30 PROCEEDINGS: BOSTON SOCIETY NATURAL HISTORY. 
War, (luring the course of wliich, priNiitccrsriicu. and lawless persons 
of every description frequently landed on tlic island, and hy the close 
of the War none of the Animals remained except a numl)er of Horses. 
These Horses have been the means of affording food to many unfor- 
tunate persons who have since been thrown on the Island. * * * 
Many of them ha\e been wantonly shot by persons wintering on the 
island for the j)urpose of wrecking. By such means as these, the 
greater part of the horses have been destroyed, and unless some rem- 
edy is found, this last hope of the unfortunate Mariner, will be entire- 
ly cut off." 
Thus it is certain that horses of New England stock were left on 
Sable Island in 1753, or at least in 1760, and that Gilpin's assumption 
that these were the parent stock of the present-day Sable Island ponies 
is quite justified. 
Gilpin describes them as he found them, "about four hundred in 
number, divided into about six herds, or gangs (so called), each gang 
headed by an old male, who was sufficiently conspicuous by his masses 
of mane and tail. Each herd had its separate feeding ground, to 
which the individuals composing it seemed to be equally attached, as 
to their leader. On driving over the Island, and mixing all herds, 
promiscuously, as we once did, by the next morning they had return- 
ed to their separate feeding grounds, some of them travelling ten or 
twelve miles during the night. On riding towards them the herd was 
seen grazing at the distance of a mile, with several outlying parties. 
The leader was observed repeatedly to drive these outlying mares 
and young horses into the general herd, who all now began a general 
retreat at a slow trot, with the exception of the old stallion, who faced 
the approaching party, passing backwards and forwards, frequently 
stopping and tossing back the mane from his eyes. The resemblance 
to a convoy crowding all sail to leeward, and a frigate in stays await- 
ing the enemy, was perfect. On pressing him, however, with our rid- 
ing horses, he joined his herd now in a gallop, but keeping always in 
the rear. His instinct taught him the unequal match with man, but 
the air of leadership was unmistakable. They often fight among 
themselves, one stallion visiting the herd of a second. I saw a horse 
nearly disabled in one of these encounters. The young horses, be- 
tween two and three years old, are driven out of the herd by the lead- 
er. I watched one, hour after hour, driving a young grey colt with 
the most furious bites, to a distance. The young horses live in small 
bands on the outskirts of the herd, and sometimes an old or disabled 
