INTRODUCTION XV 



shape, its thighs full and stout, its back short and carved, its hoofs 

 round and hard, its dock fine, its legs hard and straight like cane, 

 and the tendons dry and well-defined : its legs should not be too 

 long, but beautiful and muscular ; its knees should be far apart ; 

 its ears should be erect and ever trying to meet; when the horse 

 moves, it should hold its dock aloft like a standard ; its pasterns 

 should be strong, its testicles small, its belly full and not tucked 

 up, its neck well-arched,^ the chin being held near the chest ; and 

 the hair of its mane and tail should be long and thick, with fine 

 glossy hair hanging straight down." 



Horse not Unclean. — From the same writer we learn that 

 according to Muslim tradition " Food left by a horse is not 

 unclean ; neither is its sweat, nor its foam, nor any moisture from 

 its mouth." 



Alms. — The following " cheap and beneficial " form of alms- 

 giving ^ should recommend itself to those Muslims who have 

 practical as well as pious minds : — 



*' Tell the sais to deduct one handful from each morning- and 

 evening-feed^ and to set it aside. On Thursday night* sell the 

 quantity of grain thus obtained, buying with its price, sweet- 

 meats. Repeat the Pdtiha,^ and distribute the sweets amongst the 

 poor. Further, take a pice — or half a pice — ^worth of ispand seed 

 and fumigate with it." ^ 



Ill-omened spots for Stabling. — It is interesting to learn that, 

 "A horse should not be stabled in an empty'' house, nor in a 

 cemetery, nor opposite any grave or ruin, nor near a burning-ghat, 

 nor on an old battle-field, nor in a Hindu temple, nor in the 

 street, nor in a dark room inhabited by an owl; for if it be stabled 

 in or near such places it is liable to go mad." ^ 



1 Ghunghat k. — an idiom. 



- Sadqa-o-khayrdt ; technically sadaqah is alms given to avoid 

 calamity, &c., and khayrdt is good works in general. 



^ Horses, belonging to Indians, are usually given grain only twice 

 a day. 



* That is, the Muslims' Friday night, the night of their Sabbath. 



^ The Fdtihah or " opening " chapter of the Quran. 



^ The incense is pleasing to the Angels. Ispand is the hartnal 

 Peganum Harmala. 



"^ Khdna-yi khdli rd div mi-gtrad, " Demons occupy empty houses," is 

 a common Persian saying. 



^ According to Raja Sir Sourindro Mohan Tagore's pamphlet, the 



