BURNABY'S RIDE TO KHIVA. 



Captain Burnaby, in his well-known book, 

 A Ride to Khiva, describes the animals 

 brought up for his inspection at Kasala, 

 in Turkestan, when his wish to buy a horse 

 was made known : 



" The horses were for the most part of the worst 

 description, that is to say, as far as appearance was 

 concerned. . . . Except for their excessive lean- 

 ness, they looked more like huge Newfoundland dogs 

 than as connected with the equine race, and had 

 been turned out in the depth of winter with no other 

 covering save the thick coats which nature had given 

 them. ... At last, after rejecting a number of 

 jades which looked more fit to carry my boots than 

 their wearer, I selected a little black horse. He was 

 about 14 hands in height, and I eventually became his 

 owner, saddle and bridle into the bargain, for the sum 

 of ^5, this being considered a very high price at 

 Kasala." 



The reader may be reminded that the 

 winter of 1876-7, during which Captain 

 Burnaby accomplished his adventurous jour- 

 ney, was an exceptionally severe one even 

 for that part of the world, where long and 

 severe winters are the rule. On the day of 

 his departure from Kasala the thermometer 

 stood at eight degrees below zero. The 

 traveller was by no means favourably im- 

 pressed with the powers of the horse he had 

 selected as the least bad of a very poor lot, 



