THE IMPROVED ART OF FARRIERY. 237 



menagerie to the other for a considerable time, seeking 

 a favourable opportunity to seize his prey, during all 

 which time the horse still preserved the same posture, 

 and still kept his head erect, and turned over his 

 shoulder. The lion at length gave a second spring, 

 with all the strength and velocity he could exercise, and 

 the horse caught him with his hoof on the under-jaw, 

 which he fractured. Having sustained a second and 

 more severe repulse than the former, the lion retreated 

 to his den as well as he was able, apparently in great 

 agony, moaning all the way in a most lamentable man- 

 ner. The horse wa soon obliged to be shot, as no one 

 dared to approach the ground where he was kept." 



The power and strength exhibited by the horse on 

 some occasions have been prodigious. When the 

 Croydon railway was completed, some gentlemen laid 

 a wager that a horse could draw a weight of thirty-six 

 tons the distance of six miles when thus assisted by 

 artificial means. At Merstham, six miles from Croy- 

 don, twelve wagons filled with stones were linked 

 together, making a weight of thirty- eight tons and a 

 quarter ; this a horse taken from the timber-yard 

 of Mr. Harwood drew the specified distance in an hour 

 and forty-one minutes. To prove this power was not 

 gained by descent, the animal was stopped at four 

 different parts of the distance specified, when he drew 

 the wagons off again with tolerable ease : four more 

 wagons were then added, when the weight became 

 forty-one tons and a quarter ; the horse set off again 

 at the same pace : and to conclude, all the men around 

 to the number of fifty were then desired to mount the 

 wagons, and the animal still accomplished what was 

 required. This last addition made the whole weight 

 forty-five tons and a quarter. 



It has not devolved on the moderns alone to discover 



