SHETLAXDS AND SOOTS. 69 



high northern latitude the mountains are buried deep in 

 frozen snow, they resort to the sea beaches and feed on the 

 kelp and sea ware. Even when taken into domestication 

 their fare is but little improved. Oats is a luxury unknov>m, 

 and a few bundles of wild meadow hay or barley straw 

 furnish a dainty banquet to the wee Shetlander. His 

 speed is of course not great, but he will go along at a sort 

 of waddling run under a weight which it would bother 

 some horses to carry, — that is to say, from 150 to 200 

 pounds, — at the rate of four or five miles an hour ; and 

 will accomplish his fifty miles betwesn sunrise amd sunset 

 with a gTeat hulking Highlander on his back, who seems 

 fitter to carry the pony than the pony to carry him. 



For little boys and girls learning to ride, the Shetlander 

 is perfection ; for though he has sometimes a will of his 

 own, and has always a very sufficient share of spirit, which 

 sometimes leads him to play queer, grotesque tricks and to 

 make uncouth gambols more resembling those of a big 

 dog than of a small horse, he is very docile, intelligent, af- 

 fectionate and gentle. He readily becomes extremely 

 fond of his small rider ; and if, as will sometimes happen, 

 he kicks him over his head for fun, he will generally stop 

 by his side until he gets up again, and will suffer himself to 

 be remounted without opposition ; and then, which is a 

 great consideration, it is not far to fall from his back to 

 the ground. The colors of the Shetlanders are generally 

 black, dark brown, and a sort of rust-colored sorrel. 

 Whites and greys are exceedingly rare, and blacks are 

 considered the best of the race. There is a race of very 

 small ponies, analagous to the Shetlanders, in Terie, one of 

 the Hebrides or Western isles, belonging to the Duke of 

 Argyle. 



Next in size to the Shetlanders is a small white race of 

 ponies, generally supposed to be of Hanoverian origin, 



