VI 



Characteristics of the Stars. — Of the Bashaws. — The Clays. — Tho f ma- 

 tees. — Natural Trotters in England. — Of Trotters that paced. — To 

 make Pacers trot. 



THE produce of American Star are hardly as safe to 

 train early as those of Messenger through AhdaUah, 

 Mambrino Chief, &c., by reason of their being more fragile 

 about the legs. When, however, the two lines are cpmbined, 

 this is rectified ; and the cross seems to make a very fine, 

 fast trotting-horse, as near perfection as may be. Such is 

 Mr. Bonner's gray mare Peerless, who was by Star out of 

 a gray mare full of the Messenger blood. She is the fastest 

 that I (or, indeed, anybody else) have ever driven to a wagon. 

 Dexter is another capital instance of the value of this cross. 

 Some of the Stars have given out in the legs; but their 

 pluck is so good that they stand up to the last, when little 

 better than mere cripples. It is no wonder that they have 

 great game and courage ; for Star's grandsire was the thor-r 

 ough-bred four-miler Henry, who ran for the South, on the 

 Island here, against Eclipse, in 1823. I went to see the 

 race, and got a licking for it when I came home. The Mes- 

 senger cross gives the Stars size, strength, and bone, and 

 counteracts their hereditary tendency to contraction of the 

 feet. It would not do to breed the Stars in-and-in, as has 

 answered so well with the descendants of Messenger. Wid- 

 ow Machree, a daughter of Star, was a very fast, game mare, 

 and an aU-day trotter. The little horse Bolly Lewis was 

 another good one by him, and Goshen Maid still another. 

 She went the fourth heat to a wagon in 2.32J. 



75 



