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 which skirt the bay, and soon came upon some roads as bad as any “Camincha real” in Spain. My horse's straw shoes, having already been half shuffled off, were tripping him up at every step, and compelled me to dismount in order to get rid of them altogether. An Englishman riding with the fore-feet of his horse muffled in straw slippers, might furnish a subject for “Punch.” I am happy to say that at both the legations this absurdity has been got rid of, and means found of teaching the Japanese to shoe our horses properly with iron; and more than one of the Daimios, I was told, had followed the good example.’

High, black, and small hoofs are with the Japanese, as with the Greeks and Romans, in most favour, and for the same reasons.

The massive, powerful black bulls of Japan, which carry immense loads on their backs, often have their feet encased in strong, half-tanned buskins, which lace round the leg; probably these resemble the hippopodes of Apsyrtus.

Captain Blakiston informs us, that near Chung-King, province of Sz'chuan, on the upper waters of the Great Yang-tsze, the cattle wore straw shoes to prevent their slipping on the wet ground.

In the far north of China, as we will have occasion to notice hereafter, horses and cattle are shod with iron shoes and nails.

Colonel Smith mentions, that in Iceland horses are occasionally shod by the peasants with sheep's horn;