MULES. 175 



[t affords great pleasure to be enabled, for a short 

 time at least, to pursue our investigations in a higher 

 sphere. 



Several of mv friends who had viewed the Jacks 

 and mules, at Mount Vernon, in the life time of Ge- 

 neral Washington, gave such glowing descriptions ol 

 them, and understanding that part of that stock was 

 inherited by George W. P. Custis, Esq. I was induced 

 to address a few queries to him on this subject ; this 

 gentleman with his characteristic urbanity, very 

 promptly furnished replies, with liberty to make such 

 use of them as I pleased, and I cannot do better than 

 to transcribe them from a letter received about three 

 vears since. Mr. Custis observes: 



ft 



" The Royal Gift and Knight of Malta, were sent 

 to General Washington about the year 1787 — the Gift 

 with a Jennet a present from the King of Spain ; and 

 said to have been selected from the royal stud. The 

 Knight I believe was from the Marquis de Lafayette, 

 and shipped from Marseilles. The Gift was a huge 

 and ill shapen Jack, near sixteen hands high, very 

 large head, clumsy hmbs, and to all appearance httle 

 calculated for active service ; he was of a grey colour, 

 probably not young when imported, and died at 

 Mount Vernon but little valued for his mules, which 

 were unwieldly and dull. The Knight was of a mo- 

 derate size, clean limbed, great activity, the fire and 

 ferocity of a tiger, a dark brow^n, nearly black colour, 

 white belly and muzzle ; could only be managed by 

 one groom, and that always at considerable personal 

 risk. He lived to a great age, and was so infirm to- 

 wards the last as to require lifting. He died on my 

 estate in New Kent, in the State of Virginia, about 

 1802 or 1803. His mules w^ere all active, spirited, 



16 



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