ed his cheerfulness, and prepared to meet every reverse of fortune with his ufual firmnefs.

The Tartars among whom Jack was now to refide, conftitute feveral different tribes or nations which inhabit an immenfe extent of country both in Europe and Afia. Their country is in general open and uncultivated, without cities or towns, such as we see in England. The inhabitants themselves are a bold and hardy race of men that live in small tents, and change their place of abode with the different seasons of the year. All their property confifts in herds of cattle, which they drive along with them from place to place; and upon whofe milk and flesh they fubfift They are particularly fond of horses, of which they have a fmall but excellent breed, hardy and indefatigable for the purposes of war, and they excel in the management of them, beyond what is easy to conceive. Immenfe herds of these animals wander loofe about the deferts, but marked with the particular mark of the person or tribe to which they belong. When they want any of these animals for ufe, a certain number of their young men jump upon their horses with nothing but an halter to guide them, each carrying in his hand a pole with a noose or cord at the end. When they come in fight of the herd, they pursue the horse they wish

to

to take at full speed, come up with him in spite of his swiftness, and never fail to throw the noofe about his neck as he runs. They are frequently known to jump upon young horses that have paffed their whole life in the defert, and with only a girt around the animal's body to hold by, maintain their feat, in spite of all his violent exertions, until they have wearied him out and reduced him into perfect obedience. Such was the nation with whom the lot of Jack was now to refide, nor was he long before he had an opportunity of fhewing his talents.

It happened that a favourite horse of the chief was taken with a violent fever, and seemed to be in immediate danger of death. The Khan, for fo he is called among the Tartars, seeing his horse grow hourly worse, at length applied to the Europeans, to know if they could fuggeft any thing for his recovery. All the officers were profoundly ignorant of farriery; but when the application was made to Jack, he defired to see the horse, and with great gravity began to feel his pulfe, by paffing his hand within the animal's fore-leg; which gave the Tartars a very high idea of his ingenuity. Finding that the animal was in a high fever, he proposed to the Khan to let him blood, which he had learned to do very dexterously in England. He obtained permiffion to do as he

pleafed,

pleased, and having by great good luck a lancet with him, he let him blood very dexterously in the neck. After this operation he covered

him up, and gave him a warm potion made out of fuch ingredients as he could procure upon the spot, and left him quiet. In a few hours the horse began to mend, and, to the great joy of the Khan, perfectly recovered in a few days. This cure, fo opportunely performed, raised the reputation of Jack so high,, that every body came to confult him about. their horfes, and in a fhort time he was the univerfal farrier of the tribe. The Khan himfelf conceived fo great an affection for him, that he gave him an excellent horse to rid upon. and attend him in his hunting parties; and Jack, who excelled in the art or horsemanship,

mana

managed him fo well as to gain the esteem of the whole nation.

The Tartars, though they are excellent horsemen, have no idea of managing their horses, unlefs by violence; but Jack in a fhort time, by continual care and attention, made his horse fo docile and obedient to every motion of his hand and leg, that the Tartars themselves would gaze upon him with admiration, and allow themfelves to be outdone. Not contented with this, he procured fome iron, and made his horse shoes in the European tafte; this alfo was matter of aftonishment to all the Tartars, who are accuftomed to ride their horfes unfhod. He next obferved that the Tartar faddles are all prodigiously large and cumbersome, raifing the horfernan up to a great distance from the back of his horfe. Jack fet himself to work, and was not long be

fore he had completed fomething like an English hunting faddle, on which he paraded before the Khan. All mankind feem to have a paffionfor novelty, and the Khan was fo delighted with this effort of Jack's ingenuity, that, after paying him the highest compliments, he intimated a defire of having fuch a faddle for himself. Jack was the moft obliging creature in the world, and fpared no labour to ferve his friends; he went to work again, and in a fhort time completed at faddle still more elegant for the Khan. Thefe exertions gained him the favour and efteem both of the Khan and all the tribe; so that Jack was an univerfal favourite, and loaded with prefents, while all the reft of the officers, who had never learned to make a faddle or an horse-shoe, were treated with contempt and indifference. Jack, indeed, behaved with the greatest generofity to his countrymen, and divided with them all the mutton and venifon which were given him; but he could not help fometimes obferving, that it was great pity they had not learned to make an horfe-thue inftead of dancing and dreffing hair.

And now an Ambassador arrived from the Englith fettlements, with an account that all the conditions of the treaty had been performed, and demanding the reftitution of the prifoners. The Tartar Chief was too much a man of honour to delay an inftant, and they were all restored; but before