a long rambling comment on five
short words of Aristophanes, but for that of bringing forward additional
evidence, to prove that a dry roll may occasionally be of as much service
in recruiting the strength and spirits of that noble animal, the horse,
when jaded by violent exertion or long-protracted toil, as our English
nostrums, a warm mash or a bottle of water. Dr. Lichtenstein says,--

"Our road led us soon again over the Vogel river and here we were
obliged to supply ourselves with water for the whole day, since not a
drop was to be met with again till the Melk river, a distance of ten
hours [ = 50 English miles]. When we had filled our vessels, and our
cattle had drunk plentifully, we proceeded on our way.

"It is difficult for an European to form an idea of the hardships that
are to be encountered in a journey over such a dry plain at the hottest
season of the year. All vegetation seems utterly destroyed; not a blade
of grass, not a green leaf, is anywhere to be seen; and the soil, a
stiff loam, reflects back the heat of the sun with redoubled force; a
man may congratulate himself that, being on horseback, he is raised
some feet above it. Nor is any rest from these fatigues to be thought
of, since to stop where there is neither shade, water, or grass, would
be only to increase the evil, rather than to diminish it.

"Yet the African horses are so well accustomed to hardships, although
they have in fact much less innate strength than the European, that it
is incredible what a length of way they will go, in the most intense
heat, without either food or drink. It is, however, customary for the
riders to dismount at intervals, when the saddles are taken off, and
the animals are suffered to roll upon the ground and stretch out their
limbs for a short time. This they do with evident delight, and after
they have well rolled, stretched, and shaken themselves, they rise up
and go on as much refreshed as if they had had food and drink given
them. On arriving at a farm, the invitation of the host, who comes
immediately to the door, is, 'Get off, Sir, and let him roll.' A slave
then appears, takes the horse, and leads him backwards and forwards for
a few minutes, to recover his breath, and he is then unsaddled and left
to roll.

"These rollings were then the only refreshment we could offer our
horses, and b