CARE OF GEAR. 
47 
Care of Gear. 
Guddela must be dried after being wetted, by hanging it with 
its length parallel with ground. It should be rolled up at night to 
keep from damp and white-ants. 
Guddee should always be lifted off, not throw-n off, as is usually 
done, as this not only tends to shift the stuffing but strains the sewing. 
It should be stood on end till required. Girths, neck, and crupper- 
ropes should be placed where they cannot become wet or soiled. 
If, as a matter of routine, each part of the gear is always kept in 
its appointed place near each animal, sets w^ill not become mixed, 
and the attendants will know exactly w^here to lay hands on them at 
Fig. 12. — One form of howdah used in travelling by the Burmese and Shans. 
a moment's notice. The excellence of this pattern gear, which is 
the result of many years' experience and labour on the part of the 
late G. P. Sanderson, I can fully testify to, but my experience in this 
country with ordinary mahouts has taught me to discard the iron 
saddle w^hen working in hilly country, as I found it next to impos- 
sible to have the loads so secured as to prevent some backw^ard and 
forward play. Another fault necessary to look out for and punish 
severely is the habit that some careless mahouts have of placing 
chains, etc., when not in use, on the spine, in the trough caused by 
the opening in the guddee after it is placed on the back, and which 
is purposely made to reduce weight and prevent friction on the spine. 
The Burmans, Shans, Karens employ baskets of various sizes 
