Some travellers from Europe were on a visit to a Tartar prince:  (for there are princes in the desert,) and they were taken to see a herd of wild horses.  The prince wished to have one of these wild horses caught.  It is not easy to do this.  But Tartars know the way.  Six men mounted a tame horse, and rushed into the midst of the wild horses.  Each of the men had a great noose in his hand.  They all looked at the prince to know which horse he would have caught.  When they saw the prince give a sign, one of the men soon noosed a young horse.  The creature seemed terrified when it found that it was caught:  his eyes started out, his nostrils seemed to smoke.  Presently a man came running up, sprang upon the back of the wild horse, and by cutting the straps round his neck, set him at liberty.  In an instant the horse darted away with the swiftness of an arrow; yet the man firmly kept his seat.  The animal seemed greatly alarmed at his strange burden, and tried every plan to get rid of it;—­now suddenly stopping,—­now crawling on the grass like a worm,—­now rolling,—­now rearing,—­now dashing forward in a fast gallop through the midst of the herd; yet all would not do; the rider clung to the horse as closely as ever.

But how was the rider ever to get off his fiery steed?  That would be difficult indeed; but help was sent to him by the prince.  Two men on horseback rode after him, and between them they snatched away the man from the trembling and foaming horse.  The animal, surprised to find his load suddenly gone, stood stupefied for a moment, and then darted off to join his companions.  What this man did,—­many Tartars can do:  and even little boys will mount wild horses, and keep on by clinging to their manes:  women, too, will gallop about on wild horses.

In Circassia the customs are very different; for though men ride so well, women there never ride at all; and surely it is far better not to ride than to be as bold as a Tartar woman.

FOOD.—­What can be the food of the Tartars?  Not bread, (for there is no corn,) nor fruit, nor vegetables.  The flocks and herds are the food.  The favorite meat is horse-flesh; though mutton and beef are eaten also.  Then there is plenty of milk—­both cow’s milk and sheep’s milk.  As there is milk, there is butter and cheese.  But it is very unwholesome to live on meat and milk without bread and vegetables.  The water, too, is very bad; for it is taken from the muddy rivers, and not from clear springs.  It is a comfort for the Tartar that he can procure tea from China.  Their tea is indeed very unlike the tea brought to England; for it comes to Tartary in hard lumps, shaped like bricks.  It is boiled in a saucepan with water, and then mixed with milk, butter, and salt.  Thus you see the Tartar needs neither tea-kettle, teapot, nor sugar basin.

It would be well if tea and milk were the only drinks in Tartary; but a sort of spirit is distilled by the Tartars from mare’s milk; and brandy also is brought from Russia.