14G 



lining pads. The work of tiie campaig-n being so heavy all 

 camels had to be used, though many were unfit to work owing 

 to severe wounds and their general bad condition; the result 

 being that many of them that died were found to have suffered 

 from blood poisoning with the accompanying fever, they marched 

 on till they dropped and died," At Assouan the Aden drivers 

 preferred the Aden imd. It is four feet long, and thus longer 

 than the Transport pack saddle; so also is the Egyptian army 

 pack saddle which extends right down to the rump (Furse). 



The Algerian French Saddle (pack) consists of two wooden 

 forks 9 in. apart and 14 in. high, fastened together by two 

 bands and a hame-shaped woollen bag, stuffed with esparto 

 grass, encircling the hump. In front of the hump the tree is 

 securely fastened to the padding. Two ropes pass under the 

 animal (as far forward and aft as possible) to act as girths, the 

 former of esparto, the latter of some softer substance, wool or 

 camel hair because it goes under the sheath. Weight 25 lbs. 

 (Byrne). Each camel should have its own saddle, and camels 

 should be purchased w^ith their saddles (Byrne). The pad 

 should, when on the ground, open well like a horse collar, 

 so as to thoroughly clear the hump, there being a clear opening 

 of 9 to 15 inches in the centre. Eice straw is the best and 

 cheapest stuffing, but bhoosa is generally used. Numnas were 

 found dirty and troublesome. 



On the Nile Expedition errors in loading and impractical 

 character of loads proved fruitful sources of galls. The regulation 

 method of adjusting the loads is by lashing the ropes round the 

 end of the side pieces, which causes undue weight to be thrown 

 on the trees and not enough on the centre of the back. The native 

 practice is to suspend the loads from the middle of extra raised 

 bars placed at the centre for that pui'pose. The Cairo saddle 

 with nets and lashing is stated to have weighed about 100 lbs., 

 and often the net, not gross, weight of stores was estimated 

 in loading, this makes an immense diffei-ence in the weight to be 

 carried by camels, and weight in itself suffices to arrest circu- 

 lation in the skin and so cause sore back. The load should not 

 exceed 300 lb?., exclusive of saddles, whore long and continuous 



