306
travels in upper
CHAP. XXXV.
Asses of Cairo—Ladles taking an airing—Asses of
Egypt—Aversion of the ancient Egyptians to these
animals—Mules—Jumarts—Horses of Cairo—■
Its circumference, quarries, canal, dancing-girls,
and jugglers.
If the horses of Egypt claim distinction by their
beauty and valuable qualities, the asses of the
same country are not less remarkable. It is in-
disputable, that the hottest and driest climates are
most favourable to horses, since those of Arabia,
Persia, Egypt, Barbary, and Spain, stand foremost
in beauty and vigour. Asses, likewise, of a species
nearly related to them, attain the greatest excel-
lence of figure and qualities in the same climates,
which appear to be natural to them. In propor-
tion to their distance from these they degenerate,
so that those of northern countries lose all resem-
blance to those of the south. If this degeneration
be not so perceptible with regard to horses, very
fine ones being to be found in the north, it is be-
cause Europeans have changed the nature of these
animals in their country, by procuring mares and
stallions from abroad, forming studs, crossing
breeds,
travels in upper
CHAP. XXXV.
Asses of Cairo—Ladles taking an airing—Asses of
Egypt—Aversion of the ancient Egyptians to these
animals—Mules—Jumarts—Horses of Cairo—■
Its circumference, quarries, canal, dancing-girls,
and jugglers.
If the horses of Egypt claim distinction by their
beauty and valuable qualities, the asses of the
same country are not less remarkable. It is in-
disputable, that the hottest and driest climates are
most favourable to horses, since those of Arabia,
Persia, Egypt, Barbary, and Spain, stand foremost
in beauty and vigour. Asses, likewise, of a species
nearly related to them, attain the greatest excel-
lence of figure and qualities in the same climates,
which appear to be natural to them. In propor-
tion to their distance from these they degenerate,
so that those of northern countries lose all resem-
blance to those of the south. If this degeneration
be not so perceptible with regard to horses, very
fine ones being to be found in the north, it is be-
cause Europeans have changed the nature of these
animals in their country, by procuring mares and
stallions from abroad, forming studs, crossing
breeds,