CHAPTER IV. 



MR. KIRBY AND THE FOREIGNERS* 



*' Loud roar the dismal breakers, 



Loud shrieks the wikl sea-gull, 

 Round barks with golden cargoes 



Of thorough- breds from Hull ; 

 High-blowers, cracks, and weedy ones, 



As slow as any man, 

 From whose pyramids of forfeits 



Their owners cut and ran." 



FOREIGNERS do very little in the way of young 

 blood stock, but confine their attention almost 

 entirely to mares and sires. They are much more 

 particular about blood than they used to be ; and 

 taking them as a nation, the Germans are most know- 

 ing on the points of a horse, and as the stud-grooms 

 phrase it, " want no telling^ Baron de Maltzham, of 

 Vollrathsrah, in Mecklenburg, had about i6o brood 

 mares, including half-breds, and he was quite as learned 

 on stud pedigrees as ever Porson was in Greek roots. 

 Count Wladimir Baworioski, of Polish Gallicia, had 

 also an enormous stud ; and Count Hahn, of Schlop 

 Basedow, Mecklenburg-Schwerin, who first sent Tur- 

 nus to England, has imported some of our choicest 

 stock, among which Grey Momus, Figaro, and Black 

 Drop were not the foremost. Baron de Biel, of Zie- 

 row, Mecklenburg-Schwerin, was also a great stud- 



* Foreigners have made rapid strides in their knowledge of blood 

 stock since this chapter was written. 



