admirable system was observed even from the earliest times. Nor was it preserved merely by traditionary instructions, handed down from one generation to another. There are many Arabic treatises still extant on the breeding, management, and diseases of the horse. Several are mentioned by Casiri, in his Bibliotheca Arabico-Hispanica, and by D'Herbelot, in the Bibliotheque Orientale. An Arabic treatise on the Veterinary art was written by Ben Beithar (the veterinary), in the year of the Hegira 646 (A. D. 1252). A second, whose title is Kamel al Sanatein, was written in the year of the Hegira 678 (A.D. 1283). It is of considerable interest in a history of the turf, inasmuch as it contains an account of the relative qualities of the horses produced at that period, not only in Arabia, but in all the other countries which had obtained any celebrity. Of the several provinces of Arabia, he reports the horses of Hejaz as the noblest; those of Naged the most secure; and of Yemen as the most enduring and patient of fatigue. The Syrian horses were celebrated for the glossy velvet of their coat; while Mesopotamia was remarkable for the size and symmetry of its breed. In Africa, Egypt produced the most active, Bareal the wildest and most intractable, and Barbary was celebrated, as it is still, for the purity of its blood. In the true spirit of an orthodox despiser of the Christian "dogs," he condemns, without distinction, all the horses of Europe, as having too much body, and too little spirit.* How much has the character been modified since

that time!

I will not attempt to trace the narrative through the long series of Mahometan princes who have figured in Oriental history. But there are some, whose names the reader, even upon other and less professional ground, will not object to hear. As early as the seventh century the fame of the Arabian was known over Europe; and a fact is recorded of the celebrated Hatem Thai- I am afraid to give his full name, Aban Adi Hatem Ben Abdallah Ben Sâad al Thai-which will shew the estimation in which they were held. Hatem lived in the sixty-eighth year of the Hegira (A. D. 688). He was a prince of unexampled benevolence and generosity; and, in a year of great famine, expended all his property, and even killed his camels and horses for the support of the poor. Among his numerous stud there was one so distinguished that his fame had reached the Emperor of the East, who sent an embassy for the sole purpose of trying to procure this noble animal. The ambassadors arrived at the very time when the famine had reached its height, and when all provisions were utterly exhausted. The hospitality of Hatem overcame his natural affection for his noble courser; and, when, on the following day, the ambassadors declared the object of their mission, it was discovered, when too late, that their too generous entertainer had sacrificed the invaluable horse to do honour to his guests. The tale is in the true Oriental spirit, and, most probably, is the germ of one of the most beautiful romances in the early Italian literature which Mr. Roscoe has introduced into his collection of Italian novelists.

Some of the kalifs maintained studs beyond anything which a modern imagination can conceive. Malek Shah, the Selgincide, had

no less than 40,000 horses* for his own body guard, and for the uses of the chase and of the turf. But, enormous as this may appear, it is as nothing compared with the stud of Kalif Motassem, who lived Hegira 227 (A.D. 843). With a taste, in which some of his successors coincided, he admitted none but dappled or pie-bald horses into his stalls. Yet his collection, unexampled, perhaps, in the annals of equestrianism, amounted to 130,000!

Nor was it for the purposes of the chase and the turf alone, that the noble horses of Arabia were prized. The Arabs have ever been a hardy and warlike people; and their steeds, from the remotest times, were trained to all the duties, and inured to the fatigues of the field. In the seventh century we find even the women, like the Amazons of old, periling their persons on horseback, in the famous battle of the banks of the Yerank.† In the twelfth century the Arabian horse had been introduced into the cavalry of foreign nations. The Persians were mountedupon Arabian horses in the reign of Manuel Comnenus + (A. D. 1143).

It will not, I should suppose, be expected that, in a sketch, like the present, I should go into the history of the Tartar race, which, even in the later days of the Roman empire, had acquired considerable character, especially for its powers of endurance in the chase. There was a notion abroad, among the Romans, that this hardy people literally lived on horseback-eating, drinking, even sleeping, upon their saddles. I need not suggest Hudibras's account of their mode of cooking, which was also performed on horseback.

I must defer, for a separate chapter, the History of the Turf, if such it can properly be called, in the West, during the same period. We shall see that the Eastern blood was early introduced among us; and it is scarcely possible, even with this knowledge before us, to conceive the extent to which it has been modified, or, rather, totally merged in the new and happy combination.

"Sic tempora verte

Cernimus, atque illas assumere colora gentis
Concedere has."

PLAN OF ASCOT HEATH.

In accordance with the statement in our last Number, we this month present the patrons of the SPORTING REVIEW with the plan of another of the principal race-courses of Great Britain. That such obvious conveniences as maps of this description should not have been long since published, seems strange in these days of enterprise that it should have been the good fortune of the proprietors of this work to originate them, they esteem a source of much gratification.

* D'Herbelot, p. 316. † Gibbon, iii. 466.

Nicetas Choniatus, vi. 14.

294

SIR,

THE VINE HOUNDS.

To the Editor of the Sporting Review.

A look into the Vine kennel has been to me a high treat; in fact, one of the greatest that my peregrination has afforded me during the lapse of time I usually set apart for visiting the different great hunting establishments of the day. The kennel is situated at Overton, in Hampshire, in one of the worst countries in England for hounds to signalize themselves in; but their feats of last season raised them to a station bearing comparison with the crack packs of the best hunting districts in the kingdom; and I felt extremely anxious to see the style of hound chosen to hunt such a country with so much success. It is many years since I rode over any line of their hunt; but, after no short sojourn in the neighbourhood of one of the celebrated meets, and worn grey in my services as an admirer of the "noble science," I did, with little trouble, determine that it must be hard work for man, horse, and hound, to do the thing in any style of excellence. The country is divided between high land, with bad scent, and low land, with strong thick covers. If we examine these hounds, we find their form and size to be near the mark required for such a country, possessing two such extremes in character. It is a common thing, in describing hounds, to confound the terms height and size; speaking of a hound, he is described as a fine animal, pretty nearly twenty-five inches high, without giving you the least idea as to whether he is strong or weedy. One term has nothing to do with the other. These hounds do not exceed twenty-two inches and a half, but they possess bone, substance, and appearance, such as might mislead the most critical judge as to their height; they fill the eye up to a standard of, at least, twenty-four inches: this at once proves that their proportion is correct in symmetry and elegance. Their legs and feet are as near perfection as may be seen in any kennel; their colour, generally speaking, is fine, almost black, with rich, tan faces; and their skins, independent of condition, shew them to be high-bred animals. I am told they go a tremendous pace over the open country, and that they carry a capital head in running: this I can believe, for they are so much of one stamp, or one family, that I have no difficulty in making up my mind to this excellence in them. Last season they signalized themselves, and proved that they could go the pace and use their noses when wanted. I have not the pleasure of Mr. Fellowes' acquaintance, but sure I am he has a just conception of the animal best suited for this country. This property should always be the aim of a gentleman filling so important a situation as the master of a pack of foxhounds. I remember them in the time of their excellent master, Mr. Chute, who hunted this country, for many years, in the true spirit of an English gentleman. It is needless to say what they were then, but if Mr. Chute could now look into the kennel, and see the progeny of his old friends and favourites, he would be gratified to know that his own wishes had been attained in the growth and the look of the present Vine foxhound. S. R.