Elizabeth-Town gazette. [volume] (Elizabeth-Town, N.J.) 1818-1821, 1819-11-16
WILD HORSES or TIE WEST.

what men (yainly) cali humanity"
WILD HORSES OF THE WEST.
The Horse of the Columbia River
will rank with the finest oil bis species in
the known world. His size is fifteen or
sixteen hands, even in state Of nature,
unprorided with food or shelter by the
hands OF man: His form exhibits much
bone anL muscle, but not the mass Of flesh
which is found on the fat European horse.
His limbs are clean and slender; the neck
arci,esi aud raising; the iioofs round and
hard; and the nostrils vide and thin. He
is equally distinguished for speed and bot
tom. He runs rapidly, and for a long
time; rivailing, in this respect, all that
We have heard of the English hunting
horses. In other respects-in the dociljty
OF his nature, 10 his capacity to sustain
hunger and hardship, 10 his powers to
provide food for himself and his master,
be is wholly unriyaIled. He is readily
trained to the business of his masters life,
that of bunting, and pursues the game with
all the keenness of dog, and with equal
sagacity and more success. He will run
down the deer 10 the prairies, with or
without his master on bis back, and when
overtaken, will hold it with his teeth.
When rode after game he needs no guiding
OF the bride to direct him. He viii
pursue drove Of buffaloes, aud, coming
up with them, will stop one by biting him
with his teeth. The animal bitten, imme-
diately wheels TO defend himself with bis
horn; the horse at the same instant avoids
it; and at this moment, when the side Of
the buffalo is presented, the Indian lets
fly 40 arrow, which often passes entirely
through his body. The wounded animal
always turns ont Of the drove 10 lay down
and die. Tie horse and his rider pursues
the gang to make fresh slaughter. An-
other horse trained to second part Of the
game. with other Indians, takes The trail
Of the wounded buffalo, which is butcher
ed aud carried into camp. These things
seem incredible; but we have them upon
the authority of Lewis and Clarke, and
great number Of traders who have been
upon the Columbia river since the time
of their discovery,
The capacity Of this horse to susiaisi.
fatigue, and 10 provide food for himself is
equally astonishing. lie is gailoped all
day, sometimes 80 or go miles 10 the
space of ten or twelve hours, and is then
left to shift for himself during the night.
10 the spring, summer and autumn, he
finds no difficulty; the short aud sweet
,..aee IS shot ~o,,ntnx1 u;Eos ks,, an rh,,y,
dant and nutritious repast. 10 the winter,
and towards the mountains, where the
SHOW 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 wherewiih of moss
and grass to sustain his life. On the bor-
ders of creeks and rivers be feeds on the
boughs of willows, and other soft wood
which his master has sometimes the kind-
less to fell for him with Ratchet.
This fine animal is found on the banks
Of the Columbia, in latitude 46, 10 the
great plain which lies on the borders of
his river, between the upper and lower
range of mountains, His origin is traced
to Mexico, thence to Spain, thence 10
North of Africa, where the Arabian barb
is found in all the perfection of his spec
cies. His fine form, his generous spirit,
and his noble qualities, are preserved from
the Columbia river; and certainly ii is
worthy the experiment to endeavour to
transplant him iu,o other parts of the
United States. Many citizens have at
tempted to do so; but have been robbed
by the Indians of the Rocky mountains.
Lewis and Clarke procured 10, said by
Gov. Clarke to be the most beautiful col
lection Of horses that he has ever seen
together before or since; but the whole
number was 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 hoped, that the mill
itary establishment forming on the Upper
Missouri, will facilitate the attempts which
will no doubt be renewed to introduce this
fiue breed into the settled parts Of our
continent. Louis Enquirer.
Nauery--No man is greater slave than
he who thinks himself, and is thought by
others TO be great man. He has scarce
a moment on which the public has not a
claim. in which something is not due to
etiquette, ia order to sustain his dignity,
and keep up his rank in society; or in
which he is not in some shape or other
real drudge to his own grandeur.
We should estimate the blessedness 81
our lives. not by the degree of sel!-en-
ioyment which has fallen TO our lot, but
ny our usefulness TO our fellow creatures,
aud preparedness for better existence.