THE ARABIAN—THE EAST INDIAN. 15 



are felt most keenly ; and this was one of them. It was not grief, but it 

 was something very nearly approaching to it ; and though I felt ashamed 

 of the degree of derangement I suffered from it, yet it was several days 

 before I could get over the loss. Let it, however, be remembered that the 

 poor animal had been my support and comfort, — nay, I may say, com- 

 panion, through many a dreary day and night; — had endured both hunger 

 and thirst in my service ; and was so docile, that he would stand still for hours 

 in the desert while I slept between his legs, his body affording me the only 

 shelter that could be obtained from the powerful influence of a noon-day 

 sun: — h*e was yet the fleetest of the fleet, and ever foremost in the 

 chase." 



Our horses would fare badly on the scanty nourishment afforded the 

 Arabian. The mare usually has but one or two meals in twenty-four hours. 

 During the day she is tied to the door of the tent, ready for the Bedouin to 

 spring, at a moment's warning, into the saddle; or she is turned out 

 before the tent ready saddled, the bridle merely taken off, and so trained 

 that she gallops up immediately at her master's call. At night she receives 

 a little water ; and with her scanty provender of five or six pounds of barley or 

 beans, and sometimes a Httle straw, she lies down content, in the midst of 

 her master's family. She can, however, endure great fatigue ; she will 

 travel fifty miles without stopping ; she has been pushed, on emergency, 

 one hundred and twenty miles, and, occasionally, neither she nor her rider 

 has tasted food for three whole days. 



To the Arabian, principally, England is indebted for her improved and 

 now unrivalled breed of horses for the turf, the field, and the road, as will 

 be shewn when we presently treat of the English horse. 



THE EAST INDIAN HORSE. 



We will now travel further eastward, and look at the breeds of horses in our 

 Indian possessions. First, we have the Toorky, originally from aToorko- 

 man and a Persian, beautiful in his form, graceful in his action, and do- 

 cile in his temper. It is said that, when skilfully managed, the grandeur 

 and stateliness of his carriage are equal to what the warmest imagination can 

 conceive of the horse: his spirit rising as his exertions are required, he 

 exhibits to his beholders an appearance of fury in the performance of his 

 task, yet preserving to his rider the utmost playfulness and gentleness. 



Next comes the Iranee, well limbed, and his joints closely knit, and par- 

 ticularly powerful in the quarters, but with scarcely sufficient spirit, and his 

 ears large and loose. 



The patient and docile Cozakee is deep in the girth, powerful in the fore- 

 arm, but with large head, and sadly cat-hammed ; hardy, and calculated 

 for long journeys and severe service. 



The Mojinniss have spirit, beauty, speed, and perseverance. 



The Tazsee is slight, hollow-backed, and, for that reason perhaps, 

 although deficient in strength, and leaving as it were his hind legs behind 

 him, and Hkewise irritable in temper, yet sought after on account of the 

 pecuUar easiness of his pace. 



A sale of horses near the Company's stud, at Hissar, is thus described 

 by an e?.cellent judge. "Not less than one thousand horses were shewn. 

 They were all above fourteen hands and a half in height, high-crested, and 

 shewy-looking horses. The great defect seemed a want of bone below 



