OEIENTAL HORSES. 103 



" Some commend the Tm-ks very much for a stallion to breed 

 running horses, but they are so scarce and rare, that I can give 

 no judgment of them ; and therefore I advise you to the Barb, 

 which I believe is much the better horse to breed running 

 horses." 



On this passage I have only to remark, that the observations 

 on the shape of the brood mares are to be taken as comparative, 

 not positive, and that the comparison is instituted not as of 

 thoroughbred with thoroughbred, but as of thoroughbred with 

 the coarse common heavy mare of the day, and it w^ould seem 

 to follow, that the preference of the Marquis for the Barb is 

 fully borne out by the pedigree of Eclipse, in which it will be 

 seen there is but one genuine Arabian, all the other oriental 

 strains being either Barb or Turk, of one of which stocks, it 

 is w^ell ascertained that all the royal mares of Charles II. are 

 derived.* 



* The following list comprises some of the earliest recorded importations of 

 Oriental stallions into England, with notices of their stock as far as known. 

 Markham's Arabian, Temp. James I. 



Failed as a racer. His stock, if any, unknown. 

 Plaice's White Turk, ^ 



The Morocco Barb, V Temp. Commonwealth. 

 The Helmsley Turk, ) 

 To one or other of these many of the best horses in England and America 

 directly trace. To the last. Eclipse and Highflyer, in the female line. 

 The Damascus Arabian. j 



Three Turks, from Hamburgh, 1684, V Temp. Charles II. 

 The royal. Barb or Turkish, mares. ) 

 To the latter, with scarcely an exception, every celebrated hoi-se in England or 

 America, in some sort traces a portion of his blood. 



Evelyn, in his Memoirs, vol. I., p. 577, thus describes the Turkish horses from 

 Hamburgh : — 



" Early this morning I went into St. James's Park to see these Turkish or Asian 

 horses, newly brought over, and now first showed to his majesty. There were four, 

 but one died at sea, being three weeks coming from Hamborowe. They were taken 

 from a Bashaw, at the siege of Vienna, at the late famous raising that leaguer. I 

 never beheld so delicate a creature as one of them, of somewhat a bright bay, two 

 white feet, a blaze ; such a head, eyes, ears, neck, breast, belly, haunches, legs, pas- 

 terns, and feet, in all regards beautiful and proportioned to admiration ; spirited, 

 proud, nimble, making halt, turning with that swiftness, and in so small a compass 

 as was admirable. * * * They trotted like does, as if they did not feel the 

 ground ; 500 guineas was demanded for the first ; 300 for the second, and 200 for 

 the third, which was brown. All of them were choicely shaped, but the two last 

 not altogether so perfect as the first." 



