94 SEATS AND SADDLES. 



French authorities* tell us that a good sumpter-horse, 

 working on a good road, can carry 100 to 150 kilo- 

 grammes (equal to 15 stone |- lb., or 23 stone 8| lb.), 

 at a walk, to a distance of 40 kilometres (equal about 

 24to English miles) in ten hours. But if the same 

 horse be required to do its work in trot, the burden 

 must be reduced to 80 kilog, (equal 176 J English 

 pounds), in order to enable it to do 22J to 24tt) 

 English miles in a day (of ten hours). If the burden 

 consists of a rider with his saddle, &c., instead of 

 inert matter alone, the horse can do the 24^ miles at 

 a walk, on a good road, under the greater load of 90 

 kilog. (198 J English pounds), and he will only require 

 seven to eight hours. It is therefore evident that it 

 is the dead weight of the pack which distresses the 

 horse most ; and our own experience of jockeys carry- 

 ing extra weight confirms this. 



Further, a man carrying a weight without the aid 

 of machinery, can transport 44 kilog. (97 lb. 10 oz. 

 English weight) to a distance of 12 A English miles for 

 a day's work ; and on comparing this with the day's 

 work of the sumpter-horse, we find that the former is 

 to the latter in the proportion of 1 to 5. 



Now it is well understood that a foot-soldier who 

 has to use his weapons cannot carry anything like this 

 97 lb. 10 oz. English weight, without converting him 

 into a mere " colporteur," the utmost admissible load 

 being 22 kilog. (48 lb. 13 oz.), or one-third the man's 

 own average weight jt and as the saddle-horse can 



* Jkligout et Bergery, ' Th^orie des Afliits et des Voitures 

 d'Artillerie.' 



t The Continental cavalries take 145^ lb., or 10 st. 5^ lb. as 

 the average weight. The British soldiers mnst be much heavier 



