312 IN THE LAND OF THE BORA. 



and coming right out on the neck of the horse. 

 So high is it that a horse with an empty saddle 

 covered with the inevitable white blanket looks 

 already loaded. It is secured with a rope-girth 

 and crupper, and, in addition, a loop passes under 

 each forearm, the galling effect of which is evident 

 from the scars on every horse here. All the 

 horses here are shod with the Turkish bar-shoe, 

 which covers the whole foot. Many of the Turks 

 have considerable wealth in horseflesh, and it is 

 quite common here to meet, as we did soon after 

 leaving Klunj — where we had lost over an hour — 

 a train of twenty to thirty beasts with good pack- 

 saddles (not a bridle amongst them) and rugs, 

 their jangling bells reminding one of past days in 

 Andalusia. But here is no arriero ; the rear is 

 brought up by one or two Turks on picked horses, 

 which, under the double influence of the mur- 

 derous bit and of the sharp corners of the shovel 

 stirrups, carry themselves smartly enough. Every 

 horse so ridden long naturally becomes a star- 

 gazer. Although deprived of his arms, the Turk 

 (so the Mohammedan Slav is always called here) 

 still looks unmistakably the lord of the country. 

 His carriage and bearing are confident and haughty; 

 but I found them very good fellows, and more 

 pleasant to deal with than the Christians, though 

 I have known the two to combine to get to wind- 

 ward of the stranger. 



