172 GUN, ROD, AND SADDLE. 



a representative of all, for few handsomer harness- 

 horses can be found than Patchen, Jun., Butler, and 

 George Wilkes, all three of whom have reaped hon- 

 ors which will long render their names famous 

 among the patrons of the American trotting turf. 



Having stated my belief that the transatlantic 

 trotter has a different origin from our home stock, 

 it behooves me now to endeavor to point out the 

 source from whence he came, and thus in part ac- 

 count for the marked difference which characterizes 

 him. The horse is not a native of America. If we 

 may believe historians, on the discovery of the 

 American Continent, no such animal existed there ; 

 the distant prairies and western slopes, which are 

 now traversed by innumerable droves of wild horses, 

 were then entirely without this genus. But whence 

 are they sprung ? How are these innumerable herds 

 which are now found there to be accounted for ? In 

 the following manner : The Spaniards were the first 

 people to attempt any important conquests on the 

 American Continent. The first horses that were 

 landed in that country were the chargers of the mil- 

 itary force under the command of Cortez. The 

 natives who at first received the foreign invaders 

 with the strongest demonstrations of welcome were 



