Part 16

The usual rate at which whales swim seldom exceeds four miles an hour, but for a few minutes at a time they are capable of darting through the water with amazing velocity, and of ascending with such rapidity as to leap above the surface. This feat they perform as an amusement, apparently to the high admiration of distant spectators. Sometimes they throw themselves in a perpendicular posture, with the head downwards, and rearing their tails on high, beat the water with awful violence. Sometimes they shake their tails in the air, which, cracking like a whip, resound to the distance of two or three miles. The flesh of the whale, though it would be rejected by the dainty palates of refined nations, is eaten with much relish by the Eskimo, and the inhabitants along the coasts of Hudson's Bay and Davis's Straits, who esteem it a staple article of subsistence.

Other whales of this sub-order are the common Fin Whale, which is said to reach eighty feet in length, the lesser Fin Whale and the Humpback Whale. In these, the yield of whalebone and oil is so small that they are not thought worth the trouble of catching.

The Sperm Whale.

The Sperm Whale rarely exceeds sixty feet in length and lives in warm regions, such as the Indian Ocean; rarely, if ever, visiting Arctic or European seas. Its yield of oil is said to be less than that of the Greenland whale but it is of a finer quality. Ambergris is also produced from the body of the sperm whale.

The Dolphin.

This is a large creature, so like the porpoise that he has been often confounded with it. He is, however, much larger, sometimes measuring from twenty to twenty-five feet in length. The body is roundish, growing gradually less towards the tail; the nose is long and pointed, the skin smooth, the back black or dusky blue, becoming white towards the belly. He is entirely destitute of gills, or any similar aperture, but respires and also spouts water through a pipe of semi-circular form placed on the upper part of the head. There are several varieties of dolphins, including the Long-nosed Dolphins of the rivers of Asia and South America and the Classical Dolphin of the Mediterranean (_Delphinus delphis_) The former are separately classified, and the family of the latter includes the White Whale, the Narwhal, the Common Porpoise and the Grampus. The dolphin is gregarious in its habits, herding and travelling in large shoals. It may sometimes be seen sporting in the bays and rivers of New York and is always a pretty sight.

The White Whale.

The White Whale (_Beluga catodon_) is the whale which Dr. R. Brown calls _the_ whale of Greenland. It is the whale which the Greenlander and the Eskimo find so valuable for its oil and flesh, the latter of which they dry for winter use. They are sometimes called sea pigs, from a fancied resemblance they bear to the pig when floundering in the sea, and sometimes sea canaries, on account of their peculiar whistle, which resembles that of a bird.

The Narwhal.

The narwhal (_Monodon monoceros_) is found frequently in company with the white whale, and inhabits much the same geographical area. It is distinguished by the possession of a tusk, the aim and purpose of which has been much debated. "It has been supposed to use it," says Dr. Brown, "to stir up its food from the bottom, but in such a case the female would be sadly at a loss. Fabricius thought that it was to keep the holes open in the ice during the winter; and the following occurrence seems to support this view. In April, 1860, a Greenlander was travelling along the ice in the vicinity of Christianshaab, and discovered one of those open spaces in the ice, which, even in the most severe winters, remain open. In this hole hundreds of narwhals and white whales were protruding their heads to breathe, no other place presenting itself for miles around. It was described to me as an Arctic 'Black Hole of Calcutta' in the eagerness of the animals to keep at the place." "Neither the narwhal nor the white whale," he continues, are timid animals, but will approach close to, and gambol for hours in the immediate vicinity of the ship." The oil is highly esteemed, and the flesh is very palatable. The skin of the narwhal boiled to a jelly is looked upon, and justly so, as one of the prime dainties of a Greenlander.

The Common Porpoise.

The Porpoise resembles the dolphin in general appearance. Its length, from the tip of the snout to the end of the tail, is from five to eight feet; and the width about two feet and a half. The figure of the whole body is conical; the colour of the back is deep blue, inclining to shining black; the sides are gray, and the belly white. When the flesh is cut up, it looks very much like pork; but, although it was once considered a sumptuous article of food, and is said to have been occasionally introduced at the tables of the old English nobility, it certainly has a disagreeable flavour. Their motion in the water is a kind of circular leap; they dive deep, but soon again rise up in order to breathe. They are seen in nearly all seas, where they sport with great activity, chiefly on the approach of a squall.

The Grampus.

The Grampus (_Orca Gladiator_) is the natural enemy of the whale and the seal, who hold him in mortal terror. His swallow is so great that he can take a porpoise or a seal whole, and has been known to swallow several in succession. The whale escapes him by getting among the ice, whither it is said the grampus will not follow him.

ORDER VI.

The Sea Cow.

The Sea Cow is an aquatic vegetarian who lives on the coast. Of the three genera which constitute the family _Manatidæ_ one is now said to be extinct. The genus Manatus contains two species, one belonging to South America and the other to the West Coast of Africa. The Dugong (_Halicore Dugong_) which attains to a length of nine or ten feet at maturity produces oil having similar medicinal properties to that obtained from the Cod's liver. It inhabits the Indian Ocean, the Red Sea, the neighbourhood of the Malay Islands and the North and East coasts of Australia.

ORDER VII.

Hoofed Animals.

The order of hoofed animals includes a number of well known species, of which the Horse, the Ass, the Ox and the Sheep among the tame, and the Rhinoceros, the Hippopotamus, the Boar and the Bison among the wild are familiar examples. The order is divided into two sub-orders and these into numerous families. The sub-orders are, I, The Perissodactyla, which includes three families of animals characterised by an odd number of toes in their hind feet, the horse having one, and the Rhinoceros three. II, The Artiodactyla which includes seven families of animals all having an even number of toes.

The Horse.

The horse stands first among the hoofed animals, as the friend and servant of man. He has a history which is full of interest but which it is quite impossible to give within the limits of our present opportunity. He is mentioned in both classical and Biblical history at an early period, but there is reason to believe that he flourished in prehistoric times. He was used by the Greeks in their public games, the chariot race being one of their most popular forms of entertainment; he was also employed by them for the purposes of war, of which the writings of Homer and other classical authors give abundant proof. First used apparently to draw the chariot only, the adaptation of the means to the end soon suggested to man the propriety of mounting his back, and from the throne he thus acquired man has since conquered the whole world. Man's first appearance on horseback doubtless suggested the fable of the Centaur; those unaccustomed to the sight imagining that they beheld a monster, half man and half horse, as it is said the aborigines of America did when they first saw Spanish equestrians. The Egyptians are said to have been the first to cultivate the horse, and the Persians the first to use him in battle.

Arabian Horses.

The beauty, strength and speed of the Arabian horse are well known, and the affection which subsists between him and his master is the basis of many a pathetic story. These horses are generally of a brown colour; the mane and tail being short, and the hair black and tufted. The Arabs for the most part use the mares in their ordinary excursions, as they are less vicious than the males, and are more capable of sustaining abstinence and fatigue.

The Arab often shares his tent with his mare, the husband, the wife, the child, the mare, and the foal, lying together indiscriminately; and the youngest branches of the family embracing the neck, or reposing on the body, of the mare, without any idea of fear or danger.

St. Pierre in his "Studies of Nature" tells a pretty story of the Arab's affection for his horse: "The whole stock of a poor Arabian of the desert consisted of a beautiful mare; this the French consul at Said offered to purchase, with an intention to send her to Louis XIV. The Arab, pressed by want, hesitated a long time, but at length consented, on condition of receiving a very considerable sum of money, which he named. The consul wrote to France for permission to close the bargain; and, having obtained it, sent the information to the Arab. The man, so indigent as to possess only a miserable covering for his body, arrived with his magnificent courser; he dismounted, and first looking at the gold, then steadfastly at his mare, heaved a sigh. 'To whom is it,' exclaimed he, 'that I am going to yield thee up? To Europeans! who will tie thee close, who will beat thee, who will render thee miserable! Return with me, my beauty, my jewel! and rejoice the hearts of my children.' As he pronounced the last words, he sprang upon her back, and was out of sight almost in a moment." This story forms the subject of the well known ballad by the Hon. Mrs. Norton, entitled "The Arab's farewell to his steed."

Clarke thus describes the way in which the Arab will address a horse:--"Ibrahim went frequently to Rama to inquire news of the mare whom he dearly loved; he would embrace her, wipe her eyes with his handkerchief, would rub her with his shirt sleeves, would give her a thousand benedictions during whole hours that he would remain talking to her. 'My eyes! my soul! my heart!' he would say, 'must I be so unfortunate as to have thee sold to so many masters, and not keep thee myself? I am poor, my antelope! I brought thee up in my dwelling as a child; I did never beat nor chide thee----" Arabs have been known to refuse enormous sums for horses, though actually themselves in a condition of extreme want. That the horse can reciprocate the kindness shown to him is proved by many a story of his fidelity. Chateaubriand says, "When I was at Jerusalem the feats of one of these steeds made a great noise. The Bedouin to whom the animal, a mare, belonged, being pursued by the governor's guards, rushed with her from the top of the hills that overlooked Jericho. The mare scoured at full gallop down an almost perpendicular declivity without stumbling, and left the soldiers lost in admiration and astonishment. The poor creature, however, dropped down dead on entering Jericho, and the Bedouin, who would not quit her, was taken, weeping over the body of his faithful companion."

More romantic is the story told by M. de Lamartine, thus quoted by Mrs. Bowdich. "An Arab chief and the tribe to which he belonged attacked a caravan in the night, and were returning with their plunder, when some horsemen belonging to the Pasha of Acre surrounded them, killed several, and bound the rest with cords. Among the latter was the chief Abou el Marek, who was carried to Acre, and, bound hand and foot, laid at the entrance of their tent during the night. Kept awake by the pain of his wounds he heard his horse, who was picketed at a distance from him, neigh. Wishing to caress him, perhaps for the last time, he dragged himself up to him, and said, 'Poor friend! what will you do among the Turks? You will be shut up under the roof of a khan, with the horses of a Pasha or an Aga. No longer will the women and children of the tent bring you barley, camel's milk, or dhourra, in the hollow of their hands; no longer will you gallop free as the wind in the desert; no longer will you cleave the waters with your breast, and lave your sides, as pure as the foam from your lips. If I am to be a slave, at least you may go free. Return to our tent, tell my wife that Abou el Marek will return no more; but put your head still into the folds of the tent, and lick the hands of my beloved children.' With these words, as his hands were tied, the chief with his teeth undid the fetters which held the courser bound, and set him at liberty; but the noble animal, on recovering his freedom, instead of galloping away to the desert, bent his head over his master, and seeing him in fetters and on the ground, took his clothes gently between his teeth, lifted him up, and set off at full speed towards home. Without resting he made straight for the distant but well-known tent in the mountains of Arabia. He arrived there in safety, laid his master down at the feet of his wife and children, and immediately dropped down dead with fatigue. The whole tribe mourned him, the poets celebrated his fidelity, and his name is still constantly in the mouths of the Arabs of Jericho."

For the sake of the beautiful moral it contains the following story is well worth adding. In the tribe of Negde there was a mare of great reputation for beauty and swiftness, which a member of another tribe named Daber desired to possess. Having failed to obtain her by offering all he was worth, he sought to effect his object by stratagem. Disguised as a lame beggar he waited by a roadside, knowing that Nabee, the owner of the horse, would shortly pass that way. As soon as Nabee appeared, Daber cried out to him, begging assistance and pretending to be too weak to rise. Nabee thereupon dismounted from the mare, and helped the beggar to mount her. The moment he was mounted Daber declared himself and made off. Nabee called to him to stop, and on his turning round said to him, "Thou hast my mare, since it pleased God I wish you success but I conjure thee tell no one how thou hast come by her." "Why not?" said Daber. "Lest others should refrain from charity because I have been duped," said Nabee, whereupon Daber dismounted and returned the mare.

The Domestic Horse.

The Horse has only to be known to be loved, and has only to be loved to become the most tractable, patient, and useful of animals. "In the domestic horse," says Colonel Smith, "we behold an animal equally strong and beautiful, endowed with great docility and no less fire; with size and endurance joined to sobriety, speed, and patience; clean, companionable, emulous, even generous; forbearing, yet impetuous; with faculties susceptible of very considerable education, and perceptions which catch the spirit of man's intentions, lending his powers with the utmost readiness, and restraining them with as ready a compliance: saddled or in harness, labouring willingly, enjoying the sports of the field and exulting in the tumult of the battle; used by mankind in the most laudable and necessary operations, and often the unconscious instrument of the most sanguinary passions; applauded, cherished, then neglected, and ultimately abandoned to the authority of bipeds who often show little superiority of reason and much less of temper." "One who, like ourselves," continues Colonel Smith, "has repeatedly owed life to the exertions of his horse, in meeting a hostile shock, in swimming across streams, and in passing on the edge of elevated precipices, will feel with us, when contemplating the qualities of this most valuable animal, emotions of gratitude and affection which others may not so readily appreciate."

The Structure of a Horse.

"The beauty of the form of the horse has often been commented upon, his structure is thus admirably described by a writer in "Cassell's Magazine of Art": "His nature is eminently courageous, without ferocity, generous, docile, intelligent, and, if allowed to be so, almost as affectionate as the dog. In his structure, the ruling characteristic may be said in one word to consist in obliquity--all the leading bones in his frame are set obliquely, or nearly so, and not at right angles. His head is set on with a subtle curve of the last few vertebræ of the neck, which at the shoulders, take another subtle curve before they become the dorsal vertebræ, or backbone; which end, in their turn, with another curve, forming the tail. His shoulders slope back more than those of other quadrupeds, the scapula, or shoulder-blade, being oblique to the humerus, which, in its turn, is oblique to the radius, or upper part of the fore-leg. So, again, in the hind-quarters, the haunch is set obliquely to the true thigh, the thigh, at the stifle joint, to the upper bone of the hind-leg, which at the hock makes another angle. The fore and hind quarters form so large a portion of the entire length that a horse, though a lengthy animal from the front of the chest to the back of the haunch, is, comparatively, very short in the actual back or 'saddle-place.' Then his hocks are much bent, and his pastern joints are rather long, and again are set at an angle, succeeded by a slightly different angle in the firm but expanding hoof, thus completing the beautiful mechanism, which preserves the limbs from jar, and ensures elasticity in every part of an animal destined to carry weight and to undergo rapid and continued exertion--a combination not existing in any other quadruped to anything like the same degree, and fitting him precisely for the purposes for which he was given to man. At present we have said nothing about his head, every part of which is equally characteristic. His well-shaped, delicate ears are capable of being moved separately in every direction, and every movement is full of meaning and in sympathy with the eye. The eye is prominent, full, and large, and placed laterally, so that he can see behind him without turning his head, his heels being his principal weapon of defence; his nostrils are large, open and flexible, and his lips fleshy, though thin, and exquisitely mobile and sensitive. The large, open nostril is essential to him, as a horse breathes solely and entirely through it, being physically incapable of breathing through his mouth, as a valve in the throat actually precludes him from so doing; hence the mouth of a horse, without a bridle in it, is opened only for purposes of eating or biting, but never from excitement or from exhaustion, like that of most other quadrupeds, except the deer species. The lips are, perhaps, even more characteristic; they are his hands as well as part of his mouth, and the horse and others of his family alone use them in this way. The ox, the sheep, the goat, the deer, the giraffe above all, and, in fact, we believe all graminivorous animals except the horse, either bite their food directly with the teeth, or grasp and gather it with the tongue, which is prehensile, and gifted with more or less power of prolongation; but the horse's tongue has no such function, and, therefore, no such powers, as these services are all performed in his case by the lips: and no horseman, who has let a favourite horse pick up small articles of food from the palm of his hand, can have failed to be struck with the extreme mobility, and also the sensibility and delicacy of touch, with which the lips are endowed."

The Horse's Speed.

The quality of speed for which the horse is so justly esteemed has been the subject of extensive culture in which the Arabian horse has contributed no mean share. "Some of the horses first brought from Arabia having been by no means celebrated," says Captain Brown, "the breed had fallen into disrepute, till the descendants of one procured by Mr. Darley from the deserts, and on that account called the Darley Arabian, having borne away the palm for fleetness from all others, turned the tide of fashion in favour of that breed. Yet it is only the progeny of the Arabian horses that excels. The English race-horses are equal, if not superior, to all other coursers. As the extraordinary swiftness of the horse has been most signally displayed in the English race-course, and can also be there most precisely measured, we cannot omit the notice of some of the most remarkable of our racers. The most celebrated of these--and indeed the fleetest horse that ever was bred in the world--was Flying Childers, got by the Darley Arabian. What Achilles was among warriors, and Cæsar among conquerors, such was Childers among horses, without an equal and without a rival. He ran against the most famous horses of his age, and was always victorious. He has been known to move at the rate of nearly a mile in the minute. Next to Childers, in fame and fleetness, is Eclipse, so called from having been foaled during the great eclipse of 1764. This horse likewise was never beaten: one contemporary rival alone was supposed to exist, Mr. Shaftoe's horse Goldfinder, but Goldfinder broke down the October before the proposed competition. Eclipse's rate of going was 47 feet in the second. Childers had a rate of 49. One hundred to one were offered on Eclipse against the most famous racers of his day. Mr. O'Kelly purchased him for sixteen hundred and fifty guineas, and cleared by him twenty-five thousand pounds. He had a vast stride,--never horse threw his haunches below him with more vigour or effect; and his hind legs were so spread in his gallop, that a wheelbarrow might have been driven between them. King Herod, another famous horse, which was generally, though not like Eclipse uniformly, successful, is chiefly celebrated for his progeny; his immediate descendants having gained to their owners above two hundred thousand pounds."

The Horse's Endurance.