298 REMOUNT SYSTEMS OF FOREIGN ARMIES. 



for cavalry purposes. Arab stock is very popular, as it per- 

 petuates its traits and eliminates many weak points inherent 

 in the native mares. 



Besides the government stallions mentioned, numerous pro- 

 vincial governments and private parties keep breeding stal- 

 lions, these amounting in 1898-99 to 198 animals, among 

 which the Arab blood predominated. 



The best known of the native races of nearer India are the 

 Punjabs. In general the horse bred here is a small animal 

 l-li hands high, resembling the Afghan ; there are, however, 

 also larger horses called "Turki" or "Irani." 



In Bengal the native horse is a pony 12 to 13 hands high. 



In farther India an excellent pony is found in Burma, but 

 neither mares nor stallions of this race are exported. 



Mule breeding is given, in India, considerable attention, 

 the number of jacks used for this service in 1899 having been 

 406. 



There were in India in 1897 a total of 1,120,194 horses, 

 1,110,072 mules and asses, and 233,477 camels. These were 

 distributed as follows : Northwest i^rovinces and Oudh, 493,000 

 horses and 309,000 mules and asses; Punjab, 271,000 horses 

 and 557,000 mules and asses; Bombay, 152,000 horses and 

 67,000 mules and asses. 



It is the aim of the Indian government to supply the troops 

 exclusively with horses bred at home. This plan, however, 

 is not yet entirely feasible, although energetic measures have 

 been taken to promote horse breeding. 



The native cavalry consists of 19 regiments of Bengal lan- 

 cers, 5 of Punjab cavalry, 1 queen's own corps of guides in 

 Mardan, 1 detachment of police in the Northwest Province 

 and Oudh, 2 in Punjab, 1 detachment imperial service corps 

 troops, 2 regiments central India horse, and 1 remount depot. 

 The number of horses in a native regiment is about 600. Of 

 the English imperial troops only three regiments obtain their 

 remounts in India, all the artillery and the remainder of the 

 cavalry purchasing Australian horses. The native cavalry 

 troops, on the contrary, are supplied almost entirely with 

 home-bred horses. The remounts for native troops are pur- 

 chased full-grown, and the number bought in 1899 was 1,763. 

 There were also purchased 1,571 mules for the English troops 

 and 1,281 for the natives, mainly for purposes of transpor- 

 tation. Special committees are sent to Australia for the 



