HEIEIES.] 



THE HOESE, AND 



[NUBIAN HORSES. 



but are met by the hunters, who do nothing 

 at first but drive them back into the circle ; 

 thus their strength is exhausted by being made 

 to continually run round in the ring. At the 

 first signs of fatigue in the birds, the horsemen 

 dash in — presently the flock separates ; the 

 exhausted birds are seen to open their wings, 

 which is a sign of great exhaustion ; the horse- 

 men, certain of their prey, now repress their 

 horses ; each hunter selects his ostrich, runs it 

 down, and finishes it by a blow on the head 

 with the stick above mentioned. The moment 

 the bird falls, the man jumps oft' his horse, 

 and cuts her throat, taking care to hold the 

 neck at such a distance from the body as not 

 CO soil the plumage of the wings. The male 

 bird, while dying, utters loud moans, but the 

 female dies in silence. 



When travelling in the desert on these 

 horses, as well as on the heiries, or desert 

 camels, the bowels of the riders become re- 

 laxed by the time they have arrived at the end 

 of their journey. They are then forced to 

 take a draught of camel's milk, which being 

 rejected by the stomach, they drink agaiu. 

 This second draught is, after a longer time, 

 also rejected ; when a third is takeu, by which 

 time the tone of the stomach is generally re- 

 stored to be capable of retaining the beverage, 

 which is converted into nourishment. 



Although hardly coming within the legiti- 

 mate province of our subject, yet in speaking 

 of the " wind-sucker," we deem it necessary 

 to make a few observations on the heirie, of 

 which he is a frequent companion in the desert. 



This animal is, in figure, similar to the com- 

 mon camel of burden, but more elegantly 

 formed. The Arab, with his loins, breast, aud 

 ears bound round, to prevent the percussion 

 of air proceeding from a quick motion affect- 

 ing him, rapidly traverses, upon the back of 

 this abstemious quadruped, the scorching de- 

 sert, the fiery atmosphere of which parches, and 

 almost impedes respiration, to such an extent 

 as nearly to produce sutFocation. 



The motion of the heirie is violent, aud can 

 be endured only by those patient and hardy 

 Arabs who are accustomed to it. These riders 

 will make a journey of three days almost with- 

 out food — a few pipes of tobacco, or a handful 

 of dates, serving to supply their necessities. 



With a bakul, or goat-skin, a porous 

 IG 



earthen vessel filled with water, a few dates, 

 and some ground barley, the Arab travels from 

 Timbuctoo to Tafilelt, feeding his heirie but 

 once, at the station of Arzawad; and this 

 camel, on an emergency, will abstain from 

 drinking seven days. In general, he has a 

 ring put through the upper lip, to which is 

 fixed a leathern strap, answering the purposes 

 of a bridle ; the saddle is similar to that used 

 by the Moors, or what the mountaineers of 

 Andalusia make use of. 



The swiftness of the heirie is thus figura- 

 tively described by the Arabs : — " When thou 

 shalt meet a heirie, and say to the rider 

 'Salem Alic' (peace be unto thee), ere he shall 

 have answered the salutation, he shall be nearly 

 out of sight ; for the swiftness of his camel is 

 like the wind." 



The most inferior kind of heiries are called 

 Talatayee — a term expressive of their going the 

 distance of three days' journey in one. The 

 next kind is called Sebayee — expressing an 

 animal that goes seven days' journey in one ; 

 and this is their general character. There is 

 also one called Tasayee, or the heirie of nine 

 days ; but this species is extremely rare. 



THE NUBIAN OR DONGOLA., AND ABYSSI- 

 NIAN HORSES. 



Nubia, or Dongola, lies to the south of 

 Egypt, and has, on the east, the Eed Sea ; on 

 the west the Desert ; and is bounded on the 

 south by Senaar. The Nile is also its great 

 river, and the date is the principal fruit of the 

 country. The low shrub of the Senna is 

 abundant, and the climate is considered healthy 

 in general. Here there is said to be a breed 

 of horses distinct from any other which 

 either Africa or Arabia produces. Ludolph, 

 who passed through this country in the 17th 

 century, says, that the horses are spirited, 

 powerful, and active, and mostly of a black 

 colour ; that they are used for the chase and 

 for war ; and that they are not fatigued by 

 travelling long journeys, for the labour of 

 carrying or drawing loads is put upon mules. 

 The appearance of this animal is mostly de- 

 scribed as especially noble and majestic. He is 

 usually well-caparisoned ; and although the 

 colour is generally black, yet there are to be 

 found some of them bay and sorrel. Bruce, 

 the Abysainiaa traveller, speaks of the Nubian 



