ANIMALS. 475 



nnore noble capacity, tlicy take the usual methods of taming him, 

 by fatigue and hunger, and he soon becomes a useful domestic 

 animal. 



The usual manner of trying their swiftness is by hunting the 

 ostrich : the horse is the only animal whose speed is comparable 

 to that of this creature, which is found in the sandy plains, with 

 which those countries abound. The instant the ostrich per 

 ceives itself aimed at, it makes to the mountains, while the 

 horseman pursues with all the swiftness possible, and endeavours 

 to cut off its retreat. The chase then continues along the plain, 

 while the ostrich makes use of both legs and wings to assist its 

 motion. However, a horse of the first speed is able to outrun 

 it ; so that the poor animal is then obliged to have recourse to 

 art to elude the hunter, by frequently turning : at length, finding 

 all escape hopeless, it hides its head wherever it can, and suffers 

 itself tamely to be taken. If the horse, in a trial of this kind, 

 shows great speed, and is not readily tired, his price becomes pro 

 jiortionably great, and there are some horses valued at a thousand 

 ducats. 



Eut the horses thus caught, or trained in this manner, are at 

 present but very few : the value of Arabian horses all over the 

 world, has, in a great measure, thinned the deserts of the wild 

 breed ; and there are very few to be found in those countries, 

 except such as are tame. The Arabians, as we are told by his- 

 torians, first began the management of horses in the time ol 

 Shaque Ishmael. Before that, they wandered wild along the 

 face of the country neglected and useless ; but the natives then 

 first began to tame their fierceness, and to improve their beauty ; 

 so that at present they possess a race of the most beautiful horses 

 in the world, with which they drive a trade, and furnish the 

 stables of princes at immense prices. 



There is scarcely an Arabian, how poor soever, but is pro- 

 vided with his horse.* They, in general, make use of mares in 

 their ordinary excursions ; experience having taught them that 

 they support fatigue, thirst, and hunger, better than the horses 

 are found to do. They are also less vicious, of a gentler nature, 

 and are not so apt to neigh. They are more harmless also 

 among themselves, not so apt to kick or hurt each other, but re» 



2 Buffon. 



