THE HORSE,—NOS. 1 , 2. 59 
will transcribe a paragraph from each, that our readers may be 
enabled to form some opinion of what they may expect. 
Our first extract will relate to the early history of the horse. 
We take it, not because it is the most interesting portion of the 
Number, but because it presents a somewhat different view from 
that adopted by our friend Mr. Karkeek. The author, like M r. 
Karkeek, traces the earliest use of the horse to Egypt. He thus 
proceeds: — . 
“From Egypt the use of the horse was propagated to other and distant 
lands; and, probably, the horse himself was first transmitted from Egypt 
to several countries. The Greeks affirm, that Neptune struck the earth 
with his trident, and a horse appeared. The truth is, that the Thessalians, 
the first and most expert of the Grecian horsemen, and likewise the inhabi¬ 
tants of Argos and of Athens, were colonists Iron) Egypt. 
“The Bible likewise decides another point, that Arabia, by whose breed 
of horses those of other countries have been so much improved, was not 
the native place of the horse. Six hundred years after the time just re¬ 
ferred to, Arabia had no horses. Solomon imported spices, gold, and 
silver from Arabia; but all the horses for his own cavalry and chariots, and 
those with which he supplied the Phoenician monarchs, he procured from 
Egypt*. 
“ In the seventh century after Christ, when Mahomet attacked the Korcish 
near Mecca, he had but two horses in his whole army; and at the close of 
his murderous campaign, although he drove off twenty-four thousand 
camels, and forty thousand sheep, and carried away twenty-four thousand 
ounces of silver, not one horse appears in the list of plunder. 
“ There is a curious record of the commerce of different countries at the 
close of the second century. Among the articles exported from Egypt to 
Arabia, and particularly as presents to reigning monarchs, were horses. 
“ In the fourth century two hundred Cappadocian horses were sent by the 
Roman emperor, as the most acceptable present he could offer a powerful 
prince of Arabia. 
“ So late as the seventh century, the Arabs had few horses, and those of 
little value. These circumstances sufficiently prove that, however superior 
may he the present breed, it is comparatively lately that the horse was 
naturalized in Arabia. 
“ The horses of Arabia itself, and of the south-eastern parts of Europe, arc 
clearly derived from Egypt; hut whether they were there bred, or im¬ 
ported from the south-western regions of Asia, or, as is more probable, 
brought from the interior, or northern coasts of Africa, cannot with cer¬ 
tainty he determined.” 
From the second Number vve select his opinion on the “ Sum¬ 
mering of the Hunter/' and with which, we confess, we perfectly 
accord:— 
44 1 lie labours and the pleasures of the hunting season being passed, the 
farmer makes little or no difference in the management of bis untrained 
44 * The historian gives us the price of the horse and the chariot at that time. A 
horse brought from Egypt, including, probably, the expence of the journey, 
cost one hundred and fifty shekels of silver, which, at two shillings, threepence, 
and one half farthing each, amounts to about seventeen pounds two shillings. A 
chariot cost six hundred shekels, or sixty-eight pounds, eight shillings ; a most 
enormous sum at that early period, but little to him who expended more than 
thirty-five millions of pounds, in gold alone to ornament the Temple which he 
had built." 
