THE BARB AND THE BRIDLE. 151 



I have witnessed many other instances of the facility with which 

 horses will extricate their riders from difficulties in deep water. 

 Among these I know none more worthy of record than the following. 



Some years ago a large Government transport, conveying troops 

 and horses, was wrecked at Buffalo, Cape of Good Hope. Among 

 the troops was a detachment of light cavalry. The ship parted on 

 the rocks, and despite the efforts of the people on shore, the greater 

 part of the troops (officers and men) were drowned. An officer of 

 the cavalry party, however, determined to make an effort to reach 

 the shore, upon which a heavy sea and tremendous surf were 

 breaking. He laimched his horse overboard, and, plunging quickly 

 after him into the tumbhng sea, seized the horse by the mane, and 

 succeeded in retaining his grasp, while the plucky and sagacious 

 animal gallantly dragged his master in safety through the surf. 



I repeat, then. Be always on your guard in crossing deep water 

 with a horse, or in fording a stream where the current is rapid. Jn 

 India and other tropical countries the necessity for being able to 

 swim a horse occurs more frequently than at home ; and, in the 

 monsoon time especially, it behoves everybody who is going a 

 journey on horseback to be extremely careful how they attempt to 

 cross a swollen stream, as the freshets come down with such rapidity 

 that I have frequently seen a horse carried off his legs by the force 

 of the current when the water has not been more than knee-deep, 

 and, when once the foothold is gone in such places, it is extremely 

 difficult frequently to find a place at which to get out again, on 

 account of the precipitous formation of most of the banks. In any 

 case, however, the above-named directions will be found effectual, 

 and the horse, if left to himself, will find a landing place, even if he 

 swims a considerable distance to gain it. 



A point of considerable importance as regards hunting also is for 

 ladies to avoid riding home in open carriages, no matter how fine the 

 weather may be, or how well they may be wrapped up. Riding to 

 the meet on wheels is all very well, particularly if the distance is 

 great and by a cross-country road, and the time short. But, after 

 galloping about during the greater part of the day, no conveyance 

 home other than her horse is fit for a lady, except the inside of a 



