The Wichita daily eagle., 1891-09-30


Mohammed-aIthough of blood as pure
Ind as impossible to obtain by purchase
have not the same matehless beauty"
"But were not the horses presented to
General Grant by the sultan thoroughbred
| Arabse"
Certainly not. They were only the COM
mon Levantine horses, snowy and stylish,
strong and with fine points, but they were
not thorougbreds, as the sultan has never
had pure thoroughbred Arab in his sta
bles."
SIS this fact generally known and be-
| heved?'
"It is of course well known in Europe
tmong such horsemen as study the differ
ent breeds and have seen the true Arab in
It's native land. These fine breeds which I
have mentioned are considered 80 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
Arab tribes, with all their peculiar creeds
pf hospitality, have never arrived at that
state of civilization which could induce
shem 10 give away such treasures"
THE FAMOUS OMAR ].
eff 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 temerfty to seek such a pur-
.hase must do 80 at the risk of his life.
"The famous Omar l, 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
barley for food and an occasional tuft of
The Sahara clover. Only twice was there
water found for him to drink. Fleet as
bird, he ran, seemingly unconscious Of his
burden, and arrived at the wall before
Cairo apparently as fresh as when he start
ID. The two Sluhgi, enormous gray
hounds called antelope catchers, which
we're part of Omar's outfit and always
travelled with him. were 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"
"Will you describe himg"
ellis skin was black, and shone through
fine glossy coat of silver gray hair; his
name full and long, and hfs tail, which
swept the ground, was pink. About fifteen
hands high, in form the most beautiful
shat can be imagined In any four footed
animal, he was feet as the wind, graceful
rs the antelope, trained to every agile
movement, and with an endurance incon-
eeivable In disposition faultless-kind,
gentle, caressing and obedient-he had
never known whip or spur, or even harsh
word, giving always the best he knew"
"Does he still Iive9'
"He was alive when last / heard, and Is
now about forty years old and in his prime,
rs the Arab horses are almost as longlived
IS a man"
STORY OF THEIR PEDIGREE.
"Do they make good war horses?"
'In battle their extraordinary evolutions
remind 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 a 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?"
"In Mecca, Medina, Palestine and the
Persian gulf are found the Nedijar and Os-
man. They have the Abdalla race in the
Atlas mountains as well as between AT
Shanistan and the Persian mountains,
where also live the Mohammed and Dakir
breeds. These horses descended as heir
ooms from father to son, and no posses
Iion is so precious as these exquisite ami
mails. Their pedigree is carefully pre-
served with that of the family's own, and
heir names descend as do those of the gen
.rations of kings Sometimes many or all
he members of a tribe will be each part
harer in a horse, and this horse is left by
will to successor. One cannot sell his
share without permission from the rest, be
le ever so much in need, and it must be an
unusual circumstance, indeed, which could /
gain such permission"
Doubtless their pedigree dates long
way back"
''The legend regarding them, which is
aid to be a true one, is this: During the |
eign of Mohammed he sent his grand |
'izier with his army in the hope of con- |
Iuering China. Fer five years they trav-
led over mountain and valley, through (
crest and desert, climbing rocky preci- i
ices to descend on the other side into the /
iVers and streams Unparalleled hard
hips befell them on their long journey 1
hither, and were not lightened on their |
eturn, inasmueh as every horse died on
he road except Eve beautiful mares. From
hese and the Dzigguetai pronounced
iigatD are descended the Ave rare breeds
o closely guarded by the Arab tribes.
"The Dzigguetai are the wild Arabian
tallions of the desert, outmatching and
utwitting the wary and cunning Arab IN
is various devices to approach them, never
citing him get nearer than hall mile.
After exhausting every other artifice, tbs
ArRbs have lain concealed in the desert by
eing buried in the sand for days and
lights, with the fruitless hope Of securing
hem by throwing their lasso at long
ange But these untamed and untamabie
with their intelligent instinct.
1ented danger from afAr, and kept their
Elf mile distance between themselves and
heir would be captors.
In this dilemma it occurred to the far
ssing Arabian that :his RAGS could az
,ast be perpetuated and improved BY ar
angling some equine marriages. Picket
" the five beautiful mares near their
uniting grounds, they were offered as
l. l1tr and arraDfed I