2 
0 UADRUPEDS. [ClafsI. 
In the annals of Newmarket, may be found 
inftances of horfes that have litterally out- 
ftripped the wind, as the celebrated M. Con - 
damine has lately fhewn in his remarks* on 
thofe of Great-Britain. Childers j“ is an ama¬ 
zing inftance of rapidity, his fpeed having 
been more than once exerted equal, to 8 2 
feet in a lecond, or near a mile in a minute: 
The fame horfe has alfo run the round courfe 
at Newmarket , (which is about 400 yards lels 
than 4 miles) in fix minutes and forty feconds 5 
in which ^cafe his fleetnefs is to that of the 
fwifteft Bark, as four to three. 
Horles of this kind, derive their origin from 
Arabia ; the feat of the pureft, and mod: ge¬ 
nerous breed. 
The lpecies ufed in hunting, is a happy 
combination of the former with others fuperior 
in ftrength, but inferior in point of fpeed and 
lineage, a union of both is neceffary ; for the 
fatigues of the chace muft be fupported by the 
fpirit of the one, as well as by the vigor of 
the other. 
No country can bring a parallel to the 
ftrength and fize of our horfes deftined for 
the draught , or to the aCtivity and ftrength 
united of thofe that form our cavalry. 
In our capital there are inftances of {ingle 
horfes that are able to draw on a plain, for 
a fmall fpace, the weight of three tuns ; but 
could with eafe, and for a continuance draw 
half that weight {. The pack-horfes of Tork- 
Jhire, employed in conveying the manufacture 
of that country, to the moft remote parts of 
the kingdom, ufually carry a burden of 420 
• & 
* In his tour to Italy. 
f M. Condamine illuftrates his remarks with the horfe, Starling-, 
but the report of his fpeed being doubtful, we chufe to inftance 
the fpeed of Childers , as indifputable and univerfally known. 
. t Hollingjhead makes it a matter of boaft, that in his time, 
five horfes could draw with eafc for a long journey 30001b, 
pounds 5 and that indifferently over the 
higheft hills of the north, -as well as the moft 
level roads $ but the moft remarkable proof 
of the ftrength of our Britijh horles, is to be 
drawn from that of our mill-horfes : fome of 
thefe will carry at one load thirteen meafures, 
which at a moderate computation of jo ! 
pounds each, will amount to 91 o $ a weight 
fuperior to that which the leffer variety of 
camels will bear: this will appear lefs lurpriz- 
ing, as thefe horfes are by degrees accuftomed 
to the weight $ and the diftance they travel 
no greater than to and from the adjacent 
hamlets. 
Our cavalry in the late campaigns, gave 
frequent proofs of their fuperiority over thofe 
of our Allies, as well as thofe of the French $ 
the battle of JVarburg is a memorable inftance 
of their ftrength and a&ivity : the enemy was 
broke through by the impetuous charge of 
our fquadrons 5 while the German horfes, 
from their great weight, and ina&ive make, 
were unable to fecond our efforts ; though 
thofe troops were a&uated by the nobieft 
ardor. 
The prefent cavalry of this ill and only fup- 
ports its antient glory ; it was eminent in the 
earlieft times: our fcythed ^chariots, and the 
a&ivity f and good difcipline of our horfes, 
even ftruck terror into Cafar* s legions : it is 
now impoffible to trace out this lpecies 5 for 
thofe which exift among the indigene of Great 
Britain , fuch as the little horles of JFales and 
Cornwall the hobbies of Irelandy and the fhel- 
ties of Scotlandy though admirably well adapt¬ 
ed to the ufes of thole countries, could never 
have been equal to the work of war. Thole 
we 
* Pomp. Mela, lib. c. 8.* 
f Coefar. Com. lib. 4. Strabo, lib. 4. 
