4i2 NATURAL HISTORY OF ARABIA. 



A Bedouin would laugh at being asked by an inhabitant 

 of Nejed for the pedigree of his mare ; written evidence 

 he never thinks of producing except when attending dis- 

 tant markets, such as Bussora, Bagdad, Damascus, Alep- 

 po, Medina, or Mecca. A colt, at the moment of birth, 

 is never allowed to drop upon the ground ; they receive 

 it in their arms, and so cherish it for several hours, wash- 

 ing and stretching its tender limbs, and caressing it as 

 they would a baby. After this they place it on its legs, 

 and watch its feeble steps with particular attention, prog- 

 nosticating from that time its future excellencies or de- 

 fects. The ears are tied together over its head with a 

 string, that they may assume a fine pointed direction ; 

 the tail is pressed upwards, and other measures taken at 

 the same time, in order that it may be carried high. The 

 only care taken of the dam is to wrap a piece of linen 

 cloth round her body, which is removed next day. At 

 the end of a month the foal is weaned, and for the space 

 of a hundred days thereafter it is permitted no other food 

 than camels' milk. When that period has elapsed it re- 

 ceives a daily portion of wheat diluted with water. A 

 handful only is given at first: by degrees this quantity is 

 increased ; although milk still continues to be its principal 

 food. This diet continues a hundred days more; and 

 when this second period has expired it is allowed to eat 

 grass, and is fed on barley ; receiving every evening, along 

 with that provender, a bucket of camels' milk, should the 

 tent happen to be well supplied with it. The Nejed 

 Arab gives his colts neither barley nor wheat, but nou- 

 rishes them with a paste of dates and water ; and some- 

 times to a favourite he will give the fragments or leavings 

 of his own meals. In that province horses are regularly 

 fed upon dates ; at Deraiah and in El Hassa the dates are 

 mixed with birsim or dried clover. The wealthier classes 

 often give them flesh, raw as well as boiled ; and some- 

 times before the commencement of a long journey they 

 get roasted meat, that they may be the better able to en- 

 dure the fatigue. A native of Hamah told Burckhardt, 

 that in order to prevent a favourite horse from falling 

 into the hands of the governor of that town, he fed it for 

 a fortnight exclusively on roasted pork, which excited its 

 mettle to such a degree that it became absolutely unma- 

 nageable, and could be no longer an object of desire to 

 the avaricious functionary. In Egypt, vicious horses are 



