Alexandria gazette & daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1817-1822, 1819-11-05

Dlt'tIs US iIGu NV ubSdl!S vi NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
it from any other.
THE HORSE OF THE COLUMBIA r,
YER, will rank with the finest Of his sua
ries in the known world. His size i
fifteen or sixteen hands. even in a ststo
of nature. unprovided with food or sheI
ter by the bands of man. His form ey,
hibits much bone and muscle, but not
the mass Of flesh which i, found on tbs
fat European horse. His limbs ARE
clean anu slender ; the neck arched and
risi,.g ; The ho"fs round and hard: and
the nostriis wide and thin-Hfs is eor.I
Iy distinguished for speed and bottom
He runs rapidly, and for a long time.
rivallmg in this respect all we have
beard Of the English hunting horses
in other respects, in the dociIity of his
nature. in his capacity to sustain hum.
ger and hardship, in his powers to pro.
vide food for himself and his master.
he is wholly and unrivsllcd. He il
readily trained 10 the business of HE
masters life, that of bunting, and mr.,
sues the game with all the keenness If
the dog and with equal sagacity and
more success He will run down tbe
deer IN the p~rairies with or without his
master Oh his back, and when o,erta.
ken will hold it with his teeth. v hen
rode after game he needs no guiding Of
the bride t. direct him. He will pur.
sue a drove of buffaloes, and coming IN
with them. will stop cne by biting him
wit, his teeth. The animal bitten i'm.
medialeiy wheels to defend himself with
his horn ; the horse wheels at the same
instant to avoid il and al this moment
when the side of the buffaloe is present.
ed, the Indian lets fly All arrow which
often passes entirely through his body.
The wounded animal always turns out
If the drove to lay down and die: the
horse and his rider pursues the gang to
make fresh slaughter. Another Nurse
trained to a second part of the game,
with other Indians, take the trail Of the
wounded bufaloe, which is butchpred
and carried into camp--Tbese things
seem incredible ; but We have them upon
the authority Of Lewis and Clark, and
a great number of traders who have
been upon the Columbian river since
the time of their discovery ; some Of
whom are now in this town,
The capacity Of this horse TO sustain
fatigue, aad to provide food for himself,
is equally astonishing. He is g~alIoped
all day, sometimes eighty or ninety
miles in the space often or twelve hours,
and is then left to shift for himself du.
ring the night. In the spring, summer
and autumn he finds no difficulty. The
short and sweet grass of that country
gives him an abundant and nutritious
rcpast. In the winter, and towards the
mountains, where the snow is several
feet deep, his unerring instinct tells him
where to search he scrapes away the
snow with his hoof till he comes to the
ground, and roofing there with his nose
finds wherewith of moss and grass to
sustain his life. On the borders Of
creeks and rivers he feeds on the boughs
of willows, and other soft wood which
his master has sometimes the kindness
to fall for him with a Ratchet.
This fine animal is foundo on the banks
of the Columbia, in latitude 46, in the
great plain which lies on the borders Of
this river between the upper ard lower
range of mountains. His origin is ira
Ced 70 Mexico thence to Spain; thence
to the north Of Africa. where the Ara.
bian barb is found in al the perfection
of his species. His fine form, his gtne.
rous spirit. and lis NOBLE qualities are
preserved upon the Columbia river; and
certainly It Is worthy the experiment %
erdcavor 10 transplant hisl into other
parts of the United States. Many Cit. 5
zens have attempted to do 81, but have I
always been robbed by the Indians Of
the Rncky Mountains. Lewis and
Clark procured seventy three. said by
Governor Clark to BE- the most beautl. .
ful collection of horses tIat he has ever
seen together before or since; but the
aknIc number vas stolen from them by
Indians who followed their trail and
never ceased their operations until they
had carried of the last. 1t is to be hO- !
ped that the military establishment,
forming on the upper Missouri will IA