THE CAMEL. 293 



htspectipn of the Grazing Ground. 



An officer should invariably visit the grazing ground and see that the Inspection 

 animals are properly distributed, so that each gets good opportunity to of the 

 graze, and also to see that none are off feed. If not inspected, attendants grazing 

 have a habit of tying their charges to trees to prevent them straying, and g''0""d- 

 not troubling about them further. 



Equipme?it. — Tlie equipment of baggage camels is a saddle with girth Equip- 

 crupper and breast piece, a nose peg and rope and loading ropes. In ment. 

 addition, a head stall, a blanket, and loading nets are sometimes 

 provided. 



OPEN. CLOSED. 



Fig. 58. 



Saddle. — Camels' saddles are of various local patterns, but the Indian Saddle, 

 (palan) is generally considered the best. It consists of two wooden 

 arches, joined together by a wooden peg (kokra) which admits of their 

 being opened and closed as required (fig. 58). The arch should be 

 well clear of the top of the withers, and rounded to the curve of 

 the back. 



The side bars are four springy bamboos lashed to the arches on each 

 side, the centre bar of the lower three passing through a flap of the outer 

 cover of the pad. The upper bar is lashed just below the kokra, and is 

 six to eight inches longer than the others each way. (Fig. 57.) 



The pad is covered with goat hair cloth and lined with blanket, which The pad. 

 is preferable to sacking or canvas. It is stuffed with " punni" grass, rice 

 straw, wheat straw, or palm fibre, the last article being used in Egypt. 

 Wool, tow and bhoosa have all been tried, and are not so suitable as the 

 other materials mentioned. 



The saddle should not touch the hump at any part ; more stuffing is 

 required at the ends than in the centre, most under the arches, and it 



