VALUE OF TRAVEL. 353 



the nature of volcanoes, earthquakes, thunder, and 

 hurricanes. He then returned to survey the deserts 

 of Arabia and Tartary' (these are the only two places 

 necessary for a jockey thoroughly to be acquainted 

 with) : ' and, before concluding his tour, he crossed 

 the seven gulfs, measured the currents in the lifteen 

 straits, and searched for those fountains of fresh-water 

 that are at the bottom of the ocean.' Here it was 

 that, in the home of Neptune, Scribulerus first saw 

 the sea-horse, sea-nymphs, and mermaids ; the fifty 

 daughters of Nereus and his sister, who he declares 

 were all young and beautiful virgins, sitting on 

 dolphins, with Neptune's trident or garlands in their 

 hands. Sea-horses at the time were, I imagine, 

 nothing thought of, being unmanageable for eques- 

 trian purposes ; for it does not appear that any were 

 captured, and, like the hippopotamus or river-horse, 

 brought home in triumph. This failure is the more 

 to be regretted, if only for losing the chance of im- 

 proving the breed of our present race of weight- 

 carriers just now so much in request. Our historian 

 of wonderful travels ends his narrative rather abruptly; 

 but in another authority — Professor E. D. Clarke's 

 ' Travels,' vol. i., pp. 227, 228, a remarkable book of 

 vast erudition, held in great esteem by competent 

 judges for its truthful descriptions of matters and 

 things — we see what can be learned by those who, like 

 our jockeys, go abroad, and like them have that 

 valuable faculty, best if rudely described as ' being 



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