Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1891-09-11
they Never Leave Their Native Land-The
Horse "a Member of an Arabs Family.
The Famous Omar 1.-The Pedigree Is
SacredIy Guarded by the Tribe.

nrely different ana with distinctive marks
Those most highly priced, most rare and
valuable, are the Nedijer and the Osman.
The other three-the Abdalla, Dakir and
Mohammed-although of blood pure,
and as impossible to obtain by purchase
have not the same matches beauty"
But were not the horses presented TO
General Grant by the sultan thoroughbred
Arabs?'
Certainly not. They were only the COM
mon Levantine horses, snowy and stylish,
strong and with fine points, but they were
not thoroug5reds, as the sultan has never
had a pure thoroughbred Arab in his sta
bles."
as this fact generally known and be
lievedH'
1T is of course we'll known in Europe
among such horsemen as study the differ
ent breeds and have seen the true Arab i'll
its native land. These fine breeds which |
have mentioned are considered so precious
that every precaution is taken, not only by
the owners, but by the whole tribe, TO pre-
vent their sale or loss by intrigue, and the
Ara b tribes, with all their peculiar creeds
of hospitality, have never arrived at that
state of civilization which could induce
them to give away such treasures"
THE FAMOUS OMAR /
of an owner should be tempted by an
enormous price to part with mare or stall
lion-there are no geldings-he would be
put to death by his tribe, while the man
who had the temerity to seek such a pur-
chase must do so at the risk of his life.
The famous Omar |, who now belongs to
the empress of Austria, the finest horse
woman in Europe travelled three days and
nights over the hot and barren plains of
the Arabian desert with but two quarts of
har pvf food and a SinDal INF of
the Sahara clover. Only twice was there
water found for him to drink. Fleet as a
birC, be ran, seemingly unconscious of his
bur len. and arrived at the wall before
Cairo apparently as fresh as when he start
ed The two Sluhgi, enormous gray
hounds called antelope catchers, which
were IA part of Omars outfit and always
travelled with him. We're tagging miles be
hind, footsore and weary: but Omar
neiGhed cheerfully, encouraging them to
approach, and promising To them rest and
refreshment in his sympathetic whin-
MES"
Twill you describe him2"
His skin was black, and shone through
fire glossy coat OF silver gray hair; his
mare full and long, and his tail, which
swept the ground, was pink. About fifteen
hands high, in form the most beautiful
that can be imagined in any four footed
animal lac was feet as the wind. graceful
as the antelope, trained to every agile
NOV emeut, and with an endurance incon-
ceiv4ble. In disposition ia Iltless-kind,
gentle, caressiug and obedteut-he had
never known whip or spur, or even a harsh
word, giving always the best he knew"
Does he still live;"
He was alive when last | heard, and is
now about forty years old and in his prime,
: D, 81.
as a man"
STORY OF THEIR PEDIGREE.
DO they make good war horses
''ln battle their extraordinary evOlutions
rem nd one of the gyratory movements of
of the swallow when it flies. They turn
and wheel with such rapidity that it is
impossible to get shot at them, and if
they run nothing can catch them, their
wonderful wisdom and cunning leading
them and their riders out of difficulties the
most serious"
Where are they found?"
'Iu Mecca, Medina. Palestine and the
Persian gulf are found the Nedijar and Os-
man. They have the AhdaIla race in the
Atlas mountains as well as between AT
ghanistan and the Persian mountains
where also live the Mohammed and Dakir
breeds. These horses descended as heir
lOOulS from IdJHtT 10 son, ana no posses
sion is so precious as these exquisite ami
| mails. Their pedigree is carefully pre-
served with that of the family's own. and
| Their names descend as do those of the gen
erat ons of kings. Sometimes many or all
| the members of a tribe will be each a part
| shaTer i'll horse, and this horse is left by
| will to a successor. One cannot sell his
share without permission from the rest, be
he ever so much in need, and it must be an
unusual circumstance, indeed, which could
gain such permission"
Doubtless their pedigree dates a long
way back"
81 he legend regarding them, which is
said to be a true one, is this: During the
| reign of Mohammed be sent his grand
vizier with his army in the hope of con
| quering China. For five years they trav-
| eled over mountain aud valley through
| forest and cesert, climbing rocky preci-
pices to descend on the other side into the
rivers and streams. Unparalleled hard
| ships befell them on their long journey
thither, and were not lightened on their
return, inasmuch as every horse died on
| the road except five beautiful mares. From
| these and the Dzigguetai pronounced
Gigati) are descended the five rare breeds
SO closely guarded by the Arab tribes.
1.-The Dzigguetai are the wild Arabian
stall ons of the desert, outmatching and
outwitting the wary and cunning Arab in
his various devices to approach them, never
| letting him get nearer than half a mile.
| After exhausting every other artifice, the
Arabs have lain concealed in the desert by
| being buried in the sand for days and
nights, with the fruitless hope of securing
them by throwing their lasso at long
range. But these untamed and untamable
Great ures, with their intelligent instinct.
scented danger from afar, and kept their
| half mile distance between themselves and
| their would be captors.
"In this dilemma it occurred to the far
| seeing Arabian that this race could at
| least be perpetuated and improved by ar
ranging some equine marriages. Picket
| ing The five beautiful mares near their
| Hunting grounds, they were offered as
| brides to the DZigguetai and accepted.
The result gave everything most valued in
tl,sal wall ma nh hkar "