66 THE NARRAGANSETT PACER. 



The question, however, thus far seems to be put at rest hj 

 the account of these animals, given in a note to the very curious 

 work, "America Dissected," by the Rev. James McSparran, 

 D.D., which is published as an appendix to the History of the 

 Church of Narragansett, by Wilkins Updike. In this work, 

 the Doctor twice mentions the pacing horse, which was evi- 

 dently at that remote date, (1121-59,) an established breed in 

 that province. "To remedy this," he says — "this" being the 

 great extent of the parishes in Virginia, of which he is at first 

 speaking, and the distance which had to be traveled to church, 

 — " as the whole province between the mountains, two hundred 

 miles up, and the sea, is all a champaign and without stones, 

 they have plenty of a small sort of horses, the best in the world, 

 like the little Scotch Galloways ; and 'tis no extraordinary jour- 

 ney to ride from sixty to seventy miles, or more, in a day. I 

 have often, but upon large pacing horses, rode fifty, nay, sixty 

 miles a day, even here in New England, where the roads are 

 rough, stony, and uneven." Elsewhere he speaks more point- 

 edly of the same breed. "The produce of this Colony," 

 (Rhode Island,) "is principally butter and cheese, fat cattle, 

 wool, and fine horses, which are exported to all parts of English 

 America. They are remarkable for fleetness and sivift paeing , 

 a»d I have seen some of them pace a mile in a little more than 

 two minutes, and a good deal less than three." 



If the worthy doctor of divinity was a good judge of pace, 

 and had a good timing watch, it would seem that the wonderful 

 me of our fleetest racers was equaled, if not outdone, up- 

 wards of a century ago ; at all events, he establishes, beyond a 

 peradventure, the existence of the family, and its unequaled 

 powers both of speed and endurance. 



