2 4 8 



SADDLE-BAGS. 



necessary. These can however all be readily carried by 

 the after-rider's horse, or by a native attendant on foot, 

 as suggested by Mr. Gordon Gumming ; the latter can 

 keep up well throughout the day, and carry a bundle 

 not exceeding 25 or 30 Ibs in weight, even though he 

 has to run smartly for short distances occasionally. For 

 the conveyance of necessaries on horseback, when the 

 hunter is accompanied by a mounted attendant, a very 

 convenient form of sack is the ancient and time- 

 honoured Spanish "alforjas," such as is carried by 

 every muleteer in Spain ; they are there generally made 

 of carpet, but may of course be of any desired material, 

 and the traveller can make them himself. 



As regards alforjas we may here just explain that 

 they consist of two bags, not unlike the old form of 

 purse, connected by a central piece long enough to 

 allow the bag portions to hang down, one on each 

 side of the horse: the central portion then goes over 

 the saddle, and the rider is seated upon it without 

 being in the least inconvenienced by it. 



Then as regards the difficult question of carrying a 

 gun on horseback, this has always been a matter 

 much discussed among military men and travellers 

 generally. Cavalry, as we know, get over the dif- 

 ficulty by carrying shortened guns (carbines), these 

 can be carried on the x)ld Mexican plan in a leather 

 holster or bucket hung behind the right leg, without 

 serious difficulty. Of late years the British cavalry 

 have adopted this system. But carbines are of very 

 little use to travellers except as a special weapon, 

 when running game with swift horses ; we have used 

 them thus many times, but on the whole preferred 

 our own trusty weapon with the longer barrels. The 



