TEANSPOET BY SEA AND LAND 919 



during the War in South Africa 6-04 per cent, died; of 

 60,352 sent from Hungary 1-96 per cent, died ; of 109,839 

 shipped from the United States of America 2-63 per cent. 

 died ; of 14,611 shipped from Canada 322 per cent, died ; 

 while of 26,616 shipped from the Argentine only "54 per 

 cent. died. These losses include the casualties before ship- 

 ment, but are nevertheless comparable. 



The latter figures might lead one to believe that latitude 

 had something to say to it, and that horses passing from 

 south of the equator to South Africa were in a better 

 position than those passing from winter to summer in 

 the course of a week or so ; but this view is not entirely 

 tenable. 



Speaking roughly it may be said that the mortality 

 among horses shipped from England to South Africa was 

 double that of any other country. 



Mules are far better sailors ; during the South African 

 War ships carrying a thousand mules would arrive with 

 the loss of three or four only. Of 81,524 mules shipped 

 from the United States to South Africa 2 per cent. died. 



The mortality among other animals at sea is much less 

 than horses. Of 310,498 cattle sent from America to the 

 United Kingdom in 1900 only "24 per cent, were lost, and 

 of 96,544 sheep "71 per cent, were lost. It is interesting 

 to note that during the same year 29,064 horses crossed 

 the Atlantic from America to Great Britain, with a loss of 

 2'55 per cent.; while in the succeeding year 23,351 crossed 

 with a loss of 1'73 per cent., which is extremely low. 

 During the years 1901 to 1903 inclusive 1,404,591 cattle 

 were imported from Canada and United States into Great 

 Britain, with a loss of under one quarter ('22) per cent., 

 while during the same period 911,099 sheep were imported 

 from the same country with a loss of 1'3 per cent. 



In bringing forward these figures, it is not intended to 

 convey the idea that the loss of horses can be brought 

 down as low as that for cattle. When a horse will learn 

 to lie down and take matters quietly on board a ship, and 

 can be given immunity to ship pneumonia, we may then 



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