30 THE CABINET OF NATURAL HISTORY, 
subsists, and is never effaced; and others which have the 
mark in the mouth as long as they live. We may also 
know, though with less precision, the age of a Horse, by the 
ridges of the palate, which are effaced in proportion to his 
age. 
‘¢Tt has been remarked, that studs situated in dry and 
light countries, produce good-tempered, swift, and vigorous 
Horses, with nervous legs and hard hoofs; while on the 
other hand, those which are bred in damp places, and in 
fat pasturage, have generally the head large and heavy, the 
legs thick, the hoofs soft, and the feet flat. This difference 
arises from the climate and food, which may be easily un- 
derstood; but, what is more difficult to be comprehended, 
and what is still more essential than any thing that has 
been said, is, the necessity of always crossing or mixing 
the breed, if we would prevent their degenerating. 
‘«¢ Mares usually go with foal eleven months and some 
days; they will breed commonly to the age of fourteen or 
fifteen years, and the more vigorous longer than eighteen 
years. 
«¢ The duration of the life of Horses is like that of every 
other species of animals, in proportion to the time of their 
growth. Man, who is above fourteen years in growing, 
lives six or seven times as long, that is to say, ninety or a 
hundred years. The Horse, who attains his full growth in 
four years, lives six or seven times as long, that is to say, 
twenty-five or thirty years. There are so few examples to 
contradict this rule, that we should not even regard them 
as exceptions from which we may draw any precedents; 
and as robust Horses are at their entire growth in less time 
than delicate ones, they also live less time, and at fifteen 
years of age are old. 
‘“¢The Arabian Horses are the handsomest known in 
Europe; they are larger and plumper than those of Barbary, 
and equally well shaped, but as they are not often brought 
into this country, riding-masters are not able to give an 
exact account of their perfections and defects. 
“ The Horses of Barbary are more common, they are fre- 
quently negligent in their paces, and must be often remind- 
ed: they are very swift and strong, very light, and very fit 
for hunting. These Horses seem the most proper to breed 
from; it is only to be wished that they were of larger sta- 
ture, as they seldom exceed four feet eight inches high.” 
The Barb. 
‘¢ The earliest records we have of the Horse, trace him to 
Egypt, whence he gradually found his way to Arabia and 
Persia, and the provinceswhich were colonized from Egypt; 
and thence to the other parts of the Old World. But Egypt 
is not now a breeding country, and it does not appear to 
possess those requisites which could ever have constituted 
it one. Without, however, entering into the question whe- 
ther the Horse was primarily the inhabitant of some parti- 
cular region, whence other parts were gradually supplied, 
or whether it was common to many countries, but differing 
in each; we have stated it to be probable that the Horses 
of Egypt, the earliest on record, were derived from the 
neighbouring and interior districts of Africa. Therefore, 
in givinga very summary account of the most celebrated 
and useful breeds of different countries, it is natural to be- 
gin with those of Africa. 
“¢ At the head of these is the Bars, from Barbary, and 
particularly from Morocco and Fez, and the interior of 
Tripoli, and remarkable for his fine and graceful action. It 
is rather lower than the Arabian, seldom exceeding four- 
teen hands and an inch. The shoulders are flat, the chest 
round, the joints inclined to be long, and the head _parti- 
cularly beautiful. The Barb is decidedly superior to the 
Arab in form, but has not his spirit, or speed, or counte- 
nance. 
‘¢ The Barb has chiefly contributed to the excellence of 
the Spanish Horse; and, when the improvement of the 
breed of Horses began to be systematically pursued in 
Great Britain, the Barb was very early introduced. The 
Godolphin Arabian, as he is called, and who was the ori- 
gin of some of our best racing blood, was a Barb; and 
others of our most celebrated turf Horses trace their descent 
from African mares. 
“‘More in the centre of Africa, in the kingdom of 
Bournou, is a breed which Mr. Tully, in his almost roman- 
tie history of Tripoli, reckons superior even to those of 
Arabia or Barbary; it possesses the best qualities of both 
those breeds, being as serviceable as that of Arabia, and as 
beautiful as that of Barbary. 
‘¢In the more southern and western districts of Africa, 
and particularly in the neighbourhood of the Guinea Coast, 
the breed of Horses is very inferior. They are small, 
weak, unsafe, and untractable. But neither Horses, nor 
any other produce of value, can be looked for in those un- 
happy countries, so long as they are desolated by the infer- 
nal slave trade inflicted upon them by the most civilized, 
but truly unchristian nations of Europe. ”’ 
The Dongola Horse. 
‘‘The kingdom of Dongola, and the neighbouring dis- 
tricts lying between Egypt and Abyssinia, contain a Horse 
not at all like any other oriental. 
‘They stand full sixteen hands high, but the length of 
the body, from the shoulders to the quarter, is considera- 
bly less. Their form, therefore, is opposite to that of the 
