190 THE HORSE AND HIS RIDER. 



never use any thing more severe than a snaffle. One' 

 of the most precious qualities of the Turkman horse, 

 according to some amateurs, is the admirable instinct 

 with which it seconds its rider in the fight, and itself 

 takes an active part against the foe. 



Stevens, in his travels in Egypt, describes a curious 

 scene, highly characteristic of the Turk, and his 

 equestrian sports : 



" It was an excessively hot day," he says ; " you, 

 who were hovering over your coal fires, or moving 

 about wrapped in cloaks or greatcoats, can hardly 

 believe that, on the 20th of January, the Arabs were 

 refreshing their heated bodies by a bath in the Nile, 

 and that I was lying under my tent actually panting 

 for breath. I had plenty to occupy me, but the heat 

 was too intense ; the sun seemed to scorch the brain, 

 while the sands blistered the feet. I think it was the 

 hottest day I experienced on the Nile. 



" While leaning on my elbow, looking out of the 

 door of my tent towards the temple of Luxor, I saw 

 a large body of Arabs, on foot, on dromedaries, and on 

 horseback, coming down towards the river. They 

 came about half-way across the sandy plain between 

 the temple and the river, and stopped nearly opposite 

 to my tent, so as to give me a full view of all their 

 movements. The slaves and pipe-bearers immediately 



