20 
THE HOUSE IN ASIA AND AFRICA. 
of Solomon, paid a visit to this prince, and made to him on 
the occasion some superb presents, among which w ere horses, 
not only the handsomest of their kind, but such as surpassed 
all others in speed. Mules of extraordinary beauty are also 
mentioned. The riches of Job consisted in flocks alone. 
No mention is made either of mules or horses, a circumstance 
denotive of remote antiquity.* 
A breed very common in Arabia is that called hatik. It 
is produced from good stallions and draft mares, called keu- 
dich. The Arabians take but small account of such low-bred 
crosses, nay, even of high-bred, if crosses. Out of these kuedich , 
and sometimes from liatik mares, it is that the Arabians 
derive their mules. They employ asses of the best descrip- 
tion. Nevertheless, the progeny is not over excellent. We 
do not find in these countries mules equal to those bred in 
some of our ow n provinces. 
France, through the Mediterranean, imports stallions for 
its studs from Syria and Africa. The stallions formerly im- 
ported into France for his Majesty’s stud, with the view of 
improving the national breed, were but of the hatik race, 
and sometimes ordinary enough. 
It is pretended, that the breed the most remarkable and 
esteemed of Africa, and particularly of Nubia, descend in a 
direct line from the five horses w 7 ith which Mahomet fled, in 
662, from Mecca. Bruce, w T ho has traced the Nile to its 
source, says, that the horses of Nubia are the finest in the 
world. 
There can be no doubt but that the climate and soil of 
Arabia are most favorable for the propagation of animals. 
Now, experience, w 7 hich has, in those countries, demon- 
strated the necessity of occasionally crossing the individuals 
of certain breeds, has at the same time showu that such 
crossing should be with those of other countries, and still of 
pure origin. And the same experience has constantly shown, 
that in coupling a thorough- bred stallion with a mare of the 
ancient ordinary breed, we obtain a produce which, in spite 
of crossing and close approximation (of goodness) as w T ell, 
will but come up, even after the fourth and fifth generation, 
to the inferior breed, from which (on the dam’s side,) it 
originally sprang. Whereas, in crossing a thorough-bred 
mare covered by a good half-bred stallion, the differences 
will appear less marked, since the produce in time will more 
resemble the dam than the stallion. Such are the principles 
* De l’Origine des Lois, des Arts et des Sciences, et de leurs Progres ches les 
Anciens Peuples, vol. vi, p. 51. 
