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that Arabian blood was used by Cyrus for that purpose, and that the Arabian then first became the means of establishing the reputation of the Persian horse, as very many centuries later he made that of the English. In the reign of Neriglissar, King of Babylon, who succeeded Evil-Merodach, and preceded Nabonadius or Belshazzar, there was war between the Babylonians and Persians; Neriglissar was at the head of 20,000 cavalry, with infantry in proportion, and had numerous contingents from other powers. Among these it is mentioned in history that Marogdas the Arabian conducted 10,000 horse. Neriglissar and his allies were totally defeated by Cyrus. It is probable the conqueror was struck with the horses of the Arab contingent, and some, besides, may have fallen into his hands. Arabia may have supplied Babylon also with horses, although doubtless degeneracy had taken place, owing to the use of chariots; and about eighteen years later, when Cyrus besieged and took Babylon, he would have the opportunity of passing them over into Persia, besides, perhaps, of opening some communication with the Arabs.

What was the occupation or calling of Jonadab, the son of Rechab (the son of the rider), who was not of the children of Israel, and how came he to be the friend of Jehu? It is possible and quite consistent to presume he was the medium in those days of horses being passed from Arabia into Palestine, as they are at the present day into India. In other words, it is very likely Jonadab was the merchant of the day who provided Arab horses

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for Joram's Court and the officers of his army. who more likely than such an one to be the friend and welcomed companion of the fierce and impetuous Jehu, who rode after Ahab, and was well known for his furious driving? The father of Rechab may have performed like services for King Solomon. The Rechabites were Midianites, descended from Abraham and Keturah, and some imagine from that family of Midianites whose forefather was Hohab, brother-in-law to Moses, and dwelt among the Israelites; but in the time of Jeremiah, as the house of the Rechabites went up to Jerusalem only from fear of the army of the Chaldeans, and as they were forbidden to live in houses, to plant, or sow, they evidently were to some extent nomads. Be that as it may, they were Midianites, and these were very early associated and fused with the Ishmaelites, also descended from Abraham, who were intermingled with the ancient Arabians of Ketanic race. That the Midianites were mingled with the Ishmaelites is gathered from the facts mentioned in Genesis. The merchants trading with Egypt in the days of Jacob, and to whom his brethren sold Joseph for twenty pieces of silver, are sometimes described as Midianites, and at others Ishmaelites; although in those days associated, and to some extent one people, it is possible the Ishmaelites were more addicted to wandering and predatory habits, and the Midianites to trading. The former being the first to be associated with the Arabs might have opportunities of acquiring Arab horses; and their kinsmen, the Midianites, being traders, passed them off into

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Egypt; which is not at all an improbable means of the horse being taken into Egypt. If the Ishmaelites, in any of the predatory raids, captured horses, they might be glad of such a ready market for them as Egypt. I don't want to insist upon this view, but the Midianite merchants evidently were in the habit of trading with Egypt before the horse is first mentioned. Whether the horse was taken from Arabia into Egypt or originally taken there by Mizraim, it is a country in which the horse would degenerate, and become of larger and heavier build; thus more adapted for harness and chariot work, and another reason why King Solomon should obtain horses from Egypt besides the easy access and his peculiar affinity for that country. The Hebrews had two different words for the horse, one to denote the chariot, the other the riding horse; the former horse was much heavier and larger.

APPENDIX TO THE FIRST CHAPTER.

The causes of degeneracy among horses in other countries than ArabiaThe external changes which would ensue-The Arabian still a distinct breed-Additional reason why Arabia was the habitat of the horse.

WHETHER it be supposed or admitted that there were other breeds, or, rather, that the horse was domesticated by several families of mankind about the same time, or whether the horse immediately found his way into Arabia after the Flood, and from thence the race was distributed over the earth, it may be well to show causes that may have produced degeneracy.

The following appear to be some of the most probable :

Making the horse an animal for draught, using him as a beast of burthen; neglect and the effect of neglect, more especially in cold, damp, and uncongenial climates; and by intermixture of alien species such as the ass and quagga.

Of all nations, the Arabs alone seem to have kept the horse for the purpose for which he was doubtless intended-for riding, not as a beast of draught; other ancient nations used him for harness as well as for saddle. The use of chariots was very general. If we now consider a horse used for draught as spoiled for the saddle, what would be the consequence in a few generations if he were exclusively used for harness work? Would there not be naturally a gradual alteration of structure? Would not his action become materially changed? Undoubtedly great modification would take place; he would become heavier and more upright in the shoulders, would lose his natural easy and graceful carriage, his active and light step, his springiness and elasticity. Again, taken into districts and countries uncongenial to him, uncared for and neglected, a change would very soon take place. If in low, damp, but fat lands, where there was no lack of food, he would soon assume a large, heavy, and bulky frame; but with a loss of vigour, courage, fibre, muscle, density of bone, and compactness of frame, assuming more the characteristic of the fatted ox. If uncared for and starved in damp and cold climates, he would assume a small, wasted, and ill-shaped form. In a cold, but dry climate—such as the highlands of Central Asia and steppes of Russiaallowed to run wild and uncared for, he would become small and often ill-formed, but would retain much of his

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original spirit and endurance, with density of bone, and much wire and soundness of constitution.

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But chief among the causes of decay would be the intermixture of species, as in breeding mules: 'Thou shalt not let thy cattle gender with a diverse kind' (Leviticus, 19th chapter, 19th verse). For a mare which has once produced a mule cannot again produce a horse-the offspring would invariably partake more or less of the strange breeds. An instance is cited in Blaine's Rural Sports.' A thorough-bred mare that had bred to a quagga, subsequently breeding to a horse, the offspring took after the quagga. Experience has taught me that if a mare which has produced a mule has produce afterwards by a horse, the stock always possesses asinine properties, in form, by elongated ears, a heavy head, stripes about the legs and body, contracted feet, and is more or less asinine in temper and character. What else but destruction to the race would be the result if mares who had bred mules, and their afterprogeny by horses, were allowed to breed to horses? The striped animals we even now sometimes see are thus easily accounted for.

But the Arabian horse is still a distinct breed, without any sign of degeneracy or of admixture; he is certainly one by himself, nor have any been able to breed up to such a state of perfection or to attain to so perfect a model. I defy any one to point out any feature in the Arabian horse that may have been derived from other breeds, whereas you can trace Arabian blood almost in every breed of horses, and detect his features in a greater or less degree in every kind of horse of breeding, and

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