300 REMOUNT SYSTEMS OF FOREIGN ARMIES. 



CAPE COLONY. 



The number of horses in 1897 was 357,960. 



In Cape Colony and Natal together there were, before the 

 Boer war, four cavalry detachments with about 1,200 horses, 

 all from Cape Colony. 



AUSTRALIA. 



The total number of horses in Australia (including New 

 Zealand and Fiji) in 1897 was about 1,935,000, distributed as 

 follows: New South Wales, 498,034; Queensland, 479,280; 

 South Australia, 164,820; Victoria, 431,547 (in 1895); West 

 Australia, 62,222; Tasmania, 29,898; New Zealand, 252,834. 



In the most important colony, New South Wales, there 

 were in 1898 : 



Heavy draft horses. 

 Light draft liorses - 

 Saddle horses 



Thoroughbred. 



18,473 

 13, 758 

 26, 338 



Ordinary. 



125,234 

 108, 308 

 174, 702 



The prices are very low. Heavy draft horses bring only 

 $47.60 at auction in New South Wales; in West Australia 

 from $4.75 to $9.50 more. Saddle horses cost about $28.60, 

 only the best (the Indian remounts) coming to $71.40. The 

 exports are inconsiderable, amounting to 1,865 horses in 1897, 

 of which 1,189 went to India. As England has been pur- 

 chasing a great number of remounts every year in Australia, 

 interest has been awakened in the breeding of a stronger sad- 

 dle horse than formerly. 



As there is no standing army there is no remount service. 

 Each colony, however, has a few batteries of permanent 

 artillery, for which the necessary horses are bought in open 

 market. There are also a few regiments of volunteer cavalry, 

 partly lancers and partly mounted infantry — a sort of militia. 

 Each volunteer has to secure his own remount. Australia is 

 an important source for remounts, not only for the British 

 colonial forces, but also, to an extent not yet appreciable, for 

 mounted troops of other powers, particularly those in East 

 Asia, Good thoroughbreds are imported to a great extent 

 from England to improve the Australian breeds. An excel- 

 lent half-bred saddle horse is raised in New South Wales and 

 Victoria. 



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