REPORT OX THE TRANSIT OF STOCK. 4G7 



parallel to the direction in which the wind is blowing. A current 

 of air is thus intercepted, and carried clown by the sheet, which 

 greatly helps ventilation. Sometimes, also, one or two air-pipes 

 are introduced ; but any I have yet seen are altogether inade- 

 quate for thorough ventilation of a hold, into which perhaps fifty 

 head of cattle may be packed. Such is a short description of the 

 ordinary stock-conveying steamer ; but it would be quite incom- 

 plete without some notice of a very important and grim-looking 

 functionary, "the cattleman." Dressed in what originally had 

 been coarse blue flannel, but now begrimed with sweat and dirt, 

 until his dress and face and hands are the colour of soot, with 

 matted hair and a fortnight's beard, and utterly unconcerned 

 about the comfort of the animals under his care, he moves about 

 his own peculiar domain, the hold, with the most absolute power, 

 knocking the animals about, beating and cursing them in the 

 most unlimited manner — evidently his leading principle being to 

 resent as the greatest insult any resistance on the part of the 

 animals to his manner of handling and securing them, and to 

 visit them with condign punishment accordingly. So much for 

 the cattleman. But to return to the subject of shipping stock, 

 and to begin with 



Horses. — These are usually put in "boxes," made just large 

 enough to contain one animal. They are made movable, so that 

 if the horse cannot be walked on board, the box is landed, the 

 animal placed in it, and then hoisted on board by the crane. 

 Horses are kept on deck or in the hold, according to the weather 

 anticipated, being kept on deck in the generality of cases, and 

 only sent below when very stormy weather is threatened. Valu- 

 able horses usually have a groom to attend them, but ordinary 

 animals are left to the care of the cattleman, and sometimes 

 have, and sometimes have not, provender sent with them. 

 They are supplied with water generally three times a-day, so 

 that, on the whole, the better classes of horses are here, as 

 on the road, pretty well cared for. The chief evil to which 

 they are exposed is the risk of catarrh, from the draughtiness 

 of their boxes. This appears capable of being greatly miti- 

 gated. Boxes which have only open rails for the upper part 

 ought to be condemned altogether, and the whole box, sides, 

 ends, and roof close boarded, with a window for light, and a 

 louvre ventilator in the end under the animal's head, and another 

 in the roof over it, the louvre boards of both of which being- 

 movable, ventilation could be regulated according to the weather, 

 and the animal supplied with fresh air in abundance, without 

 being chilled in a draught. If these boxes were properly con- 

 structed, and food and water were supplied to the animals in 

 a systematic manner (to prevent which there is absolutely 

 nothing), there would not remain many disadvantages in this 



