72 



At four years old your treasure may have cost you 

 about J6.200, but if well selected as to shape, colour, 

 and carriage, it will be worth more than double, and 

 you may then, without vanity, bestow on it the 

 glorified name of the Koh-i-Noor, for there will be no 

 other handsome fresh and unblemished thorough-bred 

 to compare with it. '' Blair Athol," " Saunterer," 

 and now " Gladiateur," &c. are in high repute on 

 tliis estate at present, but for my purpose my fancy 

 went on " King John," and had it not been for an 

 unfortunate hole in my pocket I might at this moment 

 have had one of his descendants to rest a satisfied eye 

 on. Next year " nous verrons." 



An ancestor of the renowned gentleman who will 

 knock down to you your selection, was possessed of 

 that superbly beautiful horse " Oakley." I had a 

 colt foal by him from " Alboni." Here neither sire 

 nor dam had a blemish of the slightest description, 

 and the foal having been born an exact counterpart of 

 the sire was of equal value to me. " Oakley" was a 

 bright bay with black points, Arab head and Arab 

 carried tail ; about sixteen hands high, and with legs, 

 feet, &c. all perfect; yet I was told that this 

 unsurpassed, I should say unequalled animal for 

 beauty, was permitted to leave the proprietors' pad- 

 docks for 800 guineas. Another at the end would 



