THE HORSE. 403 



ties of head, neck, and rump, are found combined, the horse 

 is considered as perfect. There are several particular marks 

 or natural signs which the Arabs regard as sinister and un- 

 favourable ; while others are esteemed the reverse, and capa- 

 ble of producing happiness to the owner. They reckon about 

 twenty evil indications ; but the only bad effect they have on 

 the animal is that of depreciating its value by two-thirds or 

 more. The Persian and Turkoman horses, whose figures 

 are much alike, differ from the Arabian in this, that they are 

 more corpulent, and their coat is not so soft to the touch. It 

 is, moreover, an opinion pretty generally received in the 

 East, that the latter are especially distinguished from the 

 others by the repugnance they evince towards clear water ; 

 while that which is turbid pleases them to such a degree, 

 that they never fail to prance about in any that happens to 

 come in their way. The price of Arabian horses is variable, 

 and often depends much on the caprice of the buyer and 

 seller : in Syria, it fluctuates from 10/. to 120Z. A good 

 mare can scarcely be obtained under 601. ; and even at that 

 price it is difficult to purchase one, as the Bedouins always 

 prefer the females to the males for riding, because they are 

 not accustomed to neigh, and thus expose them in their am- 

 buscades to the risk of detection. For a celebrated mare a 

 sheik has been known to pay 200/. ; sometimes the price 

 has amounted to 500/., and even to 800Z. The favourite 

 mare of Saoud, named Koraye, which he constantly rode on 

 his expeditions, was purchased from a Kahtan Bedouin for 

 1500 Spanish dollars. Kinneir states that 1200/. was refused 

 for one at Aleppo. At Bussora, where they form an import- 

 ant article of trade with India, the average price is about 300 

 rupees, though the cost is thrice, or even five times as much 

 at Bombay or Calcutta. Over all Arabia, as also in Egypt 

 and Syria, horses are possessed by several owners in partner- 

 ship ; each is divided into a number of shares (kerat), of 

 which several may be purchased by a single individual. If 

 an Aeneze has a mare of remarkable breed, he seldom or 

 never consents to sell her without reserving one-half or two- 

 thirds for himself. The ownership of the progeny is regu- 

 lated by special compact : the fillies of the first or second 

 year belong to the seller ; those of the subsequent years 

 become the property of the buyer. This contract is called 



