AEABiAN HOUSE.] MODEEN VETElilNAET PEACTICE. [auabian uonsE. 



and especially those to the south of Mecca, 

 aa far as Temen, have very few horses , but 

 the Kurds and the Bedouins, in the east, 

 and especially in Mesopotamia, possess more 

 horses, and more valuable ones, than all the 

 Arabian Bedouins put together ; for the rich- 

 ness of their pastures easily nourishes the colts, 

 and fills the studs. " The number of horses in 

 Arabia," he adds, "is not more than 50,000 

 — a number far inferior to that found in any 

 part of Europe or Asia, on an equal extent of 

 ground." 



According to the same author, there are in 

 Syria, at the present day, three breeds of 

 horses — the true Arab breed, the Turk- 

 man, and the Kourdy ; the last being a mix- 

 ture of the two former. From the superior 

 size, and more martial appearance of the 

 Turkman horse, he makes a splendid figure 

 when dressed in Turkish trappings ; and, 

 on this account, is, by the Osmaulis, pre- 

 ferred to the Arab horses. They are trained 

 to walk with great grace ; to start suddenly 

 off at full speed ; to turn with the gentlest 

 touch, and to stop short instantaneously. The 

 Arab horse is more hardy, more beautifully 

 limbed, and much fleeter than the Turkman ; 

 but he is more slender, and less strong in his 

 appearance. The esteem in which the Arab 

 holds his animal, however, has no counter- 

 part in any other country. The Eev. V. 

 Monro, in his Summer''s Bamhle in Syria, 

 when on a visit to the river Jordan, says, 

 that " one of the Arab escort, a great ruffian, 

 was mounted on a white mare of great beauty ; 

 ner large fiery eye gleamed from the edge of 

 an open forehead, and her exquisite little head 

 was finished with a pouting lip and expanded 

 nostrils ; her ribs, thighs, and shoulders, were 

 models of make, with more bone than com- 

 monly belongs to the Syrian Arab ; and her 

 stately step received additional dignity from 

 the manner in which she took it ; whilst the 

 carriage of her tail gave the infallible indica- 

 tion of good family. Having inquired her price, 

 I off'ered the sum ; whereon the dragoon asked 

 one-third more. After much abating and de- 

 bating, I acceded ; and he immediately stepped 

 back in the same proportion as before. This 

 is invariably the practice with the Arabs ; I, 

 therefore, discontinued my attempts to deal. 

 The Arab said he loved his mare better than 



his own life; and that, when mounted upon her, 

 he felt rich as a pasha. Shoes and stocking* 

 he had none ; and the net value of his dress ami 

 accoutrements might be calculated at some- 

 thing under seventeen-pence sterling." 



M. De Chateaubriand, upon wliat authority 

 we know not, records an instance of recipro- 

 cal affection between an Arab horse and hia 

 master ; which, if it be not of pure invention 

 has seldom, if ever, been paralleled. 



An Arab and his tribe had, with complete 

 success, attacked in the desert the caravan 

 from Damascus ; and when the Arabs wero 

 occupied in packing their booty, the horsemen 

 of the pasha of Acre, who had come to meet 

 the caravan, rushed suddenly on the robbers, 

 and killed a considerable number of them, and 

 made others prisoners. Having tied these 

 with cords, they took them to Acre, as pre- 

 sents to the pasha. 



Abon el Masseh, the hero of this predatory 

 attack, had received a ball in his arm during 

 the engagement ; but as his wound was not 

 mortal, the Turks had fastened him upon a 

 camel, and took his horse along with him. 



The evening of the day of their approach to 

 Acre, the party encamped with their prisoners 

 upon the mountain of Safhadt. The legs of 

 the wounded Arab were tied together by a 

 leathern belt, and he was laid near the spot 

 where the Turks slept. Kept awake, during 

 the night, by the pain of his wound, he heard 

 his horse neigh among others picketed round 

 the tents, according to the Eastern custom. 

 Eecognising his voice, he could not resist the 

 desire to see once more the former companion 

 of his life. Accordingly, with great difficulty, 

 he managed to crawl on his hands and knees 

 to his steed. " My poor friend," said he, ad- 

 dressing the animal of his affections ; " what 

 canst thou do among these Turks ? Thou 

 wilt be imprisoned under the roof of a khan, 

 with the horses of an aga or pasha. Tho 

 women and children will no longer bring theo 

 the camel's milk, or barley, or doura in their 

 palms. Thou wilt no more course the desert, 

 like the wind from Egypt. No more wilt 

 thou divide, with thy chest, the refreshing 

 waves of Jordan. O that, though I remained 

 a slave, I could at least set thee free ! Let 

 me try! There, go! return to our tent; 

 tell mv wife that Abon el Masseh returns 



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