FEEDING 163 



in the face of a bold and active enemy, where time is 

 the all-important factor. 



Should there be no grazing, a third feed of forage if no 

 or straw should be given them, as a deficiency of bulk what to' be 

 of proper food is too often overlooked ; but here again 

 the difficulty of transporting fodder in large quantities 

 confronts us, and in the march from Korti to Metammeh 

 was a complete failure, as the animals had to depend 

 entirely, except for a very small grain ration for the 

 first few days, on what they could pick up in the 

 desert. As we marched every day from or before dawn 

 to dark, and after it, and as at night they were all 

 carefully secured, it is not a surprising fact that the 

 poor brutes succumbed rapidly one after the other. 



It seems to be almost a universal idea amongst us, Mistaken 



. . notions as 



judging at all events from the rations we give on to quan- 

 service, either on the march or in camp, that a camel food ' 

 when not grazing only requires about 20 Ib. of forage 

 in addition to grain, and not more than 25 to 30 Ib. 

 at the very outside without grain ; and when he is 

 doing no work we reduce his rations still more. But 

 this is utterly inadequate, and as I have already 

 pointed out he ought to get quite double that amount. 

 There is some excuse on service when passing through 

 a barren country, and when, owing to the almost in- 

 superable difficulties of transport, forage is not procur- 

 able in sufficient quantities ; but even when these do 

 not stand in the way we stint our camels all the same. 



Even when he can get grazing, unless it is of the 

 right sort and very plentiful, and he is allowed ample 

 time to fill himself for instance, if it is scanty and he 

 only has three or four hours of it he ought to get a 



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