THE HORSE AND HIS RIDER. 189' 



camp. For every ten Janissaries, the Sultan maintained 

 a horse to carry their baggage ; every five and twenty 

 had a tent, that served them in common ; in these 

 they observed the regulations of their barracks, and 

 the elder were waited on by the younger. No Spahi 

 was so mean that he did not possess a tent of his own. 

 How gallant and glittering was their array, as they rode 

 in their silken surcoats, their parti-coloured, richly- 

 wrought shields on their left arms, their right hands 

 grasping the costly mounted sword, feathers of all 

 hues waving in their turbans ! But surpassingly 

 splendid was the appearance of their leaders. Jewels 

 hung from their horses' ears, and studded their saddles 

 and housings ; chains of gold depended from their 

 bridles. The tents shone with Turkish and Persian 

 decorations ; here the booty was laid up, and a 

 numerous retinue of eunuchs and slaves, were in 

 attendance. 



The modern Turks in general, prefer the Turkman 

 horse, to the more slender Arabian of pure blood. 

 Their style of riding is very trying to the limbs of the 

 animal, their most favourite manoeuvre being to make 

 a dead stop when gallopping at the utmost speed. In 

 order to practise this injurious trick, they use a 

 terribly severe bit, which destroys all the fine sensi- 

 bility of the mouth. The Bedouins, on the contrary, 



