Among Horses in India. 81 



order that tliere may be no impediment to the union of the 

 internal wound by the adhesive process. 



If the uncovered operation be performed, there will be 

 great danger of its being followed by hernia. 



Baggage Animals. 



The animals used in India for baggage purposes when 

 troops are marching, are elephants, camels, oxen, ponies and 

 mules. 



Camels. 



Camels vary very much in their muscular strength and 

 other qualities. When large and powerful one of them can 

 carry for a day or two as much as eight maunds, or about 

 650 pounds ; but on a march an average camel should never 

 be loaded with more than four maunds, otherwise he will 

 fall away in condition, and become liable to sore back. 

 When loaded the usual rate of travel is about two and a half 

 miles an hour. 



The camels of the lower parts of the Bengal Presidency 

 are almost useless upon ordinary roads in wet weather, owing 

 to their inability to walk with safety upon slippery ground. 

 Their legs sometimes slide apart to such a degree that the 

 muscles which attach them to the body become torn, and 

 they die from internal bleeding, or at least are incapable of 

 walking, and have to be left behind. 



The camels of the Punjab are much more sure-footed, and 

 if moderately loaded, will travel in very rainy weather over 

 slippery clay soil quite as well as horses. 



It is often stated that camels are incapable of climbing 

 steep hills ; but this is not true of those accustomed to 

 mountainous districts, as they will climb rocks easily, and go 

 almost anywhere, provided the path is free from grass or 

 leaves, and wide enough for their feet. 



While superintending the horse-breeding of the Punjab, 

 I regularly employed from sixteen to eighteen camels for about 

 seven months in each year. During the three years I was 



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