THE CONESTOGA HORSE. 59 



least in those portions of Pennsylvania with which I am fami- 

 liar, less generally used for teaming, than farther Sonth. 



Of the Conestoga horse, although it has long been known 

 and distinguished by name as a separate family, nothing is posi- 

 tively authenticated, from the fact that such pedigrees have 

 never been, in the least degree, attended to ; and, perhaps, no 

 less, from the different language spoken by the German farmers, 

 among whom this stock seems first to have obtained, and by 

 whom principally it has been preserved. 



It is much to be feai'ed, that it is now too late to obtain any 

 satisfactoiy data concerning this, as concerning many other 

 matters of much interest to the equestrian and agricultural 

 world ; so long a period ha\'ing elapsed since the arrival of the 

 early settlers, that tradition is almost dumb concerning their 

 advent, much more the nature of their importations. 



It seems to me, however, taking into consideration the thrifty 

 character and apparently ample means of the early German 

 settlers, their singular adherence to old customs and conserva- 

 tism of old-country ideas, most probable that they brought with 

 them horses and cattle, such as "Wouvermans and Paul Potter 

 painted ; and introduced to the rich pastures of the Delaware 

 and the Schuylkill the same type of animals, which had be- 

 come famous in the similarly constituted lowlands of Flanders, 

 Guelderland, and the United Provinces. 



So early as 1775 a stallion named " American Dray-Horse," 

 sixteen and a half hands in height, got by the " Old English 

 Dray-Horse," imported by Col. Francis, it is not stated out of 

 what mare, stood at ]S"ew Garden, in Cliester county, Pennsyl- 

 vania ; and if, as I am inclined to suspect, the Conestoga-horse 

 is descended from a mixture of the Flemish cart-horse with the 

 English breed, to which it bears so considerable a resemblance, 

 it may well be that this remote importation may be one of the 

 forefathers of tlie family, which, it is earnestly to be hoped, will 

 not be allowed to fall into abeyance, although the railroads 

 have deprived Othello of one half his occupation. 



In reply to a letter, addressed by myself, to the worthy pre- 

 sident of the Pennsylvania Agricultural Society, who has done 

 so much for that State in the line of fine cattle, inquiring what 

 information could be afforded to me concerning the horse-in- 



