o’M COMMON HORSE. 
agree that they are not to be compared to the 
Arabian horses, either for courage, force, or beau- 
ty ; and that the latter are eagerly sought, even in 
Persia. 
The horses of India are of a very indifferent 
kind, being weak and washy. Those which are 
used by the grandees of the country, come from 
Persia and Arabia ; they are fed with a small 
quantity of hay during the day ; and at night they 
have boiled peas, mixed with sugar and butter, 
instead of oats or barley : this nourishment sup- 
ports them, and gives them strength ; otherwise, 
they would soon sink and degenerate. Those na- 
turally belonging to the country, are very siiiall 
and vicious. Some are so very little, that Ta- 
verner reports, that the young Mogul prince, at 
the age of seven or eight, rode one of those little 
horses, that was not much larger than a grey- 
hound ; and some years since, one of these was 
brought over into this country, as a present to the 
queen, that measured no more than nine hands 
high ; and was not much larger than a common 
mastiff. It would seem, that climates excessively 
hot, are unfavourable to this animal. In this man- 
ner, the horses of the Gold-coast, and of Guinea, 
are extremely little, but very manageable. It is 
a common exercise with the grandees of that coun- 
try, who are excellent horsemen, to dart out their 
lances before them upon full gallop, and to catch 
them again before they come to the ground. They 
have a sport also on horse-back, that requires great 
dexterity in the rider, and a great share of activity 
in the horse : they strike off a ball, with a battle- 
dore, while they are upon a full gallop, and pur- 
suing it, strike it again before it comes to the 
ground ; and this they continue for a mile together, 
striking sometimes to the right, and sometimes to 
the left, with amazing speed and agility. 
