REPORTS. 



CI 



to leave a person constantly watching her ; whereas a horse must 

 be highly fed, and cannot be turned out without a constant at- 

 tendent. These are the reasons for an Arab's preference for 

 mares. It does not arise from the foal's inheriting the quali- 

 ties of the dam rather than those of the sire ; it does not pro- 

 ceed from its being better at all times and under all circum- 

 stances to ride a mare rather than a horse ; but it is based on 

 material interests, and. on the necessities enforced by the de- 

 scription of life which Arabs lead. It must, however, be ad- 

 mitted that a horse is nobler than a mare, is stronger, more 

 CQuragcous and faster. That he is stronger, is thus proved : 

 If both were struck by the same mortal wound a mare would 

 fall at once, while the horse would seldom drop until he had 

 carried his rider into safety. I saw a mare struck by a ball on 

 the leg, the bone was broken, and being unable to bear the 

 pain, she fell immediately : a horse was hit in a similar manner, 

 the broken limb hanging only by the skin, yet he continued his 

 course, supporting himself until he bore his rider from the 

 battle-field and then fell. 



The Arabs prefer mares to horses for the reasons given, and 

 these are sufficient to show why, among us, the value of a 

 mare is greater than that of ahorse, though the breeding were 

 the same ; for while on the one hand the foal takes more after 

 the sire than the dam, on the other the proprietor of a horse 

 cannot gain in many years as much as the owner of a mare can 

 in one year, if she throw a foal. A horse, however, when he 

 has displayed any extraordinary qualities, it often happens that 

 he will not be parted wilh, he producing, probably to his mas- 

 ter in the way of booty or otherwise, as much as the most 

 valuable mare. I saw among the Aunazas, a tribe extending 



