156 ANIMALS USED IN WAR. 



" Eiding camels were Bikanirs, Arabs, and a few Egyptian." 



" Burden camels were Indian, Baluchi, Arab, Somali and 

 Abyssinian." 



" All did good work if they were good specimens of their kind 

 to start with, but the Bikanirs carried more and outlasted the 

 other riding camels with great ease, so long as they got water 

 and food fairly regularly." 



" Of the burden camels the Indian and Somali bore the heat 

 and burden of the day, and outmarched and outlived the Ara bs 

 and Abyssinians. Where it is possible to water and feed them, 

 the Indian camel, will outlast the Somali also, but when the 

 pinch comes, and they have to go on little food and no water 

 for days and days, the Somali camel will pull through and save 

 the situation, though it never will be any use afterwards." 



" Some camels did extraordinary marches without water, 

 Somali as much as eighteen days, and Indians nine days, but 

 they never recovered. A camel if once allowed to get below par 

 recovers very, very slowly." 



" A great deal of nonsense was talked about the best way to 

 prepare animals for trekking in Somaliland, some people 

 insisting that it was fatal to give ponies and Somali camels any 

 grain, as it only created an artificial appetite and thirst which 

 could not be satisfied on the march, and therefore the animals 

 would die, though those previously grass-fed only would do the 

 work and live. This is quite a mistake. The ordinary rules 

 for getting animals fit hold good in Somaliland, with the 

 exception that it is undoubtedly sound, owing to the exigencies 

 of the country, to teach animals to drink much and seldom 

 rather than little and often." 



" That Somali camels do very well on a regular ration of 

 grain, dry grass, and water was proved by the camels in the 

 carts. Each camel got 6 lb of grain and 15 lb of grass daily, 

 and water every third day. They did steady work and kept, 

 and some even improved, in condition." 



I have specially quoted the above remarks as they not only 

 show merit of animals, but an intelligent handling of them. 



I close this chapter with a strong wish that the few remarks 

 I could crowd into a short article will induce officers and men 

 to take a special interest in our Army camels, their selection, 



