Ill] AND HISTORIC TIMES 423 



monuments as of a dark colour ; (7) that by B.C. 1000, and we 

 know not how much earlier, these horses were so highly esteemed 

 by the horse-driving peoples of Western Asia that King Solomon 

 imported them from Egypt at a great price, not only for himself 

 but also for all the kings of Syria and for the kings of the 

 Hittites ; (8) that this bay breed was already in the Troad 

 before B.C. 1000, and was there regarded as not only divine, 

 but as quite different in origin from the dun and white horses 

 of Greece and Thrace ; (9) that it was even then distinguished 

 by a star in its forehead, a feature which to this day is 

 characteristic of the pure-bred Arab horses and their deriva- 

 tives ; (10) that already these horses were swifter than all 

 others; (11) that the Greek legends regarded the horses bred 

 near the Atlantic as the swiftest; (12) that Pegasus, the fabled 

 winged steed, was said to have been born in Libya ; (13) that 

 the Libyan horses were the swiftest in the Roman Circus ; 

 (14) that these African horses have been continually sought 

 for by the peoples of Asia and Europe for the purpose of 

 improving the quality .of their own indigenous horses, and that 

 consequently their blood has influenced the horses of Asia as 

 far as China and those of Europe as far as Ireland ; (15) that it 

 is to the blending of the bay horses of North Africa with the 

 dun or white horses of Asia and Europe in varying degrees 

 that are due not only all the improved breeds of the world, but 

 also the various shades of grey, rufous-grey, roan, skewbalds, 

 piebalds, chestnut, brown, and black ; (16) that the white 

 bracelets or stockings so frequent not only in bay, but also in 

 black horses, are due to the Libyan strain, and that the white 

 star or blaze on the forehead frequently found in domestic 

 horses is due to the same cause ; (17) that the peculiar blend 

 of the two strains which results in black often produces great 

 strength combined with fair speed; (18) and that for this 

 reason the black horse through the ages has been especially 

 valued for war from Turkestan to England, and from Morocco 

 to Sweden ; (19) we have likewise seen that the horse has 

 everywhere been driven under chariots before he was ridden, 

 and that it was the Libyans in Africa and the Turko-Tartaric 

 tribes in Asia who first began to ride habitually on horseback, 



