470 REPORT ON THE TRANSIT OF STOCK. 



The evils which afflict these various classes of stock during 

 transit by sea are manifold. To begin with the deck, the first 

 serious evil that presents itself is the almost total want of shelter. 

 During two or three months in summer, when the weather is 

 warm and fine, the want of this may not be much felt ; but let 

 any one observe the appearance of animals as they are taken 

 into the vessel, and watch the progress of the effects of exposure 

 (intensified undoubtedly by the want of food and water) ; see 

 how they first begin to look cold, and their coats stare ; gradually 

 their backs begin to arch, and continue to rise, while their bellies 

 are tucked up until their natural shape is almost lost ; their feet 

 and legs become numbed, and, after two days of it perhaps, a 

 more complete picture of misery it would be difficult to find ; 

 while the discharge of mucous from the nose tells of mischief 

 within, which may, and often does, lead to fatal consequences. 

 Be it remembered that these animals are exposed to all kinds of 

 weather, wind and rain, frost and snow, and, what is often worse 

 than all, the lash of the spray in stormy weather. I have stood 

 on the bridge of a steamer and watched how, even in a small 

 storm, each wave as it was met sent a shower of spray over the 

 vessel from stem to stern, and with a force which only those 

 who have experienced it can fully appreciate ; and the condi- 

 tion of the stock exposed to it was pitiable indeed. This state 

 of things may not occur in every voyage, but it does occur suffi- 

 ciently often to call for the application of everything that can 

 be done to increase shelter ; and the following suggestions would 

 perhaps help somewhat towards so desirable an end : — 



1st, Let the pens have light corrugated iron (galvanised) roofs 

 thrown over them, slightly arched in the middle. The standards 

 at present used for the boarding would be quite sufficient to 

 carry them, if made of a suitable height, and a toprail added to 

 receive it. 2d, In windy or cold weather, it is essential to pro- 

 tect the animals from the sweep of the blast, and this might 

 readily be done by tying a tarpaulin along the side of the pen 

 exposed to the wind. 



Along the bulwarks a light roof, as suggested for the pens, 

 might be erected by increasing the height of the standards into 

 which the planks already alluded to are fixed, keeping the inside 

 higher considerably than the toprail of the bulwarks, to allow 

 water to run off. Then, instead of a division plank, a light close- 

 boarded partition might be inserted. These would break the 

 force of the wind to the animals, and also keep them tolerably 

 dry, and thereby greatly increase their comfort ; and as they 

 might be constructed to be readily erected and taken down, there 

 does not appear to be any very serious objection to their use. 



In the hold, the first, and perhaps the greatest, evil to the 

 stock is exactly the reverse of what occurs on deck ; fresh air is 



