178 THE HORSE AND HIS RIDER. 



offend either sight or smell ; it was also to be remarked, 

 that the life the soldier led at home was but meagre 

 and sorry, compared with the magnificence of the 

 camp. For every ten Janissaries, the Sultan maintained 

 a horse to carry their baggage ; every five and twenty 

 had a tent, that served them in common ; in these 

 they observed the regulations of their barracks, and 

 the elder were waited on by the younger. No spahi 

 was so mean that he did not possess a tent of his own. 

 How gallant and glittering was their array, as they 

 rode in their silken surcoats, their particolored, richly 

 wrought shields on their left arms, their right hands 

 grasping the costly mounted sword, feathers of all 

 hues waving in their turbans ! But surpassingly 

 splendid was the appearance of their leaders. Jewels 

 hung from their horses' ears, and studded their saddles 

 and housings ; chains of gold depended from their 

 bridles. The tents shone with Turkish and Persian 

 decorations ; here the booty was laid up, and a 

 numerous retinue of eunuchs and slaves were in at- 

 tendance. 



The modern Turks, in general, prefer the Turkman 

 horse to the more slender Arabian of pure blood. 

 Their style of riding is very trying to the limbs of the 

 animal, their most favorite manoeuvre being to make 

 a dead stop when galloping at the utmost speed. In 

 order to practise this injurious trick, they use a terri- 

 bly severe bit, which destroys all the fine sensibility 



