THE HORSE AND HIS RIDER. 181 



filthily dirty, and his heels, for want of paring and 

 exercise, were so high, that he limped along with 

 much difficulty. A Dakhini, for which the Maharajah 

 had given about 1000, in their opinion far exceeded 

 Lylee in beauty. 



Runjeet Singh's passion for horses has passed into 

 a proverb in the East : it amounted almost to insanity. 

 He was never weary of talking to and caressing his 

 favourite steeds; they were continually in his thoughts, 

 and almost constantly in his sight, adorned in the 

 most sumptuous style. Their bridles were overlaid 

 with gold or enamel, a plume of heron's feathers was 

 fixed to the headstall, strings of jewels were hung 

 round the animals' neck, under which were fastened 

 suleymans or onyx stones, highly prized on account of 

 the superstitions connected with them. The saddles 

 were likewise plated with enamel and gold, and set 

 with precious stones, the pummels being particularly 

 rich. The housings were of Cashmere shawls fringed 

 with gold, and the crupper and the martingales were 

 ornamented in the same style as the other furniture. 

 Even a cart-horse, sent him by the King of England, 

 was dressed out in the same fashion. His Majesty 

 wished to make a suitable return for the shawl tent 

 presented to him through Lord Amherst, by the old 

 Lion of the Punjab, and a very extraordinary selection 



