The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1858-09-12
THE ARABIAN HORSEs


Inferes ling Account of the GeneaIogy OF Arab
Horses by Abd-eI-Ixndir.
We take from the Moniteur de rArmfe the fol.
lowing letter from Enir Abd-el Kadir, in reply to
one from General Daumas, directed to him, asking
Information concerning the genealogy of the horses
of Sahara or at least that which is attributed to
them by the Arabs:-
A thousand praises to the only God
To Him who always remains unaierable in the
midst Of the revolutions OF this world.
TO our friend General baunas, health and mercy,
and the blessing Of God be with you, "a the author
of this letter wishes IT, his mother, his sons, the
mother Of these, az many persons as compose this
family, and all their friends and companions.
have read your questions, and ] direct unto you
my replies.
You ask of me information concerning the origin
of Arabian horses, and yon find me as assure of
the earth dried by the sun, and which the rain can
not satisfy by the abundance which falls upon II.
Nevertheless, TO satisfy, If it Is possible, your
thirst upon this subject, proceed nov TO remount
Know, then, that it Is thing admitted among US
that God created the horse with the wind, as Adam
with the earth.
This is indisputable and many prophets thealth
20 them) have proclaimed the tolowing:-
When God wished To create the horse, He said TO
the south wind, II wish 70 form a creature out Of
tbee-be thou condensed and the wind was con-
densed.
a
handful of that matter, aud presented II to God, who
formed OF II a light brown or sorrel eolored horse,
koummia cred mixed with black, saying
"Ihave called thee horse (fsrdss)s-1 have created
thee an Arab, aud ! nave given thee the color
kounmiia; have bound fortune upon the name which
falls over thine eyes; thou shalt be the lord sd OF
all other animals; men shall follow thee whtherso
ever thou goest; good for the pursuit "a for the
fiight-thou shalt fly without wings; riches shall re-
pose in thy lcins, aud wealth shall be made by Thy
intexccsSion.'
Afterwards he marked IL with the sign Of glory
and Of happiness. gha>a "a star shining In the mid
die Of the forehead).
Do you wish now 70 know IT God crelted the
horse before man, or man before the horse? Heirk.
en-.
God created the horse before man, and the proof
is that man being the superior creature, God ought
80 have prepared for hlm whatever was necessary
before lie caused him TO appear upon the earth.
I" The wisdom OF God mlnifes,s that He has
created whatsoever exists upon the face Of the
earth, for Adam and hi- posterity.'
Behold testimony:--
When God had created Adam, he called him by
his name. and said to hint
Elect between the horse and bordkfN
Adam replied" TIE most beautiful Of the two
Is tie horses" and God responded
well. thou hast chosen thy glory and the glory
Of thy sons: while they exis. my blessing shall be
with them, because | have not created anything
that can be more dear TO me than man and the
horse
believe the proof of this TO be that the male is
noble than the female, and besides, more vigorous
and enduring. Even when the two may be Of one
species the l. more impassonats than the other;
and 10 il the custom OF the Divinity To create that
which Is strongest first. That which the horse de.
sires most Is the combat and the race; for this rea
son II II preferable for war; because II IL iceter and
more Injured TO fatigue than the mare; and because
Il partakes Of all the feelings Of hate and ten
derness Of It's rider. The same thing does not happen
in the case OF the mare. Suppose a horse and
mare with similar wounds such as ought 70 produce
DEATH the horse will resist until II conducts It's mas
ter ont Of the field Of battle; the mare, ON the con-
trarv will fall nj the moment on the same spot IN
which II was wounded. There y no doubt whatever
a. TO thia for IL il fact demonstrated by the Arabs
have frequently witnessed these cases in our COM
bats, and have myself experiencedr u.
Admitting this, we pass 20 another thing. Did
God create the Arab horses before foreign ones der
radine). or these before the Arabs
AZ consequence Of my first reasoning, all must
believe that he created primarily the Arab hsrses,
inasmuch as they are incontestbly the most noble.
On the other hand, the brradines are nothing but
species Of genus. and the Almighty has never ere
ated the species before the genus.
And. well-whence proceed the Arab horses OF the
present day.
Many historians relate that from the time of Adam
the horse, az all other amin Alsthe gazelle, the
trioh, the buffalo, and the ass--nas lived in .
wild state. According to those. the first person that
after Adam, mounted the horse was Issnaae the Ca
Abraham the beloved OF ODD. God laugh,
him TO call the horses, and when he did 50
they all assembled unto him. he possessed himself OF
the most beautiful and the most fierce and he tanned
them.
But later, many Of these horses tanned and en-
pleyed by IshmaeI lost their purity with time
Only one race was carefully preserved In all ia no.
beness by Solomon the son Of David, and II Is that
which Il calci Sad 81 rateb (he gilt of the rder).
10 which all the Arab horses Of epoch owe their
origin.
II IL believed That some Arabs Of The tribe OF
Azed went TO the noble Je-u-aiem to congratulate
solomon on his marriage with the Queen Of Shebh
Their mission being ended, they addressed unto him
these w0fds:--
ooh, prophet " Cod Our country i very dis
sani, our provisions exhausted; although th1u arr
great King, give unto ms sufficient that we may re
turn ~ the bosom 0t our family
Solomon caused . magnificent cllt 81 tde race Ot
ishmaci to We taken from his stables, ana Pc dis
missCd them, saying