NATURAL HISTORY. 155 



are of the first clas?, is from one hundred, to tw 

 rr three hundred pounds sterling. As the Arabians 

 have only a. tent for their house, it serves them also 

 for a stable. The mare, colt, husband, wife, and chil- 

 dren, lie promiscuously together; and the little chil- 

 dren will lie on the body and neck of the mare and 

 colt, without being in the least injured. These mares 

 are so accustomed to live in this familiarity, that they 

 will suffer any kind of play. The Arabians treat them 

 kindly, talk and reason with them, and take great care 

 of them, always let them walk, and never use the 

 spur without necessity. Hence, as soon as they feel 

 their flank tickled with the stirrup-iron, they set out 

 immediately with incredible swiftness, and leap hedges 

 and ditches with great agility. But if the rider 

 happens to fall, they are so well trained, that they will 

 stop short even in the most rapid gallop. All Arabian 

 horses are of a middling size, very easy in their 

 manner, and rather thin than fat They are dressed 

 morning and evening regularly, with so much care, 

 that not the smallest spot is left on their skins. 

 Their legs, mane ; arid tail, are also washed, which they 

 let prow long, and seldom comb, to avoid breaking 

 the hairs. They have nothing given them to eat all 

 day, and seldom are allowed to diink above two or 

 three times. At sunset, a bag is fastened round their 

 heads, in which is about half a bushel of very clean 

 barley. These horses, therefore, eat only during the 

 night ; ami the bag is not taken from them till the 

 next morning, when all is eaten up ; and, in the month 

 nf March, when the grass is tolerably high, they are 

 turned out to pasture. As soon as the spring is past, 

 they are taken again from pasture, and have neither 

 igrass nor oats all the rest of the year, and straw bui, 



