can carry great weights, cover much ground, and require few 

 attendants. The regulation load varies according to the size of 

 the elephant and the nature of the country from 738 lbs. (in 

 Madras) to 1,6 10 lbs. exclusive of gear (in Bengal). The Bombay 

 regulation 1,200 lbs. (15 maunds) may be taken as the average 

 and in Mountain Batteries the female elephants {7^ — 8i feet high) 

 are considered capable of carrying this load "at a pinch on a 

 good road." In the Abyssinian Campaign some succumbed to 

 exhaustion under overweights of 1,500 — 1,800 lbs. (some discre- 

 tionary power being allowed to the officers in charge). Hood 

 gives the following scale of loads for elephants in a hilly or mouH' 

 tainous country : — 



7 ft. 6 in. Elephants not to exceed 6 maunda. 



8 »» >> n • » 



9 it )> » o » 

 10 )i » » "^ >» 



In a level country increase by 2 maunds. Chains, coolies, ma- 

 houts, &c., weigh at least 2 maunds (Oriental Sporting Magazine). 



An excessive load is apt to tire the animal too soon, to make the 

 feet sore, and to cause stumbling. This load is equal to that of 

 three camels and of seven and a half ponies or small mules. The 

 large amount of elastic tissue in the elephant, the uprightness 

 of his weight-supporting limb bones, and his lymphatic tem- 

 perament adapt him for sustained exertion imder a burden. He 

 will work all day long, in emergencies remaining under his load 

 even twenty hours at a stretch but, as a rule, may be required to 

 go fifteen or twenty miles spending about 5 or 6 hours on the move 

 and averaging a rate of some 3 miles per hour.. " Properly laden 

 and properly fed an elephant will easily do 12 miles per diem all 

 the year round" (Hood). He moves at a peculiar ambling pace 

 the two limbs of one side advancing simultaneously, this can for 

 a short distance be increased to a fast shuffle of about 15 miles 

 per hour (Sanderson). On the march metalled roads are to be 

 avoided as much as possible out of consideration for the feet of 

 the animal ; no part of the body is more liable to disorder, and 

 complete temporary incapacity results from injury to or disease 

 of these important organs ; so that we may well modify the old 

 saying into " no foot ; no elephant." We shall see this hereafter, 

 but must now observe that sudden transitions from a long march 



