The War Office and Horse Transport. 257 



that port, the Ismore again sailed without 

 a veterinary surgeon, whose services on this 

 occasion would not have been of much avail, 

 because the ship was lost in St. Helena 

 Bay. 



Inability to obtain the aid of veterinary 

 surgeons was not the cause of the Minister 

 of War's failure to engage them, if I may 

 judge by the enquiries I have made among 

 my professional brethren, and by the fact 

 that as soon as this war broke out, I wrote 

 to the War Office offering my services in 

 taking charge of horses proceeding to South 

 Africa ; but my application was refused. 

 Later on, I had the honour of meeting the 

 Director General of the A.V.D., and he most 

 courteously informed me that he was only too 

 glad to give me the employment I desired, 



17 



