NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



355 



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THE ARABIAN HORSE. 



The Arabian horse is justly celebrated for his 

 swiftness and agility, and in power of endurance he 

 has no superior ; but his most distinguishing charac- 

 teristics are sagacity and docility. He is the com- 

 panion of his master, and fond associate of his chil- 

 dren, whom he allows to plaj- around, and climb 

 upon him ; and he moves about in the tent among 

 them with the greatest caution. Our cut represents 

 the intimate connection existing between an Arabian 

 family and their kind and faithful horses. And the 

 Arab deserves a compliment for his tender care and 

 affectionate regard for his horse, as, in his kind treat- 

 ment, he sets a noble example worthy of the atten- 

 tion of the civilized world. 



The following anecdote illustrates the sagacity of 

 the Arabian horse, as well as his ardent affection for 

 his master. A jmrt of the scene is represented above. 



" An Arab chief, with his tribe, had attacked, in 

 the night, a caravan of Damas, and plundered it : 

 when loaded with their spoil, however, the robbers 

 were overtaken on their return by some horsemen 

 of the pacha of Acre, who killed several, and bound 

 the remainder with cords. In this state of bondage 

 they brought one of the prisoners, named Abou el 

 Marck, to Acre, and laid him, bound hand and foot, 

 wounded as he was, at the entrance to their tent, as 

 they slept during the night. Kept awake by the 

 pain of his wounds, the Arab heard his horse's neigh 

 at a little distance, and being desirous to see, for the 

 last time, the companion of his life, he dragged him- 

 self, bound as he was, to the horse, which was pick- 

 eted at a little distance. ' Poor friend,' says he, 

 ' what will you do among the Turks ? You will be 

 shut up under the roof of a khan, with the horses of 

 a pacha or an aga ; no longer will the women of the 

 tent bring you barley, camel's milk, or dourra, in the 

 hollow of their hand ; no longer will you gallop 

 free as the wmd of Egypt in the desert ; no longer 



will you cleave with your bosom the waters of the 

 Jordan, which cool your sides, as pure as the foam 

 of your lips. If I am to be a slave, at least may you 

 go free. Go : return to our tent, which you know 

 so well; tell my wife that Abou el Marck will 

 return no more; but put your head still into the 

 folds of the tent, and lick the hands of my beloved 

 children.' With these words, as his hands were 

 tied, he undid with his teeth the fetters which held 

 the courser bound, and set him at liberty ; but the 

 noble animal, on recovering his freedom, instead of 

 bounding away to the desert, bent his head over his 

 master, and, seeing him in fetters and on the ground, 

 took his clothes gently in his teeth, lifted him up, 

 and set off at full speed for home. Without ever 

 resting, he made straight for the distant but well- 

 known tent in the mountains of Arabia. He ar- 

 rived there in safety, and laid his master safe down 

 at the feet of his wife and children, and immediately 

 dropped down dead with fatigue. The whole tribe 

 mourned him ; the poets celebrated his fidelity ; and 

 his name is still constantly in the mouths of the 

 Arabs of Jericho." 



In 1842, a fine Arabian horse, of pure blood, was 

 presented by the sultan of Muscat to David Pingree, 

 Esq., of Salem, as a mark of distinction and partic- 

 ular regard, selected as one of the best from a stud 

 of one hundred horses. Hon. Richard P. Waters, 

 late United States consul at Zanzibar, who shipped 

 said horse by order of his highness the sultan, re- 

 marks as follows of this race : — 



" It is well known that all the superior properties 

 of the Barbary, the Andal usian, and the English blood 

 horse are derived from the Arabian. This blood of 

 horses have greater powers of endurance, better wind, 

 or bottom, as it is technically called, than any other 

 in the world — beside more ease of motion, activity, 

 and grace of action. 



"It is unnecessary to recommend him to those who 



