HINTS ON TRAVELLING AND CAMP EQUIPMENT. 21 5 



As a rule, the traveller will have to depend upon the mules and ponies which he can 

 hire at various stages along his road, and these animals will all be furnished with the 

 common straw pad or ' paldnd.' This is a most inconvenient pack-saddle, and as the 

 drivers are generally unprovided with ropes it is essential that the loads should all have 

 their own cords (as I have already recommended), and that they should be carefully arrang- 

 ed in pairs, so as to balance one another. Here the spring weighing machine will be found 

 indispensable. If pack animals are to be largely employed, each load should be furnished 

 with two long leather straps, with ' dees ' that can be hooked on to the Otago saddle or 

 connected by cords over the back of the animal with the ordinary 'paldnd! 



The smallest baggage pony should carry two coolies' loads : a good one three — the 

 third load being of course balanced on the animal's back, between the other two. 



When travelling in Thibet, yaks will be the usual beasts of burden : they are fur- 

 nished with small wooden pack-saddles, which answer very well. A good yak will carry 

 four ordinary coolie loads. 



Although the yak is well adapted to easy marching in a severe climate, it must be remem- 

 bered that it will not stand a long succession of forced marches ; and as it will not eat grain, 

 it is useless in a country totally devoid of grass, such as that lying between the Chung Chenmo 

 and Karakash rivers, on the road to Yarkund. If that country is visited, ponies or donkeys 

 must be employed for transport, and barley carried for them. 



TRAVELLING IN THE PLAINS. 

 Camels. 

 Throughout the greater part of the plains of India the camel is readily obtained, and 

 is the most convenient form of transport. Camels always have their own pack-saddles, 

 on which tents and similar loads can be easily packed ; but for all smaller articles I strongly 

 recommend the use of ' Kajdwds' (a sort of large pannier), which will save an infinity 

 of time and trouble. A camel will easily carry 400 lbs. 



Ekkas. 

 For rapid marches, where there are tolerable roads, the small country pony-cart called 

 an ' ekkd ' is admirably adapted. The ratlike little ' tats ' which generally draw them have 

 some of the best blood in India in their veins, and their powers of endurance are something 

 marvellous. Some of the feats performed by these little ponies are almost incredible, and 

 a journey of sixty or seventy miles, with a heavy load, within twenty-four hours, is no 

 unusual performance. 



Bullock Carts. 

 ' Hackerries ' or bullock carts should never be employed if camels or ' ekkds ' are procur- 

 able. They are terribly slow, and only adapted for very heavy baggage on tolerable roads. 



Elephants. 

 In the Terai, Assam, and parts of Lower Bengal, Elephants are the only available means 

 of transport : they will carry at least 800 lbs. 



