86 THE HORSE AND HIS RIDER. 



differs remarkably from all other known breeds in not 

 being gregarious. It inhabits the mountain forests, 

 whence it comes down singly or in small groups, to 

 the wells, where only it is liable to be captured, by 

 men or by beasts of prey ; but its wariness, its keen 

 sense of smell, its fleetness, and the courage and 

 fierceness with which it defends itself when brought to 

 bay, render it very difficult to be taken. Colonel H. 

 Smith says, " of the real koomrah we have seen a 

 living specimen in England, and the skin of another. 

 The first came from Barbary ; the second died on 

 board of a slave-ship, on the passage from the coast of 

 Guinea to the West Indies in 1798, the skin, legs, 

 and head having been carefully preserved by the 

 master, who kindly permitted a sketch and notes to be 

 made of it at Dominica. 



" The koomrah of the mountains is about ten, or 

 ten and a half hands high ; the head is broad across 

 the forehead, and deep measured to the jowl ; it is 

 small, short, and pointed at the muzzle, making the 

 profile almost triangular ; instead of a forelock between 

 the ears, down to the eyes the hair is long and woolly ; 

 the eyes are small, of a light hazel color ; and the 

 ears large and wide ; the neck thin, forming an angle 

 with the head, and clad with a scanty but long black 

 mane ; the shoulder rather vertical and meagre, with 

 withers low, but the croup high and broad ; the barrel 

 large ; thighs cat-hammed, and the limbs clean but 



