The domestic animals consist of poultry, sheep, goats, camels, horses, and dogs: they all live under the same canopy as their masters, and are on good terms amongst themselves. The horses are perfectly quiet, being brought up with the children of the family. They would be a fine race, but that the want of good food prevents their acquiring a handsome appearance; add to which, the ambition of possessing well fed and comely animals does not now exist; for should any of the Bashaw’s people wish to appropriate a fine horse, the owner dares not refuse to sell him, at whatever low price may be offered. Still, however, many of the Arabs breed them expressly for the market, bringing them while foals for sale. I have seen some of them brought in this way, which, when taken care of, became remarkably handsome, and unlike the generality belonging to the Bedouins. In the bazaars at Tripoli I have sometimes observed very fine ones, which were brought from the Desert, and sold for forty or fifty dollars (about eleven or twelve pounds sterling) a piece. All have long tails, and are entire; a great defect is, however, almost general amongst them, in consequence of their being mounted when too young; which is, that their backs are very hollow, and their hind quarters appear higher than their fore. Colts of twelve months are frequently seen, staggering beneath the weight of a heavy man, his arms, water skin, and food. The Arabs consider a large belly as very handsome; and some horses, from the nature of their food, acquire such rotundity in this respect, that they appear like mares in foal. [Illustration: _Drawn from Life by G. F. Lyon._ _On Stone by D. Dighton._ ARABS EXERCISING. _London. Published by J. Murray Albemarle St. 1821._ _C. Hullmandel’s Lithography._] A light mane and tail on a chesnut horse is considered unlucky; the colour, though common, is not much admired, and the feet of such animals are accounted soft and tender. Bay is the favourite colour next to light grey, which is much in request, the Bashaw generally riding horses of this description. Much importance is attached to the manner in which the legs are coloured, stockinged horses being in the extremes of good or bad luck, according to the disposition of the white. If both forelegs are marked, it is good; if one hind and one fore leg are marked on the same side, it is very unlucky; or if one alone is white, it is equally unfortunate; but if opposite legs (off fore and near hind) are light, nothing can be more admired. Ridiculous as these fancies may appear, they nevertheless influence the price of horses, sometimes to even a sixth of their value.