A KENTUCKY COLT. 101 



visit to the other places. When we left Mr. Clay's, we 

 came back by the way of Ashland ; and my enthusiastic 

 admiration of the great man, whose home it had been, 

 was gratified by seeing the place, so beautiful by na- 

 ture, still further adorned by the plantations which he 

 had superintended. But I must not be tempted to de- 

 scribe any of these places, as our walk is too short to admit 

 of even a sketch of their beauties. We took the afternoon 

 train to Spring Station, and I greatly enjoyed the two- 

 mile walk over the verdant blue grass sod to Woodburn. 

 The next day was occupied in glancing at the stock on 

 that vast domain ; but there was so much of it, that the 

 mind got confused by the number seen, and it was diffi- 

 cult to get a correct impression that could be retained 

 by the memory without mixing up different animals to- 

 gether. 



There were two, however, that struck my fancy more 

 than any of the others : a bay colt, by Lexington, out of 

 Nebula, the peerless Asteroid, and a bay colt by Knight 

 of St. George, out of Miriam. They were both rated at 

 the same price, and I finally settled on the son of the 

 conqueror of the dragon. I will only describe him by 

 saying he was the most finished specimen of horse-flesh T 

 ever saw ; powerfully made, yet showing quality of the 

 highest character. I have a print, copied from Herring, 

 Sen., of Beeswing ; I have admired it as coming exactly 

 to my idea of what a horse should be, and I often point 

 it out to visitors as being a model, in my estimation, as it 

 is in the opinion of those much more capable of judging. 

 This colt's similarity of form to the picture was remark- 

 able. Mr. Alexander sent us, in his carriage, to pay a 

 visit to " Uncle Ned," where we were so agreeably enter- 

 tained that the evening shades were falling ere we re- 

 gained Woodburn. We found every one much excited, 

 there being a report that Breckenridge was within six miles, 



