The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1875-08-19

Il
he midst of adversely, made; its impression
lpon us and cheered us not liStle. A
lively town bearing the. unique name
,f "Strayhorns did cot fail to sug.
rest moraiziug that was not disagree.
bile to the morales nor prtjudicial to
North Carolina. 'dorns astray would only
how that the North Carolinians could not
pare time to ipIbibe all the means of cheer
With which DAture had blessed their labors,
,or could TIE generous stranger permit that
% oe lost Which they could not spare time to
II North Carolina does not flour.
sh 1t viii not be for the want of the most
sincere orisons 10 her behalf, which If not
specimens of model piety were sanctifed un.
questionably by their sincerity. ss
At Raleigh we paused long enough tu
" wood and water" seeing but little of the
ral rural villages TO Goidsboro', where we
dined and where we were joined by Colonel
HUMPHREYS, the pre- esident of the Atlantic and
North Carolina railroad, which runs from
Goldsboro' ola Newbern to Morehead
City. He is unquestionably one of the most
practical and far.seeing public men of North
Carolina. He resides at Goldsboro'. 10
the matter of the public interests of the
State, and in really practical manner, he will
make his mark !; and my word for it should his
views prevail his State will profit by them IN
manner even he does not fully appreciate.
He travelled with us to Morehead City, from
which we were transported on one OF the
excellent yachts of the place to Beaufort,
where we rested after day OF very delight
ful travel. Twenty-Five miles from More
head City We passed by the venerable
town of Newberp, noted for its placid
temper and generous public character. 1t
was the place of residence of the late Judge
CASTOR, perhaps the ablest man North Caro-
lima has ever produced.
THE PoSY-PEENIEG. ......
The next day was divided between fishing
and pony -pennipg. The season for fishing
is the dulest. The blue fish are appearing,
but they do not "come in battalion" until
the 1st of October. Still, there is plenty of
fish for local Wants-iudeed, super
abundance. At an early hour of the
morning those who favored pony.pen-
ming took sail for Shackleford's Island,
where the scene with the "bank ponies Z"
was 10 take place. The locality was not far
from Cape Lookout light, twelve miles from
Beaufort. The pen for capturing. and brand
ing, and selling is called the Diamond pen.
The island is twenty-five miles long by from
quarter to three miles wide. The growth
Is of stunted liye-oak, cedar, pine, and Va.
riety of shrubbery. The marshes are exten.
sve, and we'll supplied with marsh.grass,
upon which the ponies live. They have no
shelter save the stuuted growth and the sand
bills Of the island, and no feed whatever
save the native grass and some Of the leaves
and buds Of the island. which one could
hardly suppose sufficiently nutritious to sup.
port life; yet these ponies live on their island
home the year round, and appear to prosper.
They Craze often in water that covers their
food, and they bite it from the bottom with
their heads immersed. They get water to
drink by paving the sand near the sea, and
drinking the water that rises in the hollows
they make with their feet. l understand
that the water thus brought to the surface is
fresh, and that the pony shows wonderful lr-
sliuct in paving exactly where such wafer
will spring spontaneously upward as soon
as the little basin is made. ....sr
These ponies have inhabited the island
from time immemorlal, and are supposed to
be descendants from The stock which the
Spaniards brought TO Florida. They are not
handsomely formed like the Shetland ponies.
They are little larger than the Shetlands,
and are hardy to degree above the horses
that are raised in civil way. They are not
symmetrical. Their heads are generally over
large, necks small but ungraceful; their
headquarters what are styled cat-hams,' -
and their step cowlike though very firm.
Their faces are their comeliest part. Their
eyes are gentle and their features show kind.
ness and docilty. They become very affec'
tionate. and nave seldom any bad habits.
plo;r &c ff, Ott
their lad, whether it be live or not, against
a house, or fence, or q tree. Their colors
are not much varied generally Lay or sor-
rel. though sometimes we have black and
gray.
The owners of these ponies are the inhab.
itauts of the island or of the mainland near
the sea. They generally follow the sailor's
or fsherman's life. They are stout and
sturdy men. They have stated periods for
penning the ponies, when 1.-THE little devils "
are caught, branded, altered, and sold. They
sell for from $40 10 $50 each at three years
old. The owners will only sell few mares,
those being kept for breeding.
During the war the northern people con-
6scated the animals belonging to those who
joined the South, and made fearful inroad
upon the number Of the stock. 1t Is only
now that they are regaiDiug somewhat OF
their former numbers and condition. The
stock is being improved By keeping the best
and selling the more inferior animals. un-
derstand that the improvement made Is very
decided.
To-day there were only some two hun.
dred captured, while at times the number
has reached upwards Of six hundred at a
penniug. The pen, asit Is called, is made by
forming two lines Of pine trees, cut and LAID
in lines approaching one another. until sort
of throat or opening to pen IS formeo.
Through this opening the animals are driven
by strong force of men, and the opening IS
closed behind them. The very stout and
skilful men employed for the occasion enter
the pen, and seizing the little colts lock their
arms around their Decks, and soon nave
them thrown TO be branded. There is no
lassooing, the little fellows being SO small
that it is not deemed necessary.
Hundreds of people visit the pennlnS.
Those who 60 TO buy ponies examine tnem
closely, and buy such as they select II they
can agree with the sold salts " who own
them. They have to exercise great deal OF
" horse.k knowledge in making choice; Tor
the ponies are US unganly as could be mag
ined. Nature provides them with ample
clothing for their bard lives, and their hair
sometimes grows to the length of six or
eight inches. They, however, improve rap.
idly when ouce broken and taught how to
eat civilized food "a process in which they
sometimes die, 80 hard is it to change their
habits. They will not cat anything but
marsE-grass until they are Induced to eat
from starvation.
The scene was interesting, but hot aud
glaring with white sand and sunshine. These
ponies took quite fancy tc. They are not
tit for heavy work; but for endurance and
to,,ohnesa thew excel other horses. With