CHAPTER XXXI.

THE HORSE, THE CAMEL, OR DROMEDARY,

AND THE ASS.

DEFINITIONS.

Transport, to carry from one place to another.

Articles, things.

Burden, a load, a crop.

Humane, kind, merciful.

Humanity, mercy.

The nature of man

Barbarous, rude, cruel, savage.

Anxious, very careful.

Promote, to help forward, to increase.

Tent, a kind of house, made of cloth and stakes, which can easily be removed from one place to another. Foal, a young colt.

Practise, to do commonly.

THE HORSE.

THE horse, the camel, and the ass are all used in various countries for the purpose of transporting heavy articles, and are therefore called beasts of burden.

The horse is one of the noblest and most useful of all creatures. He is called by different names, according to the use, for which he is kept. One that is used for drawing carts and other heavy things, is called a draught horse; one that is used for running, or for hunting the fox, or the deer, is called a còurser; and a stěed, is a horse that is used for war, or for kings and other great men to ride on.

In some parts of the world, horses run wild, and are found in herds of several hundreds together. They run very fast, and defend themselves from other animals, either by biting, kicking, or striking with their forefeet.

Many of the race-horses in England have run a mile, in less than two minutes; and some have tròtted a mile in about three minutes.

The most beautiful horses in the world, it is said, are found in Arabia. Some of these have been sold for several thousand dollars apiece.

There is a great difference in our horses both in size and beauty, both in strength and fleetness. On a journey, they ought not in general to be driven more than five or six miles in an hour, and not so far, unless the road is good, the weather cool, the burden light, and the animals themselves healthy, strong, and well-fed.

Many of our people might learn a lesson of humanity from the barbarous Arabians. So anxious are they to promote the comfort of their horses, that they are said to take no less care of their health than they do of their own.'

"The Arabian and his horse occupy one tent; and husband, and wife, mare, foal, and children, are frequently seen stretched upon the ground together. Cruelty and severity are never practised; for an Arabian treats his horse as if he were a friend, and

never uses either whip or spur, but in cases of absolute need.'

We do not indeed wish to see horses sleeping in our bed-rooms, or standing in the same circle with our children, at the fire side; but we do desire to see them treated with kindnéss, for their own sakes, and from regard to their CREATOR.

DEFINITIONS.

Apartment, a room, a separate place.

Desert, a place where nothing lives, or nothing grows. Kneel, to stand on the knees.

Shrub, a bush.

Succession, a number of things following one another.

THE camel is from six to seven feet high, and carries his head eight or nine feet from

the ground. He is much used by the Arabs, and the inhabitants of other sandy countries.

In one apartment of his stomach he carries a large quantity of water, with which he can wet his mouth, whenever he needs it; and, with this advantage, he can travel for eight or ten days together in the deserts of Aràbia, where there is nothing but sand; no water, no grass, no trèes, and not even a rock, to afford a cooling shade for an hour.

Sometimes the owners of camels, when ready to die of thirst themselves, have killed and cut open their beasts, and found gallons of clear water to drink.

The camel, at the command of his master, kneels down to receive his burden. Though he lives on the meanest herbs and shrubs, and is often in want of thèse, he carries on his back the weight of five hundred pounds or more, for many days in succession; and will bear for a short distance twelve or fifteen hundred pounds. In those dreadful sands, he travels about two or three miles an hour.

DEFINITIONS.

Origin, beginning, fountain.

Originally, at first.

Domestic, belonging to a house, living in, or about a house.

Domesticate, to tame, to make domestic.

THE ass has a general resemblance to the horse, but is not so tall, nor so lòng, nor in any respect so handsomely formed. His tail is more like that of a cow; his head larger and clumsy, and his ears two or three times as large, as those of the horse.

The ass, it is supposed, was originally wild as he now is in many countries, in which he is swift and fierce. When domesticated, he does not travel fast, but is very patient in bearing burdens.

CHAPTER XXXII.

DEFINITIONS.

Impede, to hinder, to stop.

Flight, the act of flying, or running.
Hound, a kind of dog for hunting.
Consequent, following, for that reason.
Consequently, therefore.

Valuable, worth a great deal.