SADDLERY, HARNESS, ETC. 101 



kept full of water under the carriage in the coach- 

 house; the evaporation of the water will keep the 

 woodwork moist, and prevent its cracking with the 

 heat. A matting made of the fibres of the u khus 

 khus," or lemon grass, should also be put round 

 the nave of the wheel, and kept wet, for the same 

 purpose, as it is exceedingly likely to crack with 

 the heat. The shafts of the trap should not be left 

 resting on the ground, as they will warp and bend ; 

 they should be supported either by a wooden trestle, 

 or else by a couple of ropes from the beams of the 

 roof. The whip, when not in use, should be hung 

 by a string at the upper part to a nail in the wall, 

 and a weight, such as a brick, tied to the butt end 

 to keep it straight ; otherwise, in a very short time, 

 it will get crooked. 



Servants. 



Indian "syces" are different to English grooms, 

 as the new arrival will soon find. They have 

 peculiar customs of their own, which, like all 

 Orientals, they cling to tenaciously, and will not 

 give up. If they are understood they are easily 

 managed, and work well ; but if not, the horse- 

 owner's life is a burden to him, for no European 

 can overcome the passive resistance of the Oriental. 



