mule carrying the portmanteaus, and a second servant behind bringing up the rear of the cavalcade-they are very affectionate to their companion horses, or to their master or his servant. A friend of mine had at a certain "stage" en route "put to" a pair of borrowed horses, while his own pair, sumpter, &c., followed. Something caused a detention on the road, and his own horses strayed onwards. The "following" servant, who was hitherto leading the old mule "Sukey," got off to render assistance to the carriage, and no sooner was Sukey" out of hand-bondage, than she looked round for her companions, the horses of my friend. She quietly walked on, sniffing the road as she went for a little way when out of reach, off she started as hard as she could gallop, and at last was found, some four miles off, with the horses, in the yard of a sugar estate, where horses and all had once or twice before rested. 66 I have also known a mule, which must have been bred by a gentleman in slavery times, so loving to its master, that in the yard, or following as a sumpter mule, it would never, if it could help it, be a yard away from him. And the last mule I bought, which was a "wee" pretty little thing, that was dear to the man and his children from whom I bought it, endeared itself as almost a little pet dog would to all my servants and family, and was so much valued for the same qualities by the person who finally purchased it from me, that he would not have sold it again for twice, even thrice, the amount he had paid me. But my loving remembrance of horse kind, is carrying me almost away from the principal object in view when I commenced this paper, namely, practical suggestions as to the feeding of horses; nor have I yet said a word about their endurance, courage, and spirit, or their fleetness. As to their endurance, courage, and spirit or "pluck," I must first try to rivet your attention to the differences of climate, roads, &c., which horses have to contend against in the tropics, in comparison to horses in Europe. Throughout the whole year, in Jamaica, you have very seldom, in the lowlands, a temperature of less than 86 degs. Fahrenheit IN THE SHADE. While in the sun, under which they have to travel, I have observed the thermometer stand at 120 degs. at a cool place, one thousand feet and upwards above the sea level, and the roads are very hilly, and always very bad, yet it is by no means rare to hear of a saddle-horse cantering his thirty or forty or fifty miles per diem, for three consecutive days. I have heard, from a reliable source, of a horse taking its rider from Santa Cruz mountains, in St. Elizabeth, to Spanish Town, a distance of sixty miles more or lessbetween an early breakfast-time, and the dinner hour, 7 and once, p.m.; in case of sickness, I sent my horse "Bruce," already spoken of, from Healthful Hill to Kingston, a distance of thirty miles, to fetch a doctor, mounting on him a careful servant of lightish weight, without spur, and only a slight switch in his hand. He performed the thirty miles in less than three and a-half hours, and rested, and within eleven hours that horse galloped up the steep two-mile hill to my residence, leading and preceding the two carriages which contained the doctor and other parties I had summoned!! And you may be assured that as the illness was a case of life and death, the carriages did not linger on their way. Nor was "Bruce" much the worse next day; for on the third day he performed a similar express journey, almost within the same time, and was only slightly ailing for two or three days afterwards. How many European horses would do such feats, and on such rough and hill-anddale roads as those in Jamaica ? As to travelling as draught horses: I was one who took it very easily. Every quarter my duties caused me to travel about 166 miles from home and back again, within about three weeks and a day. I used to do about thirty miles, in ten or twelve or fourteen mile stages, as it might happen, with, at the outside, two hours' rest, meantime on the road during the day, always travelling between 7 a.m. and 6 p.m., or in the heat of the day; for the first three days completing, say, the first 100 miles. All the horses would then get one clear day's rest, say Monday; on the following day, and perhaps the third and fourth, one horse and one mule would be ridden by myself and servant five miles out and five miles home at night; and on the fifth day, Friday say, we invariably started, and reached the distance of thirty-two miles. the sixth day, Saturday, we proceeded sixteen miles yet further, resting all the Sunday; and on the eighth day, Monday, we did the remaining 18 miles, completing the 166 miles. We used to retrace our steps much in the same manner, so that I reached my home on the Saturday week following. Mind you, I do not mention this as anything extraordinary in Jamaica, for I have done nearly the same (taking off sixty miles altogether from the whole journey) in the same time with one pair only of hired horses-carrying luggage and all-which were never kept or groomed as mine were, except while under my charge; only that mine were never for one moment jaded, and were, if possible, fresher and better-looking in coat when I returned than when I left home. As to the speed of horses in Jamaica, I never tested it on the road; for the roads are so bad, that you scarcely ever meet with more than a mile of road at a time, on which you can fairly try speed. There are horses which will walk up and down steep hills, six miles in the hour, and five miles walking is by no means uncommon. Only once did Í take note of my own horses in harness. From Kingston to Spanish Town, thirteen miles, is almost a level road, but for the most part stony and sandy, with only about three miles of what may be termed good hard bowling road. On one occasion two of my horses took a rather heavy open carriage, holding four persons, including driver, in one hour and ten minutes, and returned the same evening in one hour and twenty minutes without being pressed or breaking trot. On another occasion one of my horses took a heavy dog-cart, with two persons, over the same ground in fifty-one minutes. But for the test of speed we must go to the race-course. But as I said before, I am scarcely a lover of, and a know-next-to-nothing about, racing. I however have been thoroughly well acquainted with those who rear, train, and race their horses (I could refer to many, if further information were required), and I have always understood that the speed of horses per mile-heats or per three-mile rounds, is not less than that of the Derby, Newmarket, Goodwood, &c., &c.; while ocular demonstration has shown me that the Jamaica race-courses are execrably bad as compared to those of England-sometimes only flat; generally full of sharp hills and dells; partly over what, at times other than racing days, are public roads, to be made up for the occasion : sometimes over deep sandy mud or heavy loam in wet weather, or deep dry sand and dust, in dry; NEVER over pure smooth springy or solid turf, as in England. Again: in the lowlands (i. e., very slightly above the sea level) the races "come off" at, or commence at about 2 or 3 p.m., probably as hot as mid-day: while those in the higher lands, say 2,500 feet above sea level, as in Manchester parish, are run right through the mid-day, although the temperature cannot be lower than 110 degs. Fahrenheit. The JOCKIES again are much against the speed of the horses, being nothing but mere boys, without the smallest pretension to skill or judgment, so necessary to "save" a horse at the proper moments. Now, from all I have said, I infer that either from the climate, or in the feed, or treatment of horses in Jamaica, they are, cæteris paribus, far superior to those of England; and my wish is so to describe the treatment of horses there, as to call forth the attention of trainers here, whether the latter may not improve on their present plan. I therefore proceed to describe the ordinary mode of treatment of roadsters and racers in Jamaica. The grooming of horses in Jamaica is, or ought to be, the same as it is in every well-regulated stable; but the food especially, and the mode of feeding in one particular, differs from that of England. To dispose of the mode of feeding at once, in Jamaica, experience has taught all persons that it is best to give the water before the horse has his corn, taking care on journeys that he is well cooled and dried in his coat by grooming and walking about before he has had one drop. This, I believe, is totally reversing matters with English fashion. The reason is, that it has often and often been found that corn first and water after gives the animal what they term, dry belly-ache" or spasmodic colic, and stranguary, which in two or three hours, if not checked by alkalis, such as wood-ash and water-or by laudanum, or exciting beverages, such as gin and water, and ale with water and laudanum mixed-prove fatal. Without diving into cause or effect, or the wisdom or folly of this arrangement, I only say the horses are accustomed to it, and it is the universal habit to give water first. Their substantial sustenance is Indian corn (Zea Mays) and green Guinea grass (Panicum jumentorum). The Indian corn is nominally of two kind-namely, "country corn,' grown in the island, and only cured by exposure to the sun's-rays; and "American corn" (any corn of the same species which is artificially cured or dried, in order to ensure safety from decay, &c., during the voyage). I myself have used both kinds indiscriminately, just as they came to hand; and provided the country corn was properly dried (which, if not attended to, or when slightly uncured, unless well mixed with salt, is highly dangerous, bursting and killing horses in three or four hours from the first symptoms,) and provided the American corn is free from weevils, I have found no difference between them, the one being as beneficial as the other: I mostly used the latter. When doing nothing at home, I was in the habit of giving my horses generally four quarts each, and never less than three quarts per diem. A fortnight before travelling I would raise the quantity gradually to six quarts, and during travelling gave invariably eight quarts per diem, in three meals (viz.,) before starting at their luncheon-and for their supper. The corn is generally given whole; in such cases as "lampass," which is always best left to disappear as it came, the corn is better crushed or broken. The other all-important article of food is green grass, and that grass in Jamaica is Guinea grass (Panicum jumentorum). This magnificent fodder is said to have been accidentally introduced from Guinea during slave-trade times, a person having brought thence some living birds, and with them seed for their sustenance. The birds dying early after their arrival, the seed was thrown away into the yard as waste: it grew, and flourished, and spread prodigiously, and was found so fine for horses, that by the aid of birds and human hands it is now to be seen in every part of the lowlands of the island. In a good pasture, where allowed to run to seed, it grows to the height of man; and in good wet seasons, with the aid of a top-dressing of manure, I have known it to yield five and more cuttings, measuring about 2 feet high, in the course of the year. I do not know whether its introduction into Europe has ever been attempted, it is certainly worth the trial, for if it succeeded, it would be, to say the least, of immense value for horses as well as for the land owner or farmer. It thrives remarkably well in Manchester parish, at an elevation of 2,500 or 3,000 feet, with a temperature in the shade of between 60 degs. and 75 degs., and also at much higher elevations, and lower temperature, where the habitations of man exist, and at least it is worth a trial in England. I do not mean to say that horses would prefer this grass to meadow hay, clover, cinque-foil, or other grass, as I look rather to what is best for them and for their owners and the farmer. There is another grass in Jamaica, called Bahama grass, only usually seen on lawns, and in gardens, which is usually trodden or eaten down on lawns, until there remains only a short bite of not more than half an inch high. I have known, for years, my horses turned out, after their corn, of an evening, coming on to the lawn, en route to the Guinea-grass piece, where such Bahama grass grew, and lingering on the short bite as long as ever the servants would allow them, and in dry weather cutting up with their fore-feet the smallest green particles, and stepping back to devour what they had thus accumulated. Doubtless that Bahama grass is supremely sweet to horse's tooth, and preferable to Guinea grass, but there is not enough to feed them, nor could it be so nutritious. Horses in Jamaica are (except as after mentioned) always fed with this grass. In towns, where they are necessarily stabled day and night, each horse (in a well-kept stable) is allowed about four bundles of grass during the twenty-four hours, each bundle weighing, by the lex loci of Kingston, 28lbs. While travelling say thirty miles per diem, they will have about half a bundle each with their water and corn at mid-day; and after they have arrived at their day's journey-end, and when after that they have had their water and corn, they are turned out into the grass piece, to eat as much as they will throughout the night, or into a short green paddock, with about three bundles each of cut grass. Racers, when taken up to prepare them for the turf, are always kept in stable except when exercised. They are fed in precisely the same manner, except that for two or three weeks before the contest the same Guinea grass is made into hay for the special purpose, and the hay and grass and Indian corn become their food. The results I seek to arrive at are these-that though the climate of Jamaica is much more enervating to horses than that of England, yet they have there more than the endurance, and all the fleetness, of horses in England; that the cause is that the substance of Indian corn is incomparably greater than that of oats and the adherent chaff, and more strengthening, and less liable to affect the wind of horses, and that green grass, especially Guinea grass, and Indian corn, are far better than dried hay and any corn. The subject is at least well worthy the attention and consideration of race trainers. "For emulation hath a thousand sons That one by one pursue. If you give way, SHAKSPEARE.-Troilus and Cressida. THE FLYING DUTCHMAN-VOLTIGEur. a However firm and inexorable might have been the opinion entertained by many parties, a conviction sanctioned by the experience of nearly half century, and therefore rendered deeper from year to year, that it had become a matter of total impossibility for a winner of the great prize of the South to carry off that of the North; the charm, broken by Surplice, and, like the wand of Prospero, buried a thousand fathoms deep, induced many enthusiasts to rush into the contrary extreme, and to maintain, now that a Derby victor had at length got into the groove of a double triumph, that similar achievements, however astounding to some parties, or mortifying or overwhelming to others, would become of almost annual occurrence. But, encouraged by one striking instance, this new opinion, which, swelling into the full tide of exuberance, found its way into the least-expected quarters-into those quiet bays, and nooks, and coves of thought, which had hitherto abided by the result of years-proved no detriment or disparagement to the attractions of either the Derby or the St. Leger; on the contrary, it awakened a deeper Р |