MULUS. 175 



It affords great pleasure to be enabled, for a short 

 time at least, to pursue our investigations in a higher 

 sphere. 



Several of my friends who had viewed the Jacks 

 and mules, at Mount Vernon, in the life time of Ge- 

 neral Washington, gave such glowing descriptions ol 

 them, and understanding that part of that stock was 

 inherited by George W. P. Custis, Esq. I was induced 

 to address a few queries to him on this subject ; this 

 gentleman with his characteristic urbanity, very 

 promptly furnished replies, with liberty to make such 

 use of them as I pleased, and I cannot do better than 

 to transcribe them from a letter received about three 

 years since. Mr. Custis observes: 



" The Royal Gift and Knight of Malta, were sent 

 to General Washington about the year 1787 the Gift 

 with a Jennet a present from the King of Spain ; and 

 said to have been selected from the royal stud. The 

 Knight I believe was from the Marquis de Lafayette, 

 and shipped from Marseilles. The Gift was a huge 

 and ill shapen Jack, near sixteen hands high, very 

 large head, clumsy limbs, and to all appearance little 

 calculated for active service ; he was of a grey colour, 

 probably not young when imported, and died at 

 Mount Vernon but little valued for his mules, which 

 were unwieldly and dull. The Knight was of a mo- 

 derate size, clean limbed, great activity, the fire and 

 ferocity of a tiger, a dark brown, nearly black colour, 

 white belly and muzzle ; could only be managed by 

 one groom, and that always at considerable personal 

 risk. He lived to a great age, and was so infirm to- 

 wards the last as to require lifting. He died on my 

 estate in New Kent, in the State of Virginia, about 

 1802 or 1803. His mules were all active, spirited, 

 16* 



