out of the ling like a fox; which they resemble, not only in their wildness, but in the length and shape of their tails. Drafts from such kennels as hunt the Mendip hills, the north of Yorkshire, or the hills between Wales and Shropshire, should be regarded with a jealous eye. It is not much to be wondered at that hounds hunting some of the above-named districts should acquire vice and wildness. A friend of mine, who was in the habit of hunting some years ago with a pack that had been kept for a length of time, not above a hundred miles from Ludlow, informed me that it frequently happened that, when the hounds ran to the hills, and the men's horses were, from distress, unable to get to them to stop them, when night closed in, the pack were left to their own resources to kill the fox or leave him, just as they liked; and it very frequently happened that the majority of the hounds did not reach their kennel until the next morning. The most remarkable thing was, however, that they invariably returned with their bellies full, having had, without doubt, a plentiful repast of mountain mutton. (To be continued.) THE HORSE OF THE CAPE OF GOOD HOPE. BY F. R. SURTEES, ESQ. Montgomery Martin, in that part of his history of the British colonies which treats of the Cape of Good Hope, has the following observation respecting its horses :-"The Cape horse is not generally large, but it is extremely hardy. I have ridden one upwards of twenty miles without ever going out of a canter-the usual pace of the animal." A much fuller account of the Cape horse might have been given than this, and certainly something far more interesting. In its breed, in its shape, in its colour, and in its temper, the horse of the Cape is very different from the English horse of any kind. A century ago, possibly the difference was greater even than it now is; but, since the time when Lord Charles Somerset was governor of the colony, the old Arab blood has been more mixed with English than it was previously; and, now that the best of English blood is being yearly imported there, it may be expected that in time the peculiarities of the Cape horse will dwindle away, and, as has been the case with Englishmen, as well as with English horses, from an admixture of blood, something excellent in its nature will be at length obtained. At the time of the capture of the Cape, in 1806, the breed of horses there was probably a cross between the barb of North Africa and the Arab: the latter must have been introduced by the Dutch East India Company, but as to the time of introduction of the former there is nowhere any record; still there can be no doubt that the Cape horse was in many respects Barb-bred. In many points he yet resembles the horse of Spain, which partakes of an African origin, and in no respect does he more approximate him than in his paces-the amble and the easy canter are in both alike. It was during the adminis tration of Lord Charles Somerset as governor that the English horse was first imported to any extent; and, owing to the interest which that excellent sportsman took in the matter, much good has been the result, not only in the immediate improvement of blood, but also in the general interest that was then created on the subject, and has never since subsided. During last May, Middleham, the winner of the Liverpool St. Leger in 1840, arrived at Cape Town; and where could be found better blood, or stouter, than that of Muley Moloch? The roan-or skimmel, as it is termed at the Cape-was a colour scarcely, if at all, known before the days of Lord Charles. It is now very common, and whether the blue or red, it is supposed to be the healthiest and hardiest colour for horses. The skimmel-or Lord Charles's colour, as it is also called-is usually attended with black legs, and the hue (if such a term is allowable) is generally extremely vivid; but, as every why has its wherefore, and every beauty some drawback, so is this colour either sure to be accompanied with ragged hips or clumsy head, or in some way a want of symmetry. Another singular colour to be met with at the Cape is the flea-bitten bay, or bay with white spots, which are in most cases on the quarters; but what is especially curious respecting this is, that all horses possessing it are natives of the same place. The flea-bitten bay is known as the bay of the Burg river. It is in shape and make, or, what is termed the good points of a horse, that the Cape horse is so far inferior to the English. Such a thing as good fore-legs are very rarely seen in the colony; yet this might easily be amended were more care taken of the horse when young. A most detestable practice is in vogue at that time of his life, of tying one of his legs and his head tolerably close together, to prevent escape from the large tracts of pasture in which he feeds: the consequence of this is that, when first taken up for use, he is crippled in his fore-legs, and to the end of his days will be a stumbler. To add to this defect before, the probability is, he has a heavy, straight shoulder--nothing is more common amongst all, even the best, Cape horses. The principal imperfection of those animals is, without doubt, their fore-legs: a good-thighed horse may often be met with; but a long arm, with a short, good leg, rarely. A flat, open foot, too, is a thing unfrequent; yet foot-lameness is not common unless from thrushes; and these are engendered by the shameful way in which the horse is neglected when young, and the marshy state of the pasture during the rainy seasons. In the distant parts of the settlement, and amongst the farmers, who are the principal breeders, such a thing as a horse-shoe is seldom used; but in the vicinity of Cape Town this is not the case-the horse is shod there as elsewhere, and not unfrequently he is shod all round. Of the diseases and unsoundnesses which the Cape horse is subject to, the writer of this lately gained much information from Capt. an officer of the 7th Dragoon Guards, who preceded his regiment to the Cape to purchase their regimental horses. No one could have been more indefatigable than this gentleman in his duties, and when the price to which lie was limited (£26) is considered, no one could have been more successful. For some weeks he scoured the country for horses far and near; he had, therefore, many opportunities of picking up many useful hints, and improving them by his own observation. A species of glanders, he learnt, is, and has been, very prevalent; but, as an epidemic, it is nothing now to what it has been. A few years back, several thousand horses fell victims to its ravages; these have been partially stopped, but the disease has not been eradicated. Such a thing as a spavined horse he never once saw, but curbs often; and yet-will it be believed?-the removal of such things by the iron is unknown: and as to firing, if it has been ever heard of by the farmer, it has assuredly never been attempted. Such a thing as a pied horse is not to be met with in the colony. But great is the want of veterinary knowledge, ay, even the smallest scintilla; and most lamentable is the ignorance of everything connected with the modern treatment of the horse as it is in England. Capt. had an opportunity of visiting many-and, indeed, the best-racing establishments which are about the country; and even there he pronounced the state of things as melancholy backward. An importation of grooms and stable-boys into the colony is a very great desideratum. The temper of the Cape horse is its great recommendation it is rarely vicious, and this is best proved by the fact of geldings being unfrequently used, as compared with the number of entire horses. Now, as in the days of chivalry was the practice in Europe, mares are kept for the stud, and no one thinks of riding a marc. As, too, in those good "auld days lang syne," the amble is a common pace; that and the canter are the best paces of the Cape steed-the latter is particularly easy, yet it is not so graceful to an English eye as the canter of the English horse; the step is shorter and the pace is more shuffling; but, were the animal properly broken, his paces of course might be greatly improved. Although the English groom would have much to teach the Hottentot, yet the former would be much surprised if he saw a team driven by the latter. When the word team is used, a team of six and even eight in hand, as well as four, is intended. The ribbons are tolerably handled, but it is in the use of his whip that the Hottentot coachman is mainly a proficient with a whip-handle of a long bamboo, sans the pliant top that in a good whip is so serviceable, will a Cape Jehu completely manage his foremost leaders, and avoiding uneven ruts, drive over extremely bad roads with great adroitness. The writer of this had a good specimen shortly after his arrival at the Cape, early in the past year. Upon H.M.S. which had conveyed him and his family from England, arriving at Simon's Bay-a distance of twenty-three miles from Cape Town-he wrote to the latter place for a conveyance, and on the following day a commodious vehicle arrived. This was a large landau, drawn by six horses and driven by a Hottentot, who was 66 For riding, the Cape horseman commonly uses what is called a shambók," which is a long strip of rhinoceros-skin, tapering gradually from a thickish handle to a fine point at the other end: it is calculated, from its pliancy, to punish very severely. accompanied by a fellow-footman. On the driver's head was a Cape hat of platted rush, resembling in its shape a funnel "Upon his head a platted hive of straw, That fortified his visage from the sun;" Whilst on John's "pow" was the more humble covering of a red cotton handkerchief bound tightly over the brows. The road from Simon's Bay is one particularly interesting. After leaving the little town of the same name, it winds for some way over the sands by the sea, and then again at the foot of high rocks that beetle over the road; whilst at other times it passes over beautiful plains, abounding in the rich protea, the wild geranium, and the erica. In many parts of the journey the sands were crossed so near to the sea, that the waves broke under the horses' feet, and passed some distance on the other side of them and the carriage-wheels; yet still the driver calculated everything to a nicety. In many parts of the road were considerable holes or unbroken stones; yet, nevertheless, the place of destination was reached in safety, with every reason to be delighted with the beauties of the journey, and without any to be dissatisfied at the skill evinced by the driver. LINES TO THE MEMORY OF GEORGE TEMPLER, Esq., of SANDFORD Orleigh, DEVON; WHO DIED DEC. 12, 1843, AGed 60. BY MERLIN. And he is gone-is gone! It was his knell: that, too, has passed away! Its dreary tones in echoes waked that day, It passed-how faintly heard! --- It came the heart of manhood then was wrung: No more. Yet, oh! the darkling shadow flung And old, how sorrow-sealed!-how hushed the tongue! Oh, never be it steeled, By stoic pride, to soft humanities! Hallowing henceforth the field, The forest, and the moor, with memories From the loved hearth of home, From proud procession, and from festal hall- Of learning, and from churchman's sculptured stall- Farewell to him, farewell! The bland, the brave, the bountiful, the bold- Tells how his gallant heart is still and cold: Farewell! It is his grave His of an ancient name, a gentle race; Worthiest to wear, with courtesy and grace. Farewell! Remembrances, Wave upon wave, were surging o'er the breast; Calmed that unfathomed ocean-tide to rest. And they have turned away. Blessing and blest Was friendship such as theirs, whose sighs attest TEMPLER! a long farewell! From Sandford Orleigh's hall they went, that turned, On scenes by wan December's sun discerned. Yet shall be heard the sigh Of Devon's mountain winds fitfully o'er With silvery strings responsive, evermore Dirge-like shall sound. Farewell! the friend of yorc. They felt as human, yet as christians bore, That thou shouldst die! January, 1844. |