30 PROCEEDINGS: BOSTON SOCIETY NATURAL HISTORY. 



War, during the course of which, privateersmen, and lawless persons 

 of every description frequently landed on the island, and by the close 

 of the War none of the Animals remained except a number of Horses. 

 These Horses have been the means of affording food to many unfor- 

 tunate persons who have since been thrown on the Island. * * * 

 Many of them have been wantonly shot by persons wintering on the 

 island for the purpose of wrecking. By such means as these, the 

 greater part of the horses have been destroyed, and unless some rem- 

 edy is found, this last hope of the unfortunate Mariner, will be entire- 

 ly cut off." 



Thus it is certain that horses of New England stock were left on 

 Sable Island in 1753, or at least in 1760, and that Gilpin's assumption 

 that these were the parent stock of the present-day Sable Island ponies 

 is quite justified. 



Gilpin describes them as he found them, "about four hundred in 

 number, divided into about six herds, or gangs (so called), each gang 

 headed by an old male, who was sufficiently conspicuous by his masses 

 of mane and tail. Each herd had its separate feeding ground, to 

 which the individuals composing it seemed to be equally attached, as 

 to their leader. On driving over the Island, and mixing all herds, 

 promiscuously, as we once did, by the next morning they had return- 

 ed to their separate feeding grounds, some of them travelling ten or 

 twelve miles during the night. On riding towards them the herd was 

 seen grazing at the distance of a mile, with several outlying parties. 

 The leader was observed repeatedly to drive these outlying mares 

 and young horses into the general herd, who all now began a general 

 retreat at a slow trot, with the exception of the old stallion, who faced 

 the approaching party, passing backwards and forwards, frequently 

 stopping and tossing back the mane from his eyes. The resemblance 

 to a convoy crowding all sail to leeward, and a frigate in stays await- 

 ing the enemy, was perfect. On pressing him, however, with our rid- 

 ing horses, he joined his herd now in a gallop, but keeping always in 

 the rear. His instinct taught him the unequal match with man, but 

 the air of leadership was unmistakable. They often fight among 

 themselves, one stallion visiting the herd of a second. I saw a horse 

 nearly disabled in one of these encounters. The young horses, be- 

 tween two and three years old, are driven out of the herd by the lead- 

 er. I watched one, hour after hour, driving a young grey colt with 

 the most furious bites, to a distance. The young horses live in small 

 bands on the outskirts of the herd, and sometimes an old or disabled 



