THE BENGAL STUD HORSES. 
600 
endeavour to procure fresh ones, and a number of most ex¬ 
cellent and useful remounts were procured. An unlimited 
supply would have been obtained, had not large studs of 
horses been sent away previous to the arrival of the army, to 
prevent their falling into our hands. I was in attendance on 
the officer appointed to purchase for the 16th Lancers. We 
went round the Candahar district, buying from the farmers 
as you would in England. We saw their establishments, and 
their mode of bringing up their young cattle; these were 
sleek and well fed; the mothers robust and healthy, and of 
good substance. We asked for the stallions; the reply was 
characteristic:—“ Any stallion answers.” Three men told 
us that, if the Indian markets were open to them, they would 
supply almost any amount of horses. 
I believe it is now beyond doubt that, for artillery pur¬ 
poses, the New South Wales* horse is so superior to the 
stud breed as to render any attempt at comparison ridicu¬ 
lous. The colonial horse is tractable, enduring, patient of 
privation, and of a courage no difficulty can damp. The 
most inveterate partiality can scarcely pronounce that these 
are qualities which characterise the stud horse. 
Under all these circumstances, my advice to Government, 
(and I offer it with confidence, for I have served fourteen 
years in India, and have seen several campaigns, one lasting 
fifteen months, when the cattle were well tried,) my advice 
would be, at once to throw open the markets to the dealers— 
proclaim through the countries I have named, that good 
horses will be taken at the regulated prices,—and in a few 
years you will have no lack of cattle—from all the breeding 
districts they will flow T in, and the only difficulty will be, which 
to choose. You will have no competitors, for no one can 
afford to give your price. 
In the admission of these horses, I would appoint (as in 
England) an officer to purchase, and be responsible for the 
adaptation of the animal to the purpose for which he is 
bought, and a veterinary surgeon to be responsible that the 
horse is sound. 
I look upon the present system of committees as pregnant 
with evil; and from what I have seen, I am convinced that 
the Government experience of the system has not been fa¬ 
vorable. 
The remounts I would recommend being taken at three 
years old, and placed in depot in a good grass district, as far 
north as possible. I would bring these horses up hardily, 
(shelter from the rains only being afforded.) They should be 
worked according to their strength; when, by the time they 
