298 NATURAL HISTORY. 



the dawn of history, in the period known by the archaeologists as that of polished stone, or that in 

 which man had not yet acquired a knowledge of the metals bronze or iron. They are met with in the 

 ruins of those wonderful pile dwellings, which lie at the bottom of the Swiss lakes, in association with 

 the remains of the Pig, Sheep, Goat, Short-horned Ox, large Ox of the Urns type, and Dog, and 

 evidently belonged to a race of farmers, by whom they were introduced into Europe. Bones occur in 

 the camps, sepulchres, and habitations of this age, throughout the whole of the Continent, and of 

 Great Britain and Ireland. In all probability they were used at this time not for riding or for driving, 

 but for food. In the succeeding, or bronze age, however, they were employed for purposes of riding, 

 as may be seen from the discovery of the bronze bits, which have been met with in France and Italy. 

 They were probably introduced by a race of nomads, who no doubt brought Horses with them from 

 the steppes of Central Asia. 



According to Colonel Hamilton Smith, " so little is known of the primitive seat of civilisation 

 the original centre, perhaps, in Bactria, in the higher valleys of the Oxus, or in Cashmere, whence 

 knowledge radiated to China, India, and Egypt that it may be surmised that the first domestication 

 of the post-diluvian Horse was achieved in Central Asia, or commenced nearly simultaneously in 

 several regions where the wild animals of the Horse form existed." 



The Horse was universally used for food by man before the historic period, and would be used now in 

 Europe more generally than it is, were it not for an edict of the Church in the eighth century. During 

 the Roman occupation of Britain, it formed a large part of the diet of the inhabitants ; by the Scan- 

 dinavians it was eaten in honour of Odin. As Christianity prevailed over the heathen worship, it was 

 banished from the table. It appears, however, that it was used in England as late as the year 787, 

 after it had been prohibited in Eastern Europe. The ecclesiastic rule, however, was not always 

 obeyed, for the monks of St. Gall, in Switzerland, not only ate Horse-flesh in the eleventh century, 

 but returned thanks for it in a metrical grace, which has survived to our times on account of its 

 elegance and beauty. 



It is somewhat remarkable that the Horse is, with few exceptions, mentioned, in the Bible only in 

 connection with war, and that there is a wonderful absence of detail with regard to its nature and 

 habits otherwise than for the purposes it served in battle. That the Horse spoken of in Scripture was 

 nearly identical with the Arab Horse of to-day there can be little doubt, if we examine the various 

 sculptures and paintings which are handed down to us, and which speak of the faded glories of Egypt 

 and Assyria. The first account we have of the Horse is during the famine in Egypt that was 

 foretold by Joseph, and here we find that it was evidently an Egyptian animal. " And they 

 brought their cattle unto Joseph ; and Joseph gave them bread in exchange for Horses, and for the 

 flocks, and for the cattle of the herds, and for the Asses ; and he fed them with bread for all their 

 cattle for that year." 



The courage and fiery nature of the Arab Horse, particularly fitting it for use in the wars of 

 ancient times, were evidently well understood. In the Book of Job (xxxix. 19-25) we read : " Hast 

 thou given the Horse strength 1 hast thou clothed his neck with thunder 1 Canst thou make him 

 afraid as a grasshopper 1 ? the glory of his nostrils is terrible. He paweth in the valley, and rejoiceth in 

 his strength : he goeth on to meet the armed men. He mocketh at fear, and is not affrighted ; neither 

 turneth he back from the sword. The quiver rattleth against him, the glittering spear and the shield. 

 He swalloweth the ground with fierceness and rage : neither believeth he that it is the sound of the 

 trumpet. He saith among the trumpets, Ha, ha ! and he smelleth the battle afar off, the thunder of the 

 captains, and the shouting." 



The Hebrews in the patriarchal age did not require Horses, and for a long time after their settle- 

 ment in Canaan did not use them, probably partly on account of the nature of the country, which was 

 hilly, and partly because they were prohibited on account of their hostility to the Egyptians. The 

 Horses of the kings David and Solomon were derived from Egypt. In the reign of the latter, a Horse 

 was worth 150 shekels of silver, and a chariot six hundred. The former was the first to establish a 

 force of cavalry and chariots. 



From the very earliest ages known to the historian in Egypt and Assyria, Horses were used 

 for purposes of war, and were yoked in pairs, and sometimes in threes, to the war-chariots in 

 which the kings and great captains rode. They are generally depicted as being of upright or 





