Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-04-02

consequence IL Is easier 10 nn0 udfcS
of class above the average. For example.
great numbers of ordinary stations are
offered TO the foreign seeker. or stations or
beautiful conformation. but blemished. In
one way or another, so that they will not
do TO make sires Of"
"Blemished?'
Yes. In spite of all that you have heard
OF the love of the Arab for his steed. the
orientals are excessively hard on their
animals. and / can affirm that such as ar
rive to be six years old without being used
up, blemished or deformed by the Excess
sive service to which they are forced. are
animals that must be regarded as abso-
lutely good On cur return to Beyrouth
from Damascus we had the luck to buy up
such one, the beautiful bay stallion
Habibi. of the tribe of Terki. his father
and mother both being of the Manak-lbili
race. On the local race courses he had
given proof of such wonderful endurance
five races in two days, under crushing
weights These handicaps had been put
en- him as q result of his successes all
through the region and as Car as Egypt,
so that he had become so penallzed that
his race-track career was finished. SO We
profited by 1t to acquire superb animal
of wonderful endurance"
IF you had gone up into the hills or the
wild. open country. could you not have
found more typical animals for safer
From Beyrouth We moved In our own
caravan north. skirting the Akkar noun
tains. 1t was rough camping out. Cross
ing the El-Akrad mountains we came down
to the ancient Antioch and in all the pain
full trip we bought Just one mare, El Nina.
bay, of the tribe of Torkan. IL is true
we examined and rejected a great number"
''why?"
Fell Below the Mark.
often on account of their lacking in
height At Sheik Ayash we We're offered
our pick from the stations belonging to
many influential persons. None were per-
feet enough to be purchased as typical
sires for the French government Haras.
Where this would be perfect in line.
he would lack in height, or vice versa;
and those coming up to both these require
ments proved to be otherwise blem;shed.
At Antioch we bought two stations the
bay Chakir of the race of Memeghi re-
markable for the beauty of his launches and
the strength of his four legs. and Antakeyh
lines"
Yet you had special facilities" I said
Yes, here is an example. From Antioch
we went to Aleppo. where We had the
tive cooperation of General Ali Mousim
Pacha, military governor of the province
He went to pains to have a great number of
specimens presented to the mission. both
stations and mares. Yet We did not pur-
chase a single animal at Aleppo."
But there must have been some typical
creatures shown to you. under such aus
pices.'
Result of the Mission.
Yes, half dozen at least; but they were
all too old to be imported into France for
sires. At Marraah we bought from the
Sheikh Nourhis Pacha a young bay stallion
having perfectly the stamp of his race
and of the excellent family of Abayan
Chras. In the valley of the Oronte the tribe
of the Benz Kaled possesses some fine ant
mails. From these we bought a pretty
chestnut mare. of good size and great force
and distinction. We baptized her Apamee.
To our camp at Kaleet Sedjar and again at
Hama numbers of beautiful animals were
brought us. but Ii was again the story of
too old, or blemished or crippled by bad
usage. In desperation we bought the bay
stallion Serakim. of the Seklaoui Djedran
race, very regular in the ensemble of his
muscles. but rather short At HONS we
bought handsome bay mare of the Abay-
an AbougrayS race. named Farideh. This
mare possesses all the characteristics of
the high-bred Arab, including stamina and
endurance. BY the time we had returned
to Beyrouth We had bought three more stall
lions; the black Ain Solar of the Seklaoui
Djedran race; the gray Titan of the Man
CHI race and the splendid bay Sidon of the
tribe of Hauran of the pure race of Meme
CHI. Then returned to France-with
twelve stations and five mares to show for
our mission"
"An perfect?'
"All up to a certain standard in every
category of points These animals are
destined to correct and bring back to the
ready possessed by the French government
Haras."
ITO breed pure-blood Arabs for the
army
New Blood Needed.
mo. What the army service wants is
what We call the race of the south of
France which has made such splendid
progress during the past fifteen years. But
this race, in order to preserve Its qualities
of endurance and hardness. has need to
be re-tempered. so to speak. Otherwise
there is danger of its being too much flned
down by too repeated crossings with the
English thoroughbred. Hence there must
be recourse to the pure-blood Arab"
Il understand. The government Haras
service has to keep such pure-blood Arabs
at the service of the horse raisers of the
south of France"
Yes. this in particular But. as l have
already told you. the pure-blood Arab HIM
self. is the product of his environment.
There Is no longer any question that. how
ever beautiful they may be. pure-blood
Arabs born and raised in France have a
tendency to become less hardy and pos
sessed OF less endurance than the best types
or the race at home"
ITO avoid the degeneracy of civilization
1 said.
To avoid the over-refinement of civiliza-
tiOn." corrected the French government
veterinary. STERLING HELLO.