34 MY horse; my love. 



It is said that Arabian horses have deteriorated, 

 Count. Can it be true? 



" Indeed, no. It is impossible for the true Arab 

 horse to deteriorate so long as the Arab tribes follow 

 the same laws, and so jealously guard their rare breeds 

 from loss by sale or theft." 



But we are said to have many Arabian horses here 

 in Europe and South America? 



" They have a race of horses called the Levantine, 

 which they offer in exchange for money and mer- 

 chandise. These horses have excellent points, are 

 showy, handsome, well-trained, and in every way 

 desirable, but they no more compare with the true 

 Arab breeds than a clumsy cart-horse to the swift 

 runner. " 



Are there many distinct breeds? 



" There are but five, and every one entirely differ- 

 ent and with distinctive marks. Those most highly 

 prized, most rare and valuable are the Nedj and 

 Osman. The other three, the Abdalla, Mohammed, 

 and Dakir, although of blood as pure and as impos- 

 sible to obtain by purchase, have not the same match- 

 less beauty. " 



But were not the horses presented to General Grant 

 thoroughbred Arabs? 



"There are many conflicting opinions regarding 

 these horses, and their claim to being the thorough- 

 bred Arabs of the desert. It was thought they must 

 be so because they were presented by the Sultan, but 

 if you asked an Arab he would tell you the Sultan 

 never owned one of these rare breeds, and never had 

 one in his stables." 



