Buffon's Natural History. Volume 05 (of 10): Containing a Theory of the Earth, a General History of Man, of the Brute Creation, and of Vegetables, Minerals, &c. &cBuffon, Georges Louis Leclerc, comte de
History
Buffon's Natural History. Volume 05 (of 10): Containing a Theory of the Earth, a General History of Man, of the Brute Creation, and of Vegetables, Minerals, &c. &c
Buffon, Georges Louis Leclerc, comte de
Natural history
These horses which are so robust
in their own country become enfeebled and useless, when transported to
China or the Indies; but they succeed better in Persia and Turkey. The
little Tartars have a breed of small horses which they value so much,
that they are not allowed to be sold to foreigners. These horses have
all the good and bad qualities of those of Great Tartary, which shews
how much the same manners and education give the same disposition to
these animals. There are also in Circassia, and in Mingrelia, many
horses which are even handsomer than those of Tartary. There are also
some fine horses in the Ukraine, Wallachia, Poland, and Sweden; but we
have no particular account of their qualities or defects.
If we consult the ancients on the nature and qualities of the horses
of different countries, we shall find, that the horses of Greece,
especially those of Thessaly and Epirus, were held in great esteem, and
were very useful in war; that those of Achaia were the largest then
known; that the handsomest came from Egypt, where there was a great
number, and where Solomon sent to buy them at a great price; that in
Ethiopia the horses did not thrive, on account of the great heat of the
climate; that Arabia and Africa produced the finest horses, but above
all the lightest and best calculated for the chace; that those of Italy
were extremely good; that in Sicily, Cappadocia, Syria, Armenia, Medea,
and Persia, there were excellent horses, remarkable for their swiftness
and agility; that those of Sardinia and Corsica were small, but lively
and courageous; that those of Spain resembled those of Parthia, and
were excellent for war; that there were in Transylvania and in Walachia
swift horses with small heads, large manes hanging down to the ground,
and bushy tails; that the Danish horses were well made and good
leapers; that those of Scandinavia were small, but well made and very
agile; that the Flanders horses were strong; that the Gauls furnished
the Romans with good horses for the saddle, and to carry burthens: that
the German horses were ill-made, and so vicious, that no use was made
of them; that the Swiss had great numbers fit for war; that the horses
of Hungary were also very good; and lastly, that the Indian horses were
small and weak.
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