The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1914-07-07

expedition to make what ne 1oHuIy
hoped to be a permanent settlement
on Roanoke Island. he cOunselled his
man Of affairs to take as part t
a number of Eye little Bar
barry horses, which be exceeding hardy
and can endure much These horses
came from the northern coast Of
| Africt. along the Mediterranean, then
and to this day known as the Barbary
coast.
From Across the Seas.
The ponies were brought over, the
| ~coionists used them during the brief
period of the colony's life. and then
when the end of it came, through
battle. murder and sudden DEATH"
no doubt. the little horses had their
will and roamed at pleasure, for the
ndian knew nothing about such ami
mails. And SO as the Spanish horses
Of the CO~nquistadOres gave to the
great plains of the southW-1 the
horses Of today. did the little herd
sent over by Raleigh beget the Bank
er ponies as they are popularity
known. which are now to be found
along the North Carolina coast and
which are much used in the interior,
where under better conditions as to
food and quarters they thrive and
do well.
These ponies are found north, or
rather eastward to speak tr ly, OF
Beaufort inlet. South Of it they are
scarce and further down the beach
there are none. The plan Of catching
them in pens" or corralS is very Did
and yet it a never failing attraction to
visitors. These annual affairs are
known as "LOny pennings." The most
southerly of all the pens is one a few
miles from Beaufort, known as the
diamond PEN Not man. miles IF
there is another, almost abreast of
L; - vi ~ Vln I'll -:
along or the beach, which is the main
range of the ponies, though as stated
the less wi ones often swim to the
mainland.
The Pennings.
The pens are made of rough timber
frequently gathered from old wrecks
or the each. They are square, with
a wild entrance which can be closed
by timbers, and into them the ponies
are driven by two gangs of men, sol. {
on horseback and others on foot who
start before daylight, the gangs facing
each other. extending from the shore
of the ocean to that of the sound anC
, gently driving the ponies towards tn
center. Then the lines of men form {
5 V and the ponies rush into the cora
2 or per.
2 Then there are wild scenes. T,
5 some Of the ponies the pen is like
prison. Those which are new to tn,
: business look and act as if they wer,
: crazy. From the sides of the colts III
. to a year old hang mats Of hair. Took
: ing like a gigantic piece Of felt an incl
thick, which presently will be rubbe,
I Off in the wild push and be trample,
e in the sane and black water unde
e foot. Some Of the old ponies hav
e hOOfs which project perhaps a foot
e and these masses OF hOOf thrash tn
p mud and water in all directions, Civ
ing spectators who sit on the fenc
get many times a dose of this stu1
g on their faces or clothes, but it is a
in the game.
e Into the pen. amid this surgin
mass of animals, lash a few hard
IS men, to SieZe and bring out the colt
n they want in order to tie and bran
them. Then there is a battle royil in
b deed. Sometimes the animals 6
e round and round in q circle, as if the
were crazy Out West the cowboy
a call this milling" A pony is seizet
~ sometimes by one daring fellow, an
te there is a gigantic black, known a
l. all along the beach where most Of til
X ponies are, who daSheS in and wi
m alone bring out almost any animal.
< There are splendid stations anon
l. the herds, with blazing eyes and beal
tiful figures. There are wild face
lie ponies with shaggy forelocks whic
&c make one think of the Tartar horse
he in Siberia, and there are gentle face
or faced mares. all devotion to their lit
re darlings who are with them in tt
ie pen. Presently a colt is brought GU
fighting to the last, is hObbled ar
Ie. thrown upOn the sand, and from
blazing fire of wreck stuff a bTandir
I'd iron, red hot. is pulled out and II
or colt Is branded on a hind quarter.
ne Wild But They Arc Property.
These ponies are wild and yet the
is a sort of ownership. The mar
lct are branded and it is easy to identi
let a mares colt by her solicitude for h
40 youngster, for she is very human al
n SO is her baby.
les A certain percentage of the colts
be to the men who have been doing t.
n driving. around the pen all sorts
ler bargaining are going on. Peep
he from the mainland and the up-count
he are there to buy the young colts a
m, sometimes the older ponies. All SO.
he of things are for sale, including "
he termelons. for the n alwa