DILIGENCE. jiyy 



passengers, in consequence of the recent success of the English 

 sea-steamers. We had three hundi-ed steerage, and I was the 

 only cabin passenger. The horses were also on deck. The first 

 night, so great was the change in the temperature, on the occur- 

 rence of a slight storm, that all the horses took violent colds, 

 and, unfortunately, with the best use 1 could make of M. St. 

 Marc's medicine-chest, and his very judicious directions for tlie 

 treatment of the horses under this anticipated state of affairs, I 

 could not prevent the death of the stallion from inflammation 

 of the lungs, before reaching ISTew York. The mares were 

 landed safely, but too much stiftened by the voyage and their 

 sickness, to make the journey at once across the Jerseys on foot. 

 I procured a trusty man to accompany them, and sent them by 

 railroad for Burlington. The next morning I had the mortifica- 

 tion to see my man returned with tlie sad news that the finest 

 mare had broken through the bottom of the car, and fractured 

 one of her hind legs. Thus left with one horse out of four se- 

 lected, the onl}'- alternative was to give up, or go back for more. 

 I did not hesitate about the latter, and in three weeks I was 

 steaming it on board the Great Western. My next purchase 

 Avas " Diligence," another stallion, and two mares. This time 

 I was more fortunate, and procured an excellent groom to ac- 

 company them, who succeeded in getting them safely to l^ew 

 York and to Moorestown, carefully shtinning the railroad. I 

 have, since that time, lost one of the mares, and the other stal- 

 lion went blind after making one season. Not wishing to run 

 the risk of perpetuating a race of horses with weak eyes, I have 

 not since permitted him to cover mares; though I must say 

 for him that his colts have all good eyes, and stand high in 

 public favor. 



" Those who are acquainted with the thoroughbred Canadian 

 horse, will see in him a perfect model, on a small scale, of the 

 Perchei-on horse. This is the peculiar breed of Normandy, 

 which are used so extensively throughout the northern half of 

 France for diligence and post-horses, and from the best French 

 authorities I could command — I cannot now quote the precise 

 authorities — I learned that they were produced by the cross of 

 the Andalusian horse upon the old heavy Norman horse, whose 

 portrait may still be seen as a war-horse on the painted windows 



