184 The Arabian Horse, 



quired could accomplish 150 miles in one day, but 

 should be carefully ridden the next, and only go a 

 much shorter distance. Two instances recorded by 

 General Daumas are worthy of consideration. On one 

 occasion a young Arab, Si-Ben-Zyon, rode his father's 

 mare eighty French leagues within twenty-four hours. 

 She was watered only once, and had but eaten some 

 leaves from the dwarf-palm while her rider had lain 

 down by her side to sleep ; }^et she was not done up, 

 and, as Si-Ben Zyon said, was capable of still per- 

 forming a further journey. The next : ' All the old 

 ofificers ' (says General Daumas) ' of the Oran Division 

 can state how, in 1837, a general, attaching the greatest 

 importance to the receipt of intelligence from Tlemcem, 

 gave his own charger (an Arab horse) to an Arab to go 

 to procure the news. The latter set out from Chateau 

 Neuf at 4 a.m., and returned at the same hour on the 

 following day, having travelled seventy leagues (French) 

 over ground very different from the comparatively level 

 desert.' This latter confirms the former, and is a very 

 valuable instance, as the distance had been measured, 

 and was well known, and is sufficient warranty to in- 

 duce belief in the reported great capabilities of the 

 Arabian, which are but too often, in this country, re- 

 garded as only tales of the East and Oriental exagge- 

 rations. Moreover, the Arabs are just and true in their 

 accounts and descriptions, although couched in lan- 

 guage full of imagery. But are not we ourselves a 

 very boastful people, and very reluctant to admit 

 excellence in others ? 



