418 MANUAL OF MODERN FARRIERY. 



It seems certain that Egypt was the first country in 

 which the breed of horses was first improved, and from 

 whence most of the early Eastern monarchs procured their 

 studs. Solomon obtained many from thence ; and although 

 it abounded in horses, still I think it more than probable 

 that the Egyptians obtained their best steeds from the 

 south, as the local situation of that country was but ill 

 adapted to preserve them in perfection. This monarch, as 

 well as several of his successors, obtained coursers from 

 Togarmah, now understood to be the modern Cappadocia, or 

 the lands which border the Euxine Sea, which was in 

 early times the seat of several flourishing and powerful 

 kingdoms. 



To trace the history of the progress of the horse from 

 that period to the present times v/ould require a larger 

 space than our limits will admit, and we must now turn to 

 that part of his history which refers to the place of his 

 nativity. 



Left only to conjecture, we can only suppose, from a 

 combination of circumstances, that Asia was the original 

 country of the horse ; for there he is found to the present 

 day roving in unrestrained freedom, and we are without 

 any historical record of his having been introduced by man 

 into those extensive wilds. One thing is quite certain, tJiat 

 he was not found either in America or New Holland on the 

 original discovery of these continents. The great tract of 

 desert country around the Sea of Aral, as well as those of 

 the Caspian Sea, have been supposed to be the native resi- 



autlientic copies of the text are corrupted. We should conceive that 

 four thousand was a large number. This indeed is stated to be the 

 luunbcr in 2 Chronicles, chapter ix. verse 25th ; and even the parallel 

 passage in 1 Kings, chapter iv. verse 26th, commonly translated forty 

 thousand, will bear to be so interpreted." 



