonging to the Tar- 

 tars, which are of the Nogay tribe, and are fubjeds to 

 the Kalmuck Rban, but different from thofe Nogayan Tar- 

 tars, who are a part of the fubjeifls of the Tartar Khan 



of 



