The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1864-02-27
Written for the Free Trader.
THE HORSE.

/ The uadon,est,cdted Horse-H.s ,atirs count,,,
moi posit,Cely knoien-Nor the time thu, h.,
| becans man seyuGnt
The native country Of the horse cannot
with certainty be told lie has been feusa
varying IN size, in form, and in utility In ALI
the temperate in most of the sutry. and
IN maHy OF the northern regions of the
Old Wsrld
Ia the sacred velume, which, besides its
higher claims to stand at the head Of the
farmers library, contains the oldest au
thentie record Of past transactions, we are
told that. SO early a. 1850 year. bef.rs
the birth Of Christ, the horso had been
domestcated by the Esyptians When
Joseph carried his father. remains from
Egypt 10 Canaan, there went up with him
both chariots and horseuen. One hum
dred and fifty year. afterwards the horse
constituted the principal strength Of the
Egyptian army. Pharaoh, in pursuing the
lsreaites, appears TO hav. had many horses
and chsriots IL we could believe the un.
insrired historian, Sesostris .(the monarch,
probably whom Joseph served) had 1900
cbariets Of war; and Semi"ani., the foun
der of Babylon, had 10000 chariots ard
100000 horsemen but hi. was probslv
great exsggera,ion.
Fifty years after the expulsion of the
Isrealites from Egypt, and 1850 years be-
fore the birth Of Christ. the horse was 50
TAR natura!Ized in Greece tnst the OLYMPIC
games were instituted, including chario.
and horse races. We hsye therefore suf~
hcsnt ev o-nce that the horse was at 8
very early period sutjugsted TO the do
inIaien Of man and unfortunately for the
worst of purpeses-the business OF war.
From the records of the Oh; Test.Ien.
We are likewise enabled 10 a.certais The
precise period Of time when, in Egypt, IN
Canaan and tho nsigheerins countries,
this animal began to be domesrcated
1870 Years before the birth cf Christ
when Abraham. having left Haran ia ebe-
diencs to the d!viEe c,mmar /. WAS driven
into Egypt by tho famine which re- ycd IN
Canaan. Pharaoh ofirrea him sheep and
oxen and asses and sanl-ls Horses
would have doubtless been a.ided had
ihsy then exi,ted. OF mad they then been
subSuea IN Eeypt When, fifty years af-
terward-. Atraban iauineycd to Mount
MoTiah to offer up his only SOP he rode
upon an ass, which, with all his wealth
and po~er, he would lcsiy nave Gcne
had the hcrse been known. Thirty vears
later, when Jacob returned 10 Isaac with
Rachel and Leah, All account Is given Of
the nunher of oxen. sheep, cameis, goats.
and asses. which he sent to appeass the
wrath Of EAU, but not one horse is Tncr-
tened. IL was not until ~ years after
this nhsn the famine devastated Canaan
and Jacob sent int. Egypt 10 buy corn,
that horses. are first heard of Wagons,
(probab!y carriages irawn By horses, were
sent by Joseph into Canaan TO BRING his
father 10 Egypt it would seem, however,
that horses had been but lately intredue-
ed, and were not numerous, or not used
as beasts of burden, for the whole OF the
corn which was TO be conveyed some hun
dred miles, and '7as 70 afford subsistence
fe- Jacobs large household, was carried on
asses
1t appears, then, that about l740 years
before Christ, horses were first used IN
Egypt Bus they soon afterwards became
so numerous As to form a considerable part
of the Egyptias army, and when the lsra-
slites returndeG into Canaan, the horse had
been na.uralizsd and introduced there, for
the CanaanItes went out TO fight isrea!
" with horses and chariots very many.
The sacred volume therefore, clears up
a poih; upon which no other record
throws any ligh.,-nanely. the period
when the horse first became the servant
OF man, at least in one part Of the world,
ard that the most advanced IN civilization
and that before Greece was eeopled, long
time must have elapsed before man was
able te.a ertain the value tri :hs peculiar
use Of the animals that surrounded b i'm.
He would begin with the more subordi>
ilate-those which were the most easily
caught and most readily sutdued, and the
benefits that he derived from their laborS
would induce him to attempt the conquest
Of superior Quadrupe,Is In accordance
with this, the writings Of Moses shsw US
that, after the OK, the sheep, the goat,
man subdued the asa, and then the cam
el, and last of all the horse became his
servant; and no sooner was he subued and
his strength and docility and sagacity APP
preciated, than the others were compare.
lively discarded, exceptin Palestine where
the use Of the horse was forbidden by di.
vine command, ard on..extens,ve and bar
ren deserts, where he could not live
Faom Egypt the use Of the horse was pro
paga,ed to other and distant lands, and
probably the horse himself first transmits
ted frem Egypt to several countries. The
Greeks affirm that Neptune struck the
earth with hi. trident and horse appear
ed. The truth is, that the Thessalonians,
the first and most expert of the Grecian
horsemen, and likewise the inhabitants OF
ARGOS Il Athens were colonized from Egypt.
The Bible iik ew Use decides another point,
that Arabia, by whose breed OF horses
those of other countries have been so
much improved, was not the native place
OF the horse. 600 years after the time
Just referred to, Arabia had no horses.
Solomon imported spices, gold and silver
from Arabia, but all the horses for his own
cavalry and chariots, and those with which
he supplied Pboencian monarchs, he pro-,
cured from Egypt.
In the seventh century after Christ,
when Mahomet attacked the Koreishnoor
Mecca, he had but two horses in his whole
| amy; and at the close Of his murderous
campaign, although he drove of $4,000
camels and 10000 sheep, and carried
away 1000 ounces of silver, not one horse
apr ears in the list of plunder
There is curious record OF the COM
| mercs of different countries at the close
OF the second century. Among the art. :.
cles exported from Egypt to Arabia, and
particularly a. presents to reigning mon
archs, were horses -.
In the fourth century, 200 CappadosIaH
horses were sent by the Roman Emperor
| a the most acceptable present ne could
4 offer . powerful prince Of ARABIA So
hate as the seventh century, the Arabs bad
INT few horses, and those of littlA value,
These circumstances sufficiently prove that
however, superior, may be tho presant
breed, it is comparatively lately that the