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When all London, and half England, have been to see the Hippopotamus, at the Zoological Gardens, I feel as if a work on animals, written at the present moment, would be incomplete unless it contained some notice of this animal. Nevertheless, in spite of research into old and new books, into private reminiscences, and personal recollections, I find it difficult to raise him to the intellectual place of those which have been, or will be treated of in my pages. When I heard praises so lavishly bestowed upon him, when I became even reproached for not having been to see him, I began to think I had been mistaken, and that my former acquaintance with his brethren must have been made under circumstances which had caused prejudice; I therefore paid him a visit, spent some little time in watching and observing him, and came away, more than ever astonished at the marvellous effects which novelty and variety will produce in the minds of men; throwing beauty and interest over the most ungainly form and good-natured stupidity. He certainly looks to greater advantage in this country than he does in his own; for here a rose-coloured blush tinges his skin, and there he is too often covered with mud, to wear any other appearance than that of a dirty brown.
The hippopotamus is exclusively a denizen of Africa; and perfectly harmless when unprovoked; except that he sometimes gets into the plantations in the vicinity of his haunts, and crushes and devours a crop of maize, or millet. He would rather avoid fighting or quarreling; but, like all other brute creatures, can retaliate an injury with a fury, which is rendered frightful by his enormous weight. He looks best when walking in the shallow part of a lake or river, just under the water, with his eyes open; but if there should be a boat, or canoe on the surface, the sooner it bears its freight to the shore the better; for he is sure at least to try and upset it with his huge back; not that he has any murderous intentions, but he probably thinks it is an intrusion on his peculiar domains.
The hide of the hippopotamus, of which tremendous whips are made, is at least two inches thick, and has no hair upon it; his legs are so short, that the body of one that is full grown, almost reaches the ground, and sometimes measures five feet across; his tail is very short and insignificant, and his eyes and ears are very small. They livetogether in small numbers, feed chiefly on grass and aquatic plants, and come forth at night. Each foot has four toes, and each toe a separate hoof; the nostrils open on the top of the muzzle; their flesh is thought to be very good to eat, and to resemble pork. A thick layer of fat lies just under the skin, which the Africans look upon as a great delicacy for the table. The male is the largest; and two species are said to exist. The exploits of Mr. Gordon Cumming give us a lively picture of their habits; but there is nothing in his work which affords the slightest interest in their mental faculties. The following account from the pen of Captain Owen who explored so large a portion of the African shores, is the only instance I have met with which wears the semblance of almost unprovoked anger on the part of a hippopotamus:—"While examining a branch of the Temby river, in Delagoa Bay, a violent shock was suddenly felt from underneath the boat, and in another moment, a monstrous hippopotamus reared itself up from the water, and in a most ferocious and menacing attitude rushed open-mouthed at the boat; with one grasp of its tremendous jaws it seized and tore seven planks from her side; the creature disappeared for a few seconds, and then rose again, apparently intending to repeat the attack, but was fortunately deterred by the contents of a musket discharged in its face. The boat rapidly filled; but, as she was not more than an oar's length from theshore, they (the crew) succeeded in reaching it before she sank. The keel, in all probability, had touched the back of the animal, which, irritating him, occasioned this furious attack; and had he got his upper jaw above the gunwale, the whole broadside must have been torn out. The force of the shock from beneath, previously to the attack, was so violent, that her stern was almost lifted out of the water, and Mr. Tambs, the midshipman steering, was thrown overboard, but fortunately rescued before the irritated animal could seize him."
The hippopotamus, with his shy and secluded habits, may be easily passed as he lies concealed among the reeds which grow by the side of the river, but if once he gets into the water, he is always to be detected by the blowing noise which he makes.
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Nature has so strongly marked the wild and the tame Hog with the same characters, that no hesitation arises in pronouncing the former to be the stock from whence we have derived the latter. In common, however, with all other free and domesticated animals, there is a prolongation of muzzle in the wild species, which is not to be found in those of our sties. The tusks also are larger; in thisinstance, as in all others, showing how bountifully the Great Creator provides for all. The domestic hog is not required to seek his food and dig roots as his untamed brother does, and, therefore, the parts most used for these purposes are not equally developed. Both, however, possess very powerful muscles of the neck and shoulder, to give movement to their large and strong jaws. They all have four toes on each foot; the two in the middle being much the largest and armed with strong hoofs. Their snout looks as if it had been suddenly chopped off, as if to expose the nostrils, which are pierced in this truncated portion. Their triangular, canine teeth, or tusks, project beyond the mouth; those of both jaws curve upwards. They make very formidable weapons, as many a dog and huntsman has known to his cost. Wild hogs are covered with stiff, dark brown hair, which gets grizzly with age, and is more upright along the back. The tail is short; and in many varieties of the domestic pig, it curls very tightly.
The male wild boar only associates with the female for a short period, and at other times lives alone, in the thickest parts of dense forests; coming forth in the evening to procure his food, which is chiefly of a vegetable nature. It is only when pressed by hunger, that wild hogs will eat animal substances. The females herd together, and their youngremain with them till they are two or three years old. When they are about to be born, the mothers retreat as far as possible from the fathers, as the latter have a most longing desire always to devour their offspring. The females, left to defend themselves and their children, place the latter behind them, and expose themselves in a line to the attacks of an enemy, or they form a circle round them, and evince an extraordinary amount of fury and courage. Sparrman, the South African traveller asserts, that the species of wild sow in those regions, when so closely pursued that it is impossible for them to make off, take the young pigs in their mouths. To his astonishment, one day, when pursuing a herd, all the young ones disappeared, nor could he explain the mystery till aware of this singular fact.
The hunting of wild boars has, from the most ancient times, been reckoned a noble sport; for it not only called for dexterity and courage, but was attended with considerable danger, from the extreme savageness of these animals when at bay, and the facility with which they rip open their antagonists with their tusks. They were in former times considered as royal game, and fines were imposed on those who killed them without having the privilege of doing so. The time of their extirpation in England is uncertain; but we know that in the reign of Charles the First, orders were given for some domestic hogs to be turned into the NewForest, that they might become wild; but they were all destroyed in the time of Cromwell. Some still exist in the large European forests, and a variety of hounds are still trained to hunt them. Horses are particularly alarmed at them, and in the history of boar-hunts, we constantly read of the sportsmen being forced to alight from their steeds to take a steady aim. The numbers of ancient arms in which they are found, and the names of old places derived from them, attest their numerous presence here; for instance, Brandon, which isbrawn's den; brawn being the old term for boar. Their skin is so thick as frequently to deaden the force of bullets, which, after death, have been found lying between it and the flesh.
The wild boars of Africa have a broader snout than their European brethren, and possess two protuberances under the eyes, which prevent them from seeing anything underneath them. They live in subterranean holes; and one which had been for some time kept in confinement, was accidentally left loose in a small court near his cage, upon which he tore up the pavement, and had already made a deep pit when his keeper returned. When the natives of Africa spear or entrap one, they tie his fore-feet together, sling him on a pole, decorate him and themselves with creeping plants, and return to their huts with triumphant shouts and rejoicing. The flesh of these is very close-grained, white andhard. The impossibility of keeping meat in that country till it becomes tender, makes wild boar flesh almost useless to Europeans, unless their teeth vie with those of negroes.
Some idea of the sort of sport which attends the chase of wild boars, may be formed from the following account of one which took place in a forest in Luxembourg. At a battle, several of these animals were driven together, and they came rushing on like a squadron of heavy dragoons, breaking through the underwood. Several shots were fired, and they tried to disperse. One huntsman got out of the line, and a boar came rushing upon him; but a fresh shot broke one of his legs; which, however, though it made him more savage, caused him to turn into the forest. The well-trained dogs, and the huntsmen pursued him; and when they came up with him, found him terrifically savage. One of the hounds, more daring than the rest, made a dart at the beast, seized him by one ear, and bounded over him to the opposite side. They ran off together, the boar's head almost turned upside down; but, with a sudden jerk, the dog was shaken off, and the boar tearing him open, tossed him several feet in the air. The pack then gathered so thickly round, that the boar's progress was stayed; the men then came up and cut his throat. At another point of the wood, a sow, weighing three hundred pounds, and followed byher young, was wounded, and furiously pursued a hunter, whom she surprised in a narrow pass between two rocks. He waited her approach and fired, or rather tried to do so, but his gun missed; he then, in an instant, fell on his face and hands, and the sow ran over his body. Rising, and loading his gun, he provoked the sow again by his cries. The foaming creature, with flashing eyes, turned upon him; but this time she received the charge in her head and fell.
Wild hogs are easily domesticated, and as easily resume their uncivilized habits; but they seem then to keep in packs. Mr. Byam relates the following adventure with these renegades:—"I was one day hunting alone, on foot, in a rather open wood, when a large boar made his appearance about sixty yards off, and not seeing any of his companions, I let fly the ball, and tumbled him over. He gave a fierce grunt or two as he lay; and a large herd of boars and sows rushed out of some thick underwood behind him, and, after looking at the fallen beast for a few seconds, made a dash at me: but they were a trifle too late, for on catching sight of them, I ran to a tree, 'cut up' it for life, and had only just scrambled into some diverging branches, about ten feet from the ground, when the whole herd arrived; grunting and squeaking, at the foot of the tree. I could not help laughing at the ridiculous figure I must have made, chased up atree by a dozen of pigs; but it soon turned out no laughing matter, for their patience was not, as I expected, soon exhausted; and they settled round the tree about twenty yards distant, and kept looking at me with their little twinkling eyes, as much as to say, 'We'll have you yet.'" So far are Mr. Byam's own words; and I now give the sequel in a more abridged form, though, by so doing, I feel that I deprive the story of some of its zest:—Having made up his mind to a regular siege, he examined his resources, and found them to be a double-barreled gun, a flask of powder (nearly full), plenty of copper caps; a few charges of shot; only two balls; a knife, flint, and steel; a piece of hard, dried tongue; a small flask of spirits and water; and a good bundle of cigars. He could not expect relief, a sally was out of the question; so he made himself as comfortable as he could. Hour after hour passed, the pigs never stirred, except when one or two returned to look at their dead comrade, as if to sharpen their revenge. At length the imprisoned hunter thought of firing off some powder every few minutes, shouting at the same time. One barrel of his gun was still loaded with shot, and he aimed at an old boar; who, on returning from his deceased friend, had looked up at him and grunted. The whole charge, at a distance of about twenty feet, went into the boar's face, who then turned round and ran away, makinga horrible noise. The rest of the party charged altogether up to the foot of the tree, but the outcry of the old boar drew them away; and the whole herd went after him, making such a noise as never before had saluted Mr. Byam's ears. He remained in the tree a short time; and, when all was quiet, he slipped down, and ran away as fast as he could, in a contrary direction.
Hogs are not equally prized by all nations. The detestation in which they were held by the Egyptians, was continued by the Israelites; not only from living with those people, but because they were unclean animals. They are still viewed in that light by Brahmins and Mussulmans, who only rear them to sell to Christians, or to make scavengers of them, for, in a domestic state, they are omnivorous. The dislike of the latter to them was once very serviceable to me; for when we were bivouacking close to a Mahommedan village, the people, and the priests thronged around us, so as to be extremely troublesome; and the only way in which we could keep them at a distance, without force, was by tying pieces of ham over the different entrances of the building in which we were.
Somewhat like rats, there seems to be a mysterious distribution of swine all over the face of the earth; and much astonishment was created in the minds of the discoverers of the South Sea Islands, by finding them in those far-off specks ofthe earth. Perhaps there had been earlier navigators there than ourselves.
Pork, fresh or cured, forms the principal food of our sailors and peasantry; and most precious is the pig to the poor man. It is often the pet of the younger branches of his family, and returns their affection with interest.
Of course, it is an idle fable that pigs can see and smell the wind; but it is perfectly true that they are always much agitated when a storm is approaching.
Considering the stupid way in which they run when they are frightened, the manner in which they squeak on all occasions, and the obstinacy which they evince, very often when an endeavour is made to add to their relief or comfort, it is not surprising that a low estimate of their intelligence should hare been formed. Nevertheless, they have been trained to point out letters and spell words, till they have acquired the appellation of "learned pigs." What, however, is more useful, they draw the plough in the south of France—they are taught to hunt the truffles, which are hidden under the soil—they even stand at game like the most accomplished pointers. The latter instruction was conveyed by means of stones and pudding; if they failed in their duty, they received the former; but when they drooped their ears and tail, and sank upon their knees, nor rose till the birds had already risen, they feasted on "lumps o' pudding."
Of the voracity of pigs, there are many stories, all more or less disagreeable; and none more so than when they have killed and partially eaten children, and utterly devoured their young keepers. Such stories have been too well authenticated to be doubted; but they are exceptions to the general history of the animal. It is much more pleasing to refer to the life, death, and burial of poor Jean, who was saved out of a litter of six (born on board ship) from the butcher's knife. She was brought up as a pet, and suffered to run about deck, among sheep and goats. Most of the live stock was washed off, but Jean remained because she had been stowed away in the long boat. In warm latitudes the men took their meals on deck, and she was always one of the mess, poking her nose into every bread bag, and scalding it in the soup. The sailors poured grog down her throat, and twice made her tipsy; and she behaved as most individuals do on such occasions.
In consequence of the scarcity of fresh provisions in the Chinese seas, Jean was ordered to be killed, her fry to be eaten one day, her head made into turtle soup the next, and after that, her legs, etc., roasted; but the ship's company pleaded that she might be spared, stating, among other reasons, that when called, she came like a dog. "Jean! Jean!" exclaimed the captain, and she bounced along, tripping up the officer of the watch.
Like most pets, Jean became intolerably fat and lazy, in which condition she was an object of great attraction to the Chinese; they longed for her, wanted to buy her, begged for her, and watched for her, knowing she must die soon, and then be thrown overboard. Jack, however, had no inclination to gratify the Chinamen, and when poor Jean breathed her last, two masses of ballast iron were placed, one on each cheek, and lashed to her neck and shoulders in such a manner, that by their projection they made a long, sharp snout, which would penetrate into the mud. She was lowered over the ship's side, head foremost, and when below the surface of the water, the rope was cast off, and her well-loaded carcase went down too deep, even for the search of the cunning Chinese.[6]
[6]The source whence I obtained this anecdote has escaped me; but I think it is from the pen of Captain Basil Hall.
[6]The source whence I obtained this anecdote has escaped me; but I think it is from the pen of Captain Basil Hall.
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With quite as little personal beauty as the Pachydermata of which I have hitherto treated, the Rhinoceros takes his place among the powerful of the earth. He has no tusks, but bears one or two horns upon his nose. Of these, when there are two, the foremost is the largest, all are curved andpolished, and appear to be formed of hairs, aggregated into a solid mass. The bones of the nose are remarkably thickened and developed into that form which is best adapted to resist a shock—namely, the arch; and by this, not only is the animal able to carry its horn high, but to bear the tremendous resistance with which it meets when it uses that horn. In all but one species the upper lip is prolonged, and capable of such extension that it becomes prehensile; it protrudes this lip, lowers its horn or horns, so as to lean forwards, and rushes at the object of its anger or dislike with almost inconceivable fury. I have already contradicted the assertion, that it seeks the elephant for the purpose of giving him battle, on which occasion it was said to sharpen its horn against a stone just before the engagement: according to Mr. Gordon Cumming's account, they inhabit the same neighbourhood without exhibiting any particular enmity towards each other.
As far as we know at present, there are six species, all of which inhabit Africa and India, including Java and Sumatra; they have three toes on each foot covered with a hoof. The sides of their body project in a remarkable degree; their skin is enormously thick, knotty in its surface, and has but a few hairs scattered over it. The Indian rhinoceroses have enormous folds of this skin, hanging upon the shoulders, haunches, neck and thighs,looking as if each fold covered a thick rope; the ears of all are erect, the eyes small and near the nose; the tail short; they carry their heads so low that they almost touch the earth; they plough up the ground with their horn, scattering stones and soil without any apparent motive, and few things can resist the impetuous force which they put forth, when they rush upon an object which has excited their fury. Their smell and hearing are extremely acute, so that it is difficult to approach them; but as their sight is very limited, they may be avoided by slipping on one side when they are in pursuit of an enemy.
The Javanese and Sumatran species are smaller, lighter, and consequently less ferocious and powerful than the others. Both in Africa and India there is a superstition with regard to the horns of all the species, which the natives declare are sensibly acted on by poison. It is the custom to make cups of them, and in India it is said, that liquid poison poured into them, effervesces in such a manner that it overflows the cup. In Africa, the inhabitants assure you, that the cup will turn black from the same cause; and that water drunk from them possesses medicinal properties, especially if stirred with iron. The folds on the skin of the African species are much less than those of the Indian, and amount to scarcely more than wrinkles. The latter have been known to live ahundred years, and when young, their skin has a pink tinge. All eat the young branches of trees, and shrubs, and grass.
It has been observed, that the skin of the African rhinoceros is so full of insects, that birds are in the habit of perching upon them, for the purpose of feeding on these insects. They suffer their winged friends to remain undisturbed, thinking, that as long as they stay, no enemy is near; but if they fly off, some danger is approaching, for which they immediately look out. These birds are not unlike the missal thrush, and remain by their friends till they are forced to leave them. When the latter are shot, they fly away, uttering a harsh cry, and return to their positions when all is quiet, even adhering to them all night. This may be also the case in India; but I have only seen it recorded of Africa.
I should suppose that the loud blowing noise attributed to the African rhinoceros, holds good with all. The black variety is the most dangerous; they ramble about at night, and go to the river to drink, between the hours of nine and twelve. Those sudden fits of frenzy, to which all are liable, are particularly outrageous in them; and they have been seen to attack the bushes around them for hours at a time; uttering a strange noise, something like the combination of a grunt and a whistle. Their flesh is rather like beef, perhaps having evena finer flavour. They go about singly or in pairs, are much the most active, and pursue any object which attracts them with a perseverance which is quite ludicrous. According to Major Harris, much of the brain lies under the horns, and he saw them sometimes assemble in herds of thirty-two. The best place to aim at, when it is desirable to kill them, is behind the shoulder. Before they charge, they stand rolling their body from side to side. They become furious at the sight of fire, and in order to get at it, they dash forward with mad fury, nor rest till they have scattered and extinguished all the burning wood.
The White Rhinoceroses have a longer neck than the others. Their muzzle is shorter, and more square, resembling that of the ox.
Most of the rhinoceroses brought to Europe have been remarkably good-tempered and docile; but one which was lodged in Exeter Change, was only kept in order by the whip; no kindness having any effect upon him, especially in his sudden fits of fury, which were of the most frightful violence.
Mr. Burchell's measurement of a rhinoceros, made him eleven feet from the tip of the nose to the insertion of the tail, and the girth of the body was eight feet four inches.
"Some years ago," says Captain Brown, "a party of Europeans, with their native attendants and elephants (of course this must have been in India)met with a small band of seven (rhinoceroses). These were led by a larger, and more powerful animal than the rest. When this large leader charged the hunters, the first elephants, in place of using their tusks as weapons, wheeled round, and received the blow of the rhinoceros's horn on their hind quarters; and so powerful was the concussion, that it brought them instantly to the ground with their riders; and as soon as they could get on their feet again, the brute was ready to repeat the attack, and was certain to produce another fall; and in this manner did the contest continue, until four of the seven were killed, when the rest made good their retreat."
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Although, still lingering among the Pachydermata, I have now left behind me the ponderous and unwieldy forms which inhabit the wild and wooded tracts of the earth's surface, and come to the group called Solipeda, from the one round and horny hoof which encircles all the feet; one toe is apparent; and two points on each side, under the skin, represent lateral toes; besides which there is, underneath, a soft pad, or what is generally termed the frog, which touches the ground when the animal walks.
Strength, beauty, and activity, are all combinedin horses; their elegantly shaped head, with its long pointed ears, and large eyes, is carried high or thrown back; and while they rapidly glance into the horizon, to look for friends or foes, their well defined nostrils sniff fresh vigour from the passing breeze; but this is not all—these same ears laid flat back upon their head tell you that they have been affronted, and mean to be revenged for the insult; when they are upright they are listening to sounds, which their rider cannot hear, and when they are pointed forward they rejoice in the affectionate voices of those whom they love. Those full, hazel eyes denote passions of various kinds, are often turned full of parental love on the offspring which gambols by their side, or of gratitude upon their kind masters, following their benefactors with a melancholy look, when they take their departure. Those nostrils are dilated sometimes with anger, at others with the pleasures of the chase; and the arched neck, the broad muscular chest, the graceful, curving lines of the body, the well-shaped, sinewy limbs, sometimes slender and delicate in their proportions, bear these beautiful creatures over hill and dale almost with the swiftness of a bird; while their long mane and tail float in the air, as if the creature whom they adorn were about to soar to heaven.
In a state of freedom, horses are swift, fierce, and inquisitive; they herd together in large numbers. The males evince the most faithfulattachment to the females, and protect them and their offspring to the death. The latter are fond and devoted mothers.
In activity, there is no animal which more decidedly takes its character from its early masters or instructors; their admirable qualities are heightened; their fierceness becomes courage; their wild actions are turned into play, and their attachment and sagacity are only surpassed by those of the dog. On the other hand, most of what are called their vices may be traced to their early training. Allowances must, of course, be made for natural disposition, which varies as much in the brute creation as it does in man; and I have met with ill-tempered horses, which have been so from the moment they were taken from their native forests; but generally speaking, the horse becomes the protector, the companion, the friend, of his possessor. When dead, every part of him is useful; and when living, all his energies make him one of the greatest blessings which a beneficent Creator has bestowed on the earthly lord of all.
Horses' teeth are so important a part of their history, that although this book does not profess to treat of science, it would be incomplete if I did not briefly point out how distinctly they shew the age of the animal. First of all, however, it should be known, that the mouth seems to have been expressly formed for the bit, by which man controls thisadmirable creature; for, corresponding with each angle of the mouth is a space between the teeth, in which it lodges with the greatest convenience. The front teeth, or incisors, begin to appear when the horse is fifteen days old, and amount to six in number in each jaw. All, from the first, are at the top, or crown, hollowed into a groove. The two in the middle are shed and replaced at three years and a half, the two next at four and a half, and the two outside, called the corner teeth, at seven and a half, or eight. The grooves on the crowns, become effaced, and the tops of the teeth are more triangular as age increases. The females have no canine teeth; but the males always have two small ones in the upper jaw, and sometimes two in the lower; the former appear when they are four years old, the latter at three and a half; they remain pointed till the horse has attained six years, and when he is ten they begin to grow loose, and expose their roots. They have six grinders in each side of each jaw, with flat crowns, and the plates of enamel which surround the dental substance, appear in them like four crescents. The life of horses generally lasts about thirty years; but they have frequently been known to exceed that age. Then, however, mastication has become difficult, they get lean, or what is called out of condition; and old favorites, if they are attended to as they ought to be, after long andfaithful services, have their food bruised, and even cooked for them. It is surprising to see what entire rest frequently does for them, even at an advanced age; and I have seen them, in consequence of it, again taken into a degree of service when they have been supposed past all work.
The origin of horses is involved in so much obscurity, that it has given rise to frequent speculation; not as in the dog, with regard to the type of the race, but the quarter of the globe where they were first located. It appears to me, that the greatest mass of opinion is in favour of Tartary, or Central Asia, where it is supposed that the only existing wild race now lives, all the rest in a state of freedom, being feral, or descended from domesticated pairs, which have again become wild. Some of these are also on the steppes of Tartary; but immense numbers inhabit the extensive plains of South America, which are supposed to be the descendants of the Spanish horses, and to have escaped from the conquerors of that continent. Large herds also run about in various parts of North America and Africa; and smaller numbers in England, where they have dwindled to ponies. Mr. Bell, whose authority few would dare to dispute, thinks that the Egyptians were the first people who brought the horse into subjection, and that Africa contained the original race; but the ancient mysteries of the East are only now beginning to beopened to us; and, I suspect, we shall find that the Egyptians derived their horses, as well as everything else, from the still older Asiatics.
It would be in vain to attempt, in a work of this kind, to describe the different species and varieties of horses; I shall, therefore, quickly pass on to a small selection from the numerous anecdotes placed before me, a few of which are the results of personal experience. Before I do this, however, it may be as well to make a few observations concerning their food. They are eminently vegetable feeders; grains and dried grasses, such as hay and straw, also clover, being preferred when they are in constant service. The more valuable sorts are seldom much used while they are feeding entirely on green grass. They are extremely fond of the niceties which are so often bestowed on pets, such as bread, apples, cakes, etc.; and some are passionately fond of sugar. M. Frederic Cuvier taught one he constantly rode, to play certain tricks, rewarding him for them with sugar; and, if the provision contained in his pocket were not sufficient, he would stop at a road-side inn, and procure some more for the horse. Accordingly, when the sagacious animal came again to these houses, he would perform the same antics which had before procured him the sugar, and then stand still, as if again to receive his reward. While speaking of this creature, I may as well mention, that he delighted in pullingdown his own hay, and feeding the goats, which lived on the other side of his palings, with it; and once, when he was fed with straw, on account of some malady, his companions, who ate at the same manger, were so concerned at what they thought his inferior fare, that they pushed their hay to him.
Horses have not the least objection to animal food; and it has been often given to them when they have been obliged to perform immense journeys, or to undergo any very great exertion. It, however, excites them very much, and, if not judiciously bestowed, makes them fierce and uncontrollable. Stories are told of poor men, who, when the despots of the East have ordered them to give up their favourite horses, have fed them on flesh, and rendered them so unmanageable, that the tyrants have no longer desired what they once thought a prize. Horses will also drink strong ale, etc., with the greatest relish; and oat gruel, mixed with it, has often proved an excellent restorative for them after an unusual strain upon their powers. They will not refuse even spirits or wine, administered in the same manner; but it is very questionable if these are equally efficacious. There is no telling, however, what strange inconsistencies domestication will produce in the matter of food; for cats have been known to refuse everything for boiled greens, when they were to be had.
The following account is abridged from Mr.Kohl's description of those Asiatic horses, which are bred in the steppes, and are private property, although he calls them quite wild.—"Only in the heart of Tartary can the horse be found perfectly in a wild state. One herd in the steppe will consist of 1000 horses; but the keepers of herds will have several. Dressed in leather, with a girdle which contains the implements of his veterinary art; a black lambskin cap on his head, thetabuntshik, or herdsman, eats, drinks, and sleeps in his saddle; has no shelter, and dare not even turn his back upon a storm, as the creatures do for whom he is responsible. In his hand he holds a whip, with a thick, short handle, and a lash from fifteen to eighteen feet long. Then he must have a sling, with which he takes unerring aim at each individual of his straggling herd; then a wolf-stick, with a knob of iron at the end, hangs from his saddle; and a cask of water, a bag of bread, and a bottle of brandy are necessary parts of his equipment. He pays for every horse that is lost; in ten years he is worn out, yet is unfit for any other life; he lives in constant dread of horse-stealers, notwithstanding which he steals them himself.
"From Easter to October the herds graze day and night in the steppes. In the winter they are sheltered at night by mounds of earth, and a sort of roof, from the north. The stallions and stronger horses take possession of the shed, and the rest standoutside, huddled together. In severe winters, sickness and death overtake them, and those who survive, walk about like specters. But when they eat the young grass, which appears when the snow is melted, they are as wild and mischievous as ever. The stallions seem to consider themselves as the chiefs of the herd; and one of these, by right of strength, is the chiefpar excellence. Sometimes one stallion will have affronted the rest, and all combine to turn him out; and then he will be seen apart from them, with a few mares attending him.[7]Occasionally two herds will fight for right of pasture; the mares and foals keep aloof, the stallions flourish their tails, erect their manes, rattle their hoofs together, and fasten on each other with their teeth; the victorious party carrying off several mares.
"In the spring come the wolves, being very fond of young foals; so they constantly prowl round the herds, never attacking them by day if they are numerous; but come at night, and if they are scattered, they make a rush upon their victims. The stallions, however, charge at them; and they take flight only, however, to return and secure a straggling foal, to whose rescue the mother comes, and herself perishes. When this is found out, a terrible battle ensues; the foals are placed in the centre, the mares encircle them, charging thewolves in front; tearing them with their teeth, and trampling them with their fore-feet, always using the latter, and not the hind feet; the stallions rush about, and often kill a wolf with one blow; they then pick up the body with their teeth, and throw it to the mares, who trample upon it till its original form is utterly destroyed. If eight or ten hungry wolves should pull down a stallion, the whole herd will revenge him, and almost always destroy the wolves; who, however, generally try to avoid these great battles, and chase a mare or foal separated from the rest, creep up to them, imitating a watchdog, and wagging their tails, spring at the throat of the mare; and then the foal is carried off. Even this will not always succeed, and if the mare give alarm, the wolf is pursued by herd and keeper, and his only chance of escape is to throw himself head-foremost down the steep sides of a ravine.
"The horses suffer more from thirst in summer than from famine in winter; the heat is intolerable, there is no shade, and each horse tries to protect itself by its neighbour's body. In the autumn the owners of the herd call them in to thresh corn; the turf is removed, the ground beaten till it is very hard, and a railing placed round it; the corn is spread, and five hundred horses at a time are driven into the enclosure; they are terrified by the crackling straw and the noise of the whip over their heads,and the more frantic they are the sooner is the corn threshed."
The attachment of Arabs to their horses, the extreme beauty of these animals, which form part of the family, and are sometimes more precious to their owners than wives or children, have become proverbial. They are managed by kindness; and nothing can exceed the indignation of the owners when they behold any attempt to manage a horse of any kind by means of the whip. It is the Arabian which, imported through Spain, or direct to England, has produced so much improvement in the European stock. An Arab mare of pure descent, had, by means of the Moors, found her way to the north western coast of Africa, where she was purchased by an English officer. At first I was a little disappointed in her appearance, for she was thin; but as her foal became independent of her, and learned to eat, she recovered her condition, and I was never tired of looking at her. To all who delight in admiring wild, unrestrained action, there could not be a much greater treat than to have the gates of the Government-House spur closed, and turn her and her child loose into it, while we stood upon the veranda to watch them. At no time did she ever walk; but went every where with a light, dancing step. And on these occasions the frolics, the gestures, were past all description; standing at one corner, her fore feet stretchedout, she would appear to wait for the pretty little son who trotted up to her; when, in a moment, almost so as to elude sight, she would bound completely over him, and take her stand at another corner; then back again, and round and round, till it seemed to me that all the tricks taught by Ducrow, the waltzing and quadrilling excepted, must have been suggested by watching the movements of wild horses. A curious adventure happened to that little foal, which is worthy of record. A year or two after this, the groom took him to the river to wash his legs, and as he turned to come out again, a crocodile bit him; he struggled for a moment and fell; this frightened the crocodile away, and the poor young horse was dragged from the water's edge; the formidable teeth of the reptile had nearly separated the foot from the leg, and it hung by one tendon. There seemed to be no alternative but to shoot him; however, a native suggested to his owner, that there was a famous Moorish doctor then in the place, and if any one could cure the horse, he could; at any rate it was worth the trial: the man came, was very quiet, did not promise anything, but united the parts, bandaged them together, had the patient fastened down in the position in which he chose him to lie, and after some weeks of careful tending, the animal was restored to his master even without blemish. It was only by passing the hand along the partswhich had been severed, that the scar could be detected; and he was afterwards sold for a handsome sum.
M. de Lamartine tells an interesting story of an Arab chief and his horse, which is highly characteristic. They, and the tribe to which they belonged, attacked a caravan in the night, and were returning with their plunder, when some horsemen, belonging to the Pasha of Acre, surrounded them, killed several, and bound the rest with cords. Among the latter was the chief, Abou el Marek, who was carried to Acre, and, bound hand and foot, laid at the entrance of their tent during the night. The pain of his wounds kept him awake, and he heard his own horse neigh, who was picketed at a little distance from him. Wishing to caress him, perhaps for the last time, he dragged himself up to him, and said—"Poor friend! what will you do among the Turks? You will be shut up under the roof of a Khan, with the horses of a Pasha or an Aga; no longer will the women and children of the tent bring you barley, camel's milk, or dhourra, in the hollow of their hands; no longer will you gallop free as the wind in the desert; no longer will you cleave the waters with your breast, and lave your sides, as pure as the foam from your lips. If I am to be a slave, at least you may go free. Return to our tent, tell my wife that Abou el Marek will return no more; but put your headstill into the folds of the tent, and lick the hands of my beloved children." With these words, as his hands were tied, the chief, with his teeth, undid the fetters which held the courser bound, and set him at liberty; but the noble animal, on recovering his freedom, instead of galloping away to the desert, bent his head over his master, and seeing him in fetters, and on the ground, took his clothes gently between his teeth, lifted him up and set off at full speed towards home. Without resting he made straight for the distant, but well-known tent in the mountains of Arabia. He arrived there in safety, laid his master down at the feet of his wife and children, and immediately dropped down dead with fatigue. The whole tribe mourned him, the poets celebrated his fidelity; and his name is still constantly in the mouths of the Arabs of Jericho.
The Arabs have five noble races, among which that of Kohlan is the most celebrated for its beauty, temper, courage, memory, and almost human intelligence.
The value which the Arabs themselves set upon their horses may, perhaps, be exemplified, when I say, that the before-mentioned mare (Cora) had been brought to the coast in some secret manner; and as soon as it transpired where she was, a comparatively insignificant Sultan of the interior, sent to offer goods for her to the value of three hundred pounds. When her master left Africa, he sold her to ageneral officer, and I never heard what became of her after that. The following is ashortpedigree of one of these valuable creatures:—"In the name of God, the merciful! The cause of the present writing is, that we witness that the grey horse Derrish, of Mahomet Bey, is of the first breed of Nedgdee horses, whose mother is the grey mare, Hadha the famous, and whose father is the bay horse, Dabrouge, of the horses of the tribe Benihaled. We testify on our conscience and fortune, that he is the breed concerning which the prophet said, 'the true runners, when they run, strike fire; they grant prosperity until the day of judgment.' We have testified what is known, and God knows who are true witnesses." Six signatures verified this pedigree.
I had marked out a selection of quotations as proofs of the high qualities of the noble horse; but I must now be as brief as possible, and not profit too much by the interesting labours of others. I therefore continue my own observations. When staying on the borders of the river Gambia, I saw two of the native horses which belonged to the stud of the Commandant there; they had been brought from the interior, and taken from a wild herd; but they were totally unlike the races hitherto described. The mare, of a reddish brown, had been some time domesticated, and was docile and well behaved; neither of them possessingsufficient character to be referred to the Barb, the Dongola, or the Nubian breeds. They were undersized, and not handsome; the male, who had not been long from his native forests, was the best looking; carried his head well, was strongly and compactly made, especially about the shoulders, and there was much fire about the head, which, however, was far from handsome; his legs were slender and well-shaped. The peculiar circumstances in which I was placed, rendered it necessary that I should, for the sake of health, take horse-exercise. There was nothing which could carry me except this little grey horse; for I could not persuade those around me to let me mount Cora, because they said she had so hard a mouth: so a side-saddle was put on, and a man with a skirt tried the grey once or twice; he was tolerably quiet, and without much disturbance, he went pretty well for a few weeks; the only trouble being to get upon his back. He, however, had one great peculiarity, which manifested itself rather awkwardly, when a party of us started to go to a distance. He could not endure strangers, and would not suffer any of his own kind to approach him who did not live in the same stable as himself. This was great affectation in a horse just wild from the woods, but so it was; the instant my companions approached me, he made a bolt, his heels went into the air, and it was in vain to resist his fancy. We returned the next day, andwhile fording a creek, which we had crossed in a canoe the day before, one of our party forgot my horse's peculiarity and came up to me; he darted fairly out to sea, and not till he found himself off his legs was he frightened; fortunately alarm made him tractable, and I easily turned his head and landed in safety. Wishing however, to punish him, I galloped him home, four miles through loose sand, which was over his fetlocks; far, however, from being subdued, when I had dismounted and went to pat his check, he tried to bite me.
The beauty and excellence of English horses, taken as a whole, have been acknowledged to surpass those of the rest of the world; their speed, their enormous leaps, their long journeys, their strength, have been frequent themes of admiration; and I regret that I cannot fill more pages, with the histories that are recorded of them; but there are many excellent books on that subject alone, which may be read with great advantage; and I pass on to a very clever hunter, called Nannie, who belonged to my father, and who performed a feat, thought, in my childhood, to be unique, but which I have of late seen mentioned in the papers, as accomplished by other horses. In those days, gentlemen seldom retired from the dinner table, without being at least elated; and, on an occasion of this sort, my father, by way of summing up his favourite's wonderful abilities, said, "he was sureshe would, at his bidding, jump over the supper table," which was then set out for about twenty persons. Being an only daughter, I was often allowed to exceed the hours at which children are usually sent to bed; and I was therefore present during the whole scene. Doubts were expressed, bets were laid, the parties became excited; and Nannie was ordered from her stable, bridled and saddled, as if for her master's riding. She was led into the room; the gentlemen were all assembled, the table was glittering with lights, glass, and silver; the room was also brilliant; and at first, Nannie was a little surprised. The chairs were set on each side of the room; but, as the seats were pushed under, they only added to the height; my father mounted, and said, "Over, Nannie": the docile creature poised herself on her hind legs, stretched out her neck, as if to measure the distance, and cleared the whole; the only ill effect arising from which, was, that the marks of her hoofs were left in the carpet. This clever mare constantly opened the door of her stable, and went to warm herself at the fire in the harness-room; but her affection for her master had more than once preserved his life. On one occasion, it is supposed, he had slipped off her, and been unable to get on again; when, overcome with sleep, he folded his arms, rested them against her side, and laying his head upon them, remained there in a sound slumber.It was presumed they had been in this posture a long time; and, had she moved, his life would probably have been endangered by the fall, for they were close to a steep declivity. On another occasion she came home, neighed at the door of the dwelling, and did not offer to go to the stable; the family were aroused, servants rose, she trotted back, and stood by her master, who was lying senseless by the side of the road. They must have fallen together, as on his chest was the mark of one of her feet, probably made in getting up again. He was only stunned, and in a few days recovered from his fall, while she was more than ever loved. She was a chestnut mare, with a white star; and very like her, was another, called Peggy, which, from having belonged especially to our mother, we, as children, claimed as ours also; and I have always, when recollecting her, been able to picture to myself the intimacy between horses and human beings in an Arab family. We crawled over her, we seated ourselves upon her without bridle or saddle, we clung to her neck when she had no room for us on her back, and we sat upon her as she herself lay in her stall. When she was ill, we administered the medicine, almost quarreling as to who should take the gruel to her; when she heard our voices, whatever pain she was in, she saluted us with a neigh; she was patient under every infliction, accommodated herself to every fancy, and, with herprudence and good temper, was often instrumental to our safety. Although she had been a hunter, and was a lady's horse, she went well in harness, and used to run in a curricle, with all the fiery spirits whom my father chose to drive; and we must have been dashed to pieces more than once, but for her steadiness and forbearance. At last, we were obliged to part with her; that is, we were going to live where we could not keep her; and a friend took her into his park, where she was to remain free all the rest of her life. Five years after, I was sitting at an open window, in the neighbourhood of the metropolis, and a sound met my ear. "If ever I heard Peggy's step," I exclaimed, "that is it; she is now coming along the road." I was disbelieved; but in one minute after, the still beautiful creature, though thirty-three years old, was at the gate: we rushed to her; we called her; she answered us; she danced about; she rubbed her face against ours; she looked for the same caresses, the same niceties which she used to get from us—and half an hour quickly passed in mutual caresses. The gentleman in whose park she had been living, had found her so fresh, that he had ridden her by easy journeys, to London, and during his few days' visit, sent her to see us—she lived two years after that, and died of old age, without a struggle.