HEAVY DRAUGHT HORSES. 107 



tamia, I am all the more surprised because I never realised that 

 animals of this class were procurable in numbers in Australia, 

 and especially from Queensland, whence I noticed from their 

 brands many of them came. Another surprise after coming 

 fresh from the disposal of animals on demobilization in France, 

 is the price at which these animals have been purchased and 

 ■landed in India, viz. ^45 and £50. If such animals had been 

 offered for sale in France at the close of the War they would 

 have realized anything from iGlOO to ^200. A pair of medium 

 heavy draught horses which I recently saw in the Horse Trans- 

 port Company in Waziristan certainly would have realized £250 

 each horse. The majority of them are Clydesdales, and it is 

 quite easy to pick out pure strains. At the sight of them I was 

 instantly reminded of the remarks of the Australian Corps in 

 France quoted above, and one could readily appreciate the 

 Australian preference for the Clydesdale strain in draught 

 horses. With such good material at reasonable cost, the thought 

 naturally occurs to one's mind as to whether they could not be 

 put to more general use in India for transport purposes both in 

 Peace and War, and their production in Australia fostered. 

 The small wheeled transport in common use in India, though 

 suitable generally, absorbs a large number of carts, animals 

 and men, and the employment of larger wagons {e.g. General 

 Service), stronger animals, and fewer drivers, carries a sug- 

 gestion of economy — at all events for certain purposes or 

 under certain circumstances. No doubt the pohcy of utilising 

 the resources of India for Army purposes is a correct one to 

 follow, but it is necessary to remember that conditions which 

 chiefly govern the growth of young stock are either deficient or 

 absent in that country, and for Artillery and other forms of 

 heavier draught, recourse elsewhere must be adopted. Australia, 

 for instance, is a country, par excellence, of good grass and 

 suitable climate, where stout and robust horses are raised, and 

 it is a very happy circumstance that India has a call on the 

 resources of that country to supply deficiences. There is now 

 not a single type or class of horse for Military purpose, from the 

 light Indian Cavalry to the heavy Artillery Draught, which 

 cannot be procured in Australia. Furthermore, questions of 

 supply of suitable animals are rendered easy by reason of the 



