In fact it was propagated both in the East and the West in the train of the Arabs who subsequently penetrated to the limits of the habitable globe. Long previous to Islam, Hamir-Aben-Melouk and his descendants reigned for a hundred years over the West. It was he who founded Medina and Saklia. Shedad-Eben-Aâd made himself master of the whole country to the borders of Moghreb, and built cities and constructed sea ports. Afrikes, who gave his name to Africa, extended his conquests as far as Tandja (Tangiers), while his son Shamar overran the East as far as China, forced his way into the city of Sad, and destroyed it. On that account that place has ever since been called Shamar-Kenda,—because _kenda_ in Persian signifies "he has destroyed",—which the Arabs have corrupted into Samar-Kand. Since the introduction of Islamism, new Mussulman invasions extended the fame of Arab horses to Italy, Spain, and even to France, where, without doubt, they have left traces of their blood. But the event which more than any other filled Africa with Arab horses, was the invasion of Sidi-Okba, and still later the successive invasions of the fifth, and sixth centuries after the Hijra. Under Sidi-Okba the Arabs merely encamped in Africa, whereas in the fifth and sixth centuries they arrived as colonists with the intention of settling there with their wives and families, their horses and mares. It was these latter invasions which established Arab tribes on the soil of Algeria, particularly the Mehall, the Djendel, the Oulad-Mahdi, the Douaouda, etc., who spread themselves in all directions and founded the true nobility of the country. These same invasions transplanted the Arab horse into the Soudan, and justify our asserting the oneness of the Arab stock, whether in Algeria or in the East. Thus, the history of the Arab horse may be divided into four great epochs: 1st from Adam to Ishmael; 2nd from Ishmael to Solomon; 3rd from Solomon to Mohammed; 4th from Mohammed to our own times. It is to be clearly understood, however, that the race of the principal epoch, that of Solomon, having been forcibly divided into several branches, different varieties have been formed partly from the change of climate, and partly from the greater or less degree of care bestowed upon them, precisely as is the case with mankind. The colour of the coat has also varied under the influence of the same circumstances. Experience has satisfied the Arabs that in districts where the ground is stony, the usual colour is gray, and in those where the ground is chalky (_Ard Beda_), white is the prevalent hue. I have myself frequently verified these observations. There remains now only one question to settle with you. You ask by what outward signs the Arabs recognize a horse to be noble, a drinker of air. Here is my answer: