176 



I was particularly struck with it in some colts in the 

 neighborhood of Taugiers, and more especially in a 

 horse, the property of one of the consuls. Gut of 

 the numerous importations which come to Gibraltar, 

 I have seen several who could trot very well, and if 

 pains had been taken, might have been made fast, not 

 perhaps so flist as the American; l)ut then it must be 

 remembered that he (the latter) is a larger animal, 

 of greater muscular development, which he doubt- 

 lessly owes to superior climate, intermixture of Eng- 

 lish blood, and the cultivating of this pace through 

 successive generations. 



In proof that the Barb can be made a trotter, it 

 may not be irrelevant to mention that, when in 

 Malta, I j^ossessed a Tunisian horse as a hack. I ran 

 him in one or two of the scratch races that fre- 

 quently take place on the road to Slioma: however, 

 he acquitted himself so badly that he, and I fear his 

 owner, became quite a laughing-stock. Now, al- 

 though this horse could not gallop, he could trot; 

 and often surprised me with his spurts of speed 

 when pushed. After mess one evening, a staft' offi- 

 cer, who was my guest, kept chaffing me on what he 

 was pleased to call my dromedary. To put a termi- 

 nation to his nonsense, I offered to back myself to 



