2 ABORIGINAL HOME. 



doubt that "there went up with him both chariots and horse- 

 men." Thus we gather that the horse first came from North 

 Africa, and was used in the service of man at least 3,600 

 years ago. The examination of ancient sculptures has led some 

 antiquarians to the highly improbable conclusion that the horse 

 was long used to draw vehicles before any one ventured to 

 mount on his back. We cannot imagine that generations of men 

 who rode on asses would continue to walk by the side of an 

 animal so much better fitted to carry them, and which they had 

 made docile enough to draw all sorts of frightful things at its 

 tail. It is far more probable that the early sculptors found it 

 more easy to represent a horse drawing something behind him 

 than to place a stone rider gracefully on his back. 



3. — Egypt itself is very little adapted for a horse breeding 

 country, but the leading part that she once took in civilisation, 

 and the commanding political position she long occupied, would 

 enable her to draw supplies of them from any part of North 

 Africa. With her great maritime advantages these seem to have 

 been distributed to other parts of the world, horses being a 

 favourite article both of ordinary export, and for royal presents 

 to foreign potentates. Soloman was a large importer of horses 

 from Egypt, and with his wealth, wisdom, and power, he is 

 likely to have secured the best, so that there is nothing very 

 incredible in the Arab tradition that their best horses descend 

 from the stud of Soloman. Mahomet appears to have severely 

 tested the powers of the Arabian mare, and as he would be able 

 to obtain the best, mares that had endured such tests from him, 

 would naturally become celebrated, and thus the Arabs get 

 another starting point in the pedigree of their best hoi-ses, more 

 than 1,000 years later than the reign of Soloman, 



i. — In point of strict utility the horse must perhaps rank 

 behind the cow, or even the sheep, although in the present state 

 of society it would be more difficult for any nation to take a 

 commanding position, or even to hold its own, without the 

 horse than without either of those animals. In intelligence he 

 has many superiors : the elephant, the dog, the fox, the pig, the 

 rat, the cow, and even the donkey have more brain power, and 



