THE HORSE AND HIS RIDER. 93 



in the British Museum a stuffed specimen exactly 

 corresponding in size and colour, but with a head 

 (possibly in consequence of the taxidermist wanting 

 the real skull) much longer and less in depth. The 

 other specimen, which came from the mountains north 

 of Accra in Guinea, was again entirely similar. We 

 were told that in voice it differed from both horse 

 and ass ; and in ';emper, that which died on shipboard, 

 though very wild and shy at first, was by no means 

 vicious, and it fed on sea-biscuit with willingness." 



The Steppes, as the great table land of Central 

 Asia is called, extend from the borders of Hungary 

 to those of China. They constitute an almost unin- 

 terrupted plain, of considerable elevation, covered in 

 spring and autumn by a luxuriant herbage ; in winter 

 by drifting snows, heaped up in some places, and 

 leaving the ground bare in others ; and in summer by 

 clouds of dust so excessively fine, that even on the 

 calmest day they hang suspended in the air, having 

 the appearance rather of a vapour exhaled from the 

 ground, than of earthly particles raised by the agita- 

 tion of the atmosphere. The slight undulations that 

 occur assume but rarely the character of hills; but 

 artificial hillocks or tumuli are frequently met with, 

 the origin of which it is impossible to trace through 

 the darkness of bygone ages. The most singular 



