206 THE CARRIAGE OF ANIMALS 



designed for the use of human passengers is an indica- 

 tion of the ignorance and indifference of the early 

 designers of c rolling stock.' But the improvement in 

 this department has been constant, though slow. A 

 class of ' improved ' cattle-vans has been introduced on 

 some lines, but the supply is at present very scanty. 

 As a rule, valuable animals are sent in a horse-van, at 

 about the cost of a first-class passenger fare, with the 

 risk of being ' jammed ' by trying to turn in a compart- 

 ment designed for an animal of different shape. A 

 practical writer on cattle recommends that they shall be 

 put in < tail first/ to obviate this difficulty. But the 

 bulk of British cattle travel by rail in open trucks, 

 exposed to the violent draughts made by the train's 

 movement, and to the inflammations of the eyes and 

 nostrils set up by the constant rush of dust and particles 

 of grit from the line. Sometimes a tarpaulin shelters 

 them from sun and rain ; but in all cases they go by 

 ' goods train.' No owner of prize cattle would think 

 of sending them by this, the general means of carriage. 

 Telegrams from India during the late frontier rising 

 spoke of camels loaded up on rail for service at the 

 front being kept waiting in sidings for four days, and 

 dying in the trucks. It would appear from this that 

 there are no proper camel-vans yet provided on Indian 

 railways. For the Government elephants admirable 

 railway carriages are provided. They are built of steel, 



