604. THE AMERICAN TROTTING HORSE. 



of them together would not have produced a family of trotters 

 without a cross from Messenger ; and equally safe to assert that 

 the fame of Messenger would have been no less if any one of the 

 others had never been foaled. The imported Arabian, Grand 

 Bashaw, had the luck to have his name perpetuated in a family 

 of good trotters that originated in Bucks county, Pa., but the 

 trotting quality all came from Messenger, who stood in that county 

 two years. The first of the Bashaws that manifested any trotting 

 quality was Young Bashaw, a son of the Arabian; and he was the 

 only one of the whole get (if we may coin a word) that was thus 

 endowed. The explanation is found in the fact that Young 

 Bashaw's dam was a granddaughter of Messenger. 



Of American horses not descended from Messenger that have 

 contributed to establish the reputation of our trotters, the number 

 is not large nor the influence very considerable. Sir Henry, the 

 famous competitor of American Eclipse, and Duroc, both thorough- 

 breds, and both descended from imported Diomcd, seem to have 

 transmitted some trotting quality to tlioir descendants,- but it is 

 very doubtful that either, or both, would have established a fomily 

 of trotters. Seely's American Star, quite famous as the sire of 

 modern trotters, combines the blood of both, being sired by Ameri- 

 can Star, a son' of Duroc, and out of Sally Slouch by Sir Henry; 

 but his grand-dam was by Messenger. American Eclipse, the 

 progenitor of many good trotters, had also the blood of Duroc, his 

 sire ; but as his dam, jMiller's Damsel, was by Messenger, the Duroc 

 part of the pedigree is seldom thought of. Americas, who beat 

 Lady Suffolk on the Hunting Park Course in a five-mile match to 

 wagons in the remarkable time of 13 m. 54 s and 13 m. 58^ s., was 

 by Red Jacket, a son of Duroc, and not known to have inherited 

 his trotting from any other source. 



Canada has added something to our trotting stock. In Lower 

 Canada, where the earliest settlers were French, and brought with 

 them a breed of horses now known in France as Normans, they 

 have a breed of hardy, spirited, compactly built horses, descended 

 from the larger French horse, inheriting much of his form and 

 general appearance, but greatly diminished in size. These Cana- 

 dian horses are often called Cannucks, and by some are known as 

 French horses, a designation likely to lend to misapprehension. 

 They are of all colors, with thick, long manes, heavy tails, and 

 hairy legs. Their heads are generally very good in size and form, 

 faces dished, indicating g;imoy dispositions; necks well arched, 

 often heavy in the crest but carried well up; backs short, rumps 

 steep, particularly in those that pace; bodies round and roomy, 

 the ribs sometimes projecting from the backbone nearly horizon- 

 tally, giving a peculiar flat appearance to the back. Their legs 



