248 MILITARY COMMISSION TO EUROPE. 



The pants are very loose, and are re-enforced with black leather. * 



Boots are worn, the sjiur being permanently attached to the heel. 



All troops have both a full dress and a forage cap ; the former is often left at home in time of war. 



The full dress cap varies with the corps ; the undress is usually the kepis, which has a large 

 straight vizor and a loose conical top. 



The African chasseurs wear their full dress cap in the field ; it is miich like that of our infantry , 

 rather smaller at top, and has no pompon; their undress cap is the fez, a close-fitting red felt 

 skull cap, with a tassel. 



It should be remarked that the uniform and equipment of this admirable corps is solely for 

 service ; there is no attempt at ornament, and nothing superfluous is allowed. 



HORSES. 



In France, there are 6, in Algiers 3 remount companies, each consisting of 1 captain, 5 lieu- 

 tenants, and a variable number of men ; their duty is the purchase and care of remount horses. 

 Excefjt at Saumur, there are no haras, properly so called ; that is to say, there are no breeding 

 studs to raise colts for the general service. At each remount depot there are stallions of the race 

 most suitable for crossing with the mares of the vicinity ; at the proper seasons of the year these 

 are distributed among the villages to cover the mares of the country gratuitously. The proprietors 

 of the colts are under no obligation to ofier them for sale to the government, but usually find 

 it their interest to do so. 

 Horses are purchased at from 4 to 7 years of age, and must be of French origin. 

 The animal is brought to the commandant of the remount depot, and submitted to his 

 inspection, without any price being named. If the commandant finds him unsuitable, he is at 

 one rejected ; if the contrary is the case, he is brought before all the ofiicers of the depot for a 

 thorough examination. 



Each ofiicer then writes his estimate of the value of the animal on a slip of paper ; these 



papers are placed in a hat and shaken up, so that the estimate of each officer may not be known ; 



the mean of these estimates is then taken, and the commandant ofi'ers that price for the animal. 



If the owner accepts the ©O'er, the price is paid at once ; if he refuses, the horse is at once 



sent away, for no bargaining is allowed. 



It often liap23ens that the owner receives a larger price than he would have demanded. 



This system is stated to work admirably. 



The average price is fixed every year by the minister of war ; it is usually about as follows : 



For horses of the reserve cavalry.* $150 



" " artillery and cavalry of the line ., 120 



" " light cavalry 100 



" " train of artillery, engineers, and baggage 100 



For officers' horses 180 



The average height is fixed as follows : 



Eeserve cavalry 15 hands 



Artillery and cavalry of the line 15 " 



Light cavalry 14 " 



Trains 14 " 



Pack horses 14 " 



Mules 13 " 



Officers' horses a trifle larger than those of their men. 



