Ceylon. 139 



also a member of the class. He is a real sportsman as well 

 as a fine soldier. Captain Astley tells me that General Gren- 

 fell was a subaltern in the 60th Rifles, with thirteen years' ser- 

 vice, when he went home with him in 1871. Since then he 

 has made up a lot of lost time in promotion. 



The horses in Egypt are mostly Syrian Arabs, which are 

 about intermediate in merit between Desert Arabs and Barbs. 

 Animals bred in Egypt from Arab sires and dames, lose a 

 good deal of the Arab type, in that they tend to become long 

 on the leg and ' weedy.' About ten years before the time of 

 which I am writing, I had the pleasure of being introduced by 

 Artin Bey to that great lover of horses, Ali Pasha Shereef, 

 who showed me over his stables. From their inspection, 

 and from what Colonel Baker and other good judges have 

 told me, I am convinced that very few good Arabs go to 

 Egypt, where their average price is about £22. 



From Egypt we went on to Ceylon, where, practically, no 

 horses are bred ; those that are used being imported from 

 India or Australia. Within the tropics, at altitudes but little 

 higher than the sea level, it is impossible to rear good riding 

 or driving animals. As regards the raising of stock, increased 

 height above the sea has the same effect as increased dis- 

 tance from the equator. Thus, on the mountains of northern 

 Sumatra, which is close to that imaginary line, are to be found 

 a breed of ponies unsurpassed for strength and endurance. 

 The hill country of Ceylon is too small in extent, and too ill 

 provided with pasture, to allow on it the production of useful 

 horses or ponies. I had a pleasant and profitable tour among 

 the planters of that island ; as they are extremely hospitable 

 and are devoted to horses. They are as good in work as in 

 sport, and have proved their pluck by the successful battle 

 they have fought against many difficulties. Up to about the 

 year 1867 the growing of coffee was to them like the working 

 of Robinson's good mine in South Africa. They lived like 

 princes and raced with thoroughbreds specially imported from 

 England and Australia. And then the crash came and all 



