A GREAT COUNTRY. 147 



over a space that gives full scope to all their energy, and demands 

 greater facilities for travelling than were ever needed within 

 the narrow ocean bounds, in the island homes of their 

 forefathers. 



The dominant Scotch, the dignified English, the demonstra- 

 tive Irish, the domesticated Germans, and the docile Afi'icans 

 are there, united in one country and one language, destined, 

 perhaps slowly, to amalgamate as one race, but at present 

 exhibiting all the diversity of character, and variety of pursuits, 

 which, with its frigid, temperate, and tropical climates, its woods, 

 oils, and minerals, make it a complete commercial world in 

 itself. 



326. — Who can pretend to have seen or to understand such 

 a country. A resident in the hot summers and cold winters of 

 New York could little judge of the mild and equal climate of 

 San Francisco ; a dweller in Florida would know nothing of the 

 ice and snows of Labrador. The man who has resided either 

 North, East, South, or West, may get a very inaccurate idea of 

 any other part of that great country, whilst those of us who have 

 only travelled through them all, will be liable to all the mistakes 

 which visitors so commonly fall into in their descriptions of any 

 country. Our remarks on the horses and horse educators in such 

 a country must be very general, and are advanced with a clear 

 sense that they may not be so reliable as they might have been 

 after a long residence in each part of the country. 



327. — We have had something to say about the varieties of 

 the horses that have found their way into and have flourished 

 in North America ; our business now is to say something about 

 their education. It has been claimed that the foals in North 

 America are commonly better handled than those of England, on 

 account of being more often handled by owners, or their owner's 

 family. There is a good deal of truth in this, and a large pro- 

 portion of the horses show that they have been kindly treated 

 from their birth. AYhilst both the writers and breakers of the 

 country show that they never expect to meet with really wild 

 horses. But good handling of the young horses is by no means 

 an invariable rule. The farmers' sons and daughters are very 



