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INTRODUCTION PART III- 



ON THE ELEPHANT AS AN ANIJIAL OP TRANSPOKT, 



The value of any animal for army transport purposes depends 

 upon a number of considerations as to his qualities, mental, moral, 

 physical, and vital, and consequently is not to be decided off- 

 hand in a mathematical and commercial manner, although exact 

 calculation and economics give us a basis upon which to work. 

 In the first place, the normal load of a full-sized elephant is 15' 

 maunds — on service it may bo estimated at 8 — 10 maunds (say 

 800 lbs.). ITiat of the pack mule and bullock is 200 lbs. (say for 

 service 160 lbs.). That for camels is four maunds (say 240 lbs. 

 for service) . That for small mules, ponies, and asses about 100 lbs. 

 Thus we conclude that on service the loads are proportionately. 

 Pony, ass, or small mule : Elephant : : 1 : 8. 

 'Pack mule or bullock : do : : 1 : 5. 

 Camel : do : : 1 : 3J. 



The number of attendants required (according to Colonel Mac- 

 Gregor) is camels, mules, and ponies, 1 man to 3. 

 Bullocks ... .. ... 1 „ ,,5. 



and we have seen that the allowance for 



Elephants is 2 men to 1. 



Therefore by use of Elephants instead of Ponies there is a saving 

 in attendants in proportion to load carried at the rate of 2 : 2|, 

 but in other animals there is a loss, thus Camels 2:1, Pack mules 

 2: If, Pack bullocks 2 : 1. 



Thus elephants require more attendants than most other trans* 

 port animals provided they be allowed two per head. This pro- 

 bably would not be the case on service where the fodder would be 

 supplied by the Commissariat and thus the grass-cutter not be 

 required. Again it must be remembered that Col. MacGregor'a 

 estimate is contrary to the conclusions deduced from the Abys? 

 siuian expedition where it was found that there should be one 

 attendant to each pack animal. 



All transport animals require skilled attendants. In Abyssinia 

 it was found necessary to wait until Punjabi iluletoers had been 

 imported to replace the useless non-descripts who had been col« 

 lected for charge of the mules, before the transport could be 

 organized. Thus although the Mahouts must be experienced men 

 this is no drawback to the relative value of elephants for trans* 

 port. Probably there are proportionately as inany skilled Mahout^ 



