MULES. 139 



There is apparent!}' no hardship that this animal cannot endure 

 when well looked after. I should like to mention the excellent 

 work done by the Argentine mules of the 13th Transport Corps, 

 and their condition under hard work. To my mind, if such 

 hardy, capable animals can be procured for transport purposes, 

 the sooner we seek them in Argentine districts the better. 

 Our mules passed through snow, ice and rain, and though 

 crossing mountains close on 17,000 ft. very few were lost from 

 heart failure." 



* " All the mules on the advance were unshod, and as long as 

 their feet were kept trimmed all went well : there were few 

 cases of lanaeness." 



Mules in recent frontier expeditions also have not been shod. 



It will be noted that the small Argentine mule is very 

 favourably mentioned in the above report. It is a very far cry 

 from South America to the high plateaux of Tibet, and the 

 merit of the animal is therefore the greater. The Chinese 

 mule, though not so handsome as the Argentine, is a very 

 strong, stout, hardy mule, with a reputation that is hard to beat. 

 A considerable number were captured and purchased by the 

 China Expeditionary Force in 1900-0] and did so well, particu- 

 larly in draught in the "Pekin Carts," that China has been 

 greatly drawn on by the Indian Government for small mules 

 ever since. The country has also some very fine larger mules, 

 15 hands and over, which are used for riding, and by the 

 wealthy Chinese for their Pekin carts. The Indian country- 

 bred, under good feeding and care, has also done his part well 

 in many theatres of War. 



The little Abyssinian mule, a game fellow, went through the 

 Somaliland Expedition of 1904 in pack work with flying colours. 



The South African mule, as a draught animal, finds great 

 favour in his own country, and a shipment of 260 to India, for 

 Mountain Artillery, in 1892, was most satisfactory. 



Equipment Mules. 



The equipment mules of Battalions, Pioneers, and those of 

 Sappers and Miners are of the same strains previously 

 mention^ed. They are slightly bigger and better than Transport, 

 and their record is all that could be desired. 



Long may we have mules to help us to fight our battles. 



