2oS THE HISTORY AND ART 



needlefs, and foreign to the prefent fubjed, we will 

 leave the matter undecided ; obicrving only, that the 

 general and more probable notion is, that America is 

 indebted to Europe for the horfe *. 



The territories belonging to Spain have, at this day, 

 a noble and elegant breed, little inferiour to their SpaniJJj 

 anceilors, which firfl peopled this fourth part of the 

 globe. — Their incrcafe has been prodigious, and feve- 

 ral of the Indian tribes are acquainted with their ufe, 

 and employ them to their pleafure and advantage, as 

 we find in the account of the late difcovery of Pata- 

 gonia. — When Sir Walter Raleigh went thither, they 

 were in fuch abundance, wild in the woods, that 

 the Indians killed them merely for their fkins, which 

 were beautifully marked and fpotted, and of uncom- 

 mon colours. 



All who have feen, or give any defcription of 

 them, are very flowing of their praifes. — Commodore 

 f Byron fpeaks of them as having uncommon merit, 

 and X Ulloa fays, that the boafted fwiftnefs of the Eu- 

 ropean horfe s is DuHnefs, when compared to the cele- 

 rity of thofe of South America. One fort of thefe 

 horfes, called Jguilillas, not only excel in the amhJe, a 

 pace univerfally pradifed here, but are fo fuperiour in 

 their gallop, that no other horfes . can contend with 



* Vid. Johannes de Laet notas ad difTertat. de gentium American, 

 origin. Hugonis Grotii. pag. 12. 



-j- Byron's Narrative. % Voyage to S. America, p. 236, 464, 

 Vol. II. 



thcm^ 



