£64 VISITS TO REMOUNT DEPOT AT SAHARUNPORE. 
The horses at the depot are solely for the supply of Euro¬ 
pean regiments; native regiments have a “ chunda ” (or fund), 
from which they purchase remounts, the average price not to 
exceed 200 rupees each; every trooper buys his own horse by 
instalments. When the studs existed the rejections and young 
stock not purchased by Government furnished an ample supply 
for the wants of these nineteen regiments, but of late they 
cannot possibly obtain horses, even at 250 rupees, many regi¬ 
ments having an extra number of dismounted men. The 7th 
Bengal Cavalry had to go to Calcutta to buy Walers. 
The Cape horses were considered the best troopers, but that 
supply has failed; Persians and Arabs are now rare. In Madras 
Walers are beginning to predominate, although there are more 
Persians and Arabs than in Northern India. 
In reviewing the success of studs the recent history of the 
country has to be taken into consideration; it is believed that, 
although not absolutely paying, they were, as before stated, 
doing good service indirectly previous to the mutiny, for any 
number of horses were then obtainable; in that great struggle, 
however, which shook our rule to the very foundation, the 
interests of horse-flesh did not escape considerable damage, 
horses were stolen and destroyed, many starved for want of 
supplies, breeding was put a stop to. Since that time two 
famines have contributed to counteract any fresh efforts at 
increasing the supply, and the influx of Walers lias had a 
depressing effect on the prices of country-breds in the markets, 
still further, of course, discouraging production. Enough has 
been mentioned in this paper to prove that the reserved depots 
are expensively conducted, and it must be evident that, ac¬ 
cording to the present system, Walers do not pay. With the 
paucity of country-breds, Persians and Arabs quite as dear as 
Walers, only about one hundred and fifty stud-breds left of the 
thousands that were bred, it is evident that considerable dif¬ 
ficulty must be experienced in properly mounting our Indian 
troops, especially in the case of an unusual demand, a circum¬ 
stance seen to be quite possible when we consider our critical 
political position at the present time; in the event of this 
demand money would meet it, we are told, at a very short notice 
by securing supplies from Australia, but what could be done if 
that source became unavailable in consequence of our com¬ 
munication with that country being cut off? Mr. Hallen’s 
scheme really would appear the only promising one now in 
existence for restoring such an internal supply as is required, 
and it is to be hoped that Government will not be backward in 
encouraging a movement of such vital importance. It may be 
that some revision of his plan is necessary, for there are many 
