THE CARRIAGE OF ANIMALS.
MOST animals are so admirably equipped for transporting themselves on long journeys, whether by land, air, or water, that they have the greatest possible dislike to any artificial mode of conveyance, however carefully designed to meet their convenience. Collectors of rare animals in distant and savage countries find this question of transport a much more serious difficulty than either the capture, or the feeding of the beasts when caught. If possible, they are so far tamed before the return expedition as to make it possible for them to accompany their captors, making use of their own legs, as far as the rail or ship. The giraffe now on its way to England as a present to the Queen from the Bechuana chief Bathoens is being conducted on a somewhat novel combina- tion of freedom and restraint. It walks throughout the day's march, but its bead is tied by a long halter to a waggon. The peculiarity of this arrangement is that the rope is fixed, not to the waggon-back, but to the top of the strong tilt which covers the cart, and this tilt-top also serves the giraffe as a table, on which its daily supper is laid, at a convenient distance of some thirteen feet from the ground. When it reaches the train and ship it will occupy a box with a collapsible head, capable of being lowered like a steamer's funnel, like that in which the first new giraffe, now in the Zoo, travelled from Natal to Regent's Park. In South Africa, where the Boer hunters expect to make some profit from live animals as well as from meat and hides, zebras are always tamed before being despatched from the interior, and a number of these, with young antelopes of various species, may often be seen half-domesticated round the hunter's temporary camp. But there is a regular trade in certain classes of wild animals which could never be permitted any degree of liberty owing to their temper or unmanageable dimensions. These are transported from immense distances before any "civilised" means of transport is available. Mr Hagenbeck, of Hamburg, informed the writer that he once brought, amongst other creatures, fifty lions and leopards, besides rhinoceroses, from the neighbourhood of the Atbara, or Black Nile, to the Red Sea coast, without losing one animal. The regions traversed were partly fertile and popu- lated, but partly broken by strips of desert. The difficulty of transport was more apparent than real. Nearly all the animals were quite young, the lions being not more than a quarter grown. These, with the leopards and hytenas, were carried in cages
'Rade of hard native wood, with bars on one side only, exactly like cages in which bird-catchers carry linnets. These were slang on the backs of camels, with a thick pad between the back of the cage and the camel's flank. The only serious difficulty encountered was in the transport of the rhinoceroses. Though young they were very bulky, heavy, and absolutely 'unmanageable. They were also very valuable, and it was decided to spare no pains to bring them safely to the coast. After some experiments it was found possible to put each of the rhinoceroses in a kind of litter, slung on poles. These were laid across the backs of a pair of the strongest camels procurable, "dray-horses of the desert," of which several were taken with the Khafila, and served by relays in the capacity of " rickshaw " bearers to the black rhinoceros calves.
Before the days of railways English animals, from geese to tattle, nearly always travelled on their own feet. Until they reached the towns this method was very agreeable to them, and they lost very little in condition. Before the Great Western Rail way was made there was a large trade in driving cattle from the Western counties to London. They were assembled at Bath, and as soon as possible were driven up on to the Downs, where they travelled along the "green roads" until close to London. Horses are the only creatures for which decent accommodation is provided on our railways. In fifty years the railways have never yet risen to the occasion of providing even reasonably convenient transport for any other animals ; of intelligent design, or appreciation of the diffi- culties in the way of accommodating creatures whose whole experience is foreign to the necessities of close packing or maintaining their balance when the surface on which they stand is in motion, there is no trace. That they may want food or water on a long journey, or even protection from the cold, did not apparently enter the minds of the early designers of "cattle-trucks." The abominable discomfort of the old third-class carriage designed for the use of human passengers is an indication of the ignorance and indifference of the early designers of "rolling stock." But the improve- ment in this department has been constant though slow. A class of " improved " cattle-vans has been introduced on some lines, but the supply is at present very scanty. As a rule, valuable animals are sent in a horse-van, at about the cost of a 'first-class passenger fare, with the risk of being "jammed" by trying to turn in a compartment designed for an animal of different shape. A practical writer on cattle recommends that they shall be put in "tail first," to obviate this difficulty. But the bulk of British cattle travel by rail in open trucks, exposed to the violent draughts made by the train's move- ment, and to the inflammations of the eyes and nostrils set up by the constant rush of duet and particles of grit from the line. Sometimes a tarpaulin shelters them from sun and rain ; but in all cases they go by "goods train." No owner of prize cattle would think of sending them by this, the general means of carriage. The latest telegrams from India speak of camels loaded up on rail for service at the front, being kept waiting in sidings for four days, and dying in the trucks. It would appear from this that there are no proper camel-vans yet provided on Indian railways. For the Government elephants admirable railway carriages are provided. They are built of steel, with a steel hood in front to protect the elephant from draught and dust. The rear of the truck is arched over with steel girders, and a double steel rail supports the elephant on either side. In some admirable illustra- tions of elephant life recently published,* the process of "entraining elephants by means of railway elephants trained to the business, who coax and push them on board," is very clearly shown. Dog-boxes! These survive, like the "clink" and the stocks in old villages, in the designs of guards' vans ; but for years no humane guard has ever used these carefully barred, dark little dungeons. At present there is no suitable accommodation whatever for dogs travelling by rail, except on the Scotch expresses. They are simply tied up among the parcels in the guard's van,—an inconvenient and objectionable practice. Sheep suffer less than cattle on rail- way journeys. Being lower in the legs and addicted to &addling together, they are sheltered by the sides of the track from the draught and dust, and keep each other warm. Prize rams and sheep travel in the guard's van, and often become quite experts at railway journeying. They jump in, lie down, and jump out with very little persuasion. One • AU About ANimals. Part II. London: George :gamma.
celebrated old ram who lives on the Great Western line knows his own station and the porter who usually "detrains him" as well as a dog would, and when hailed by his railway friend, jumps up, gives himself a shake, and bounds out of the carriage on to the platform when released by the guard. Pigs frequently die of chill after railway journeys in the open trucks. In place of these there should be special covered-in pig-vans. As pigs huddle close together and take little room, the slight increase in cost of carriage would be more than compensated. Of all animals pigs are the most tiresome to " carry " by any form of conveyance.
Lifting a pig into a dealer's cart is one of the tragedies of village life. He is heavy, dirty, and active. He "makes a stiff back" like a baby, his hoofs are sharp, he seems as muscular as a salmon, and his yells and screams are distracting. Custom insists that he shall be held and partly lifted by his taiL This adds to his resentment. When once up in the cart a net is fastened over him, and he usually settles down in such a position as to spoil the balance of the trap as far as possible.
From the horse's point of view a pig is always the worst possible passenger. A celebrated Suffolk dealer, after lifting pigs for some twenty years into his cart, actually hit on the grand idea of having a low cart built, hanging within a couple of feet of the ground. Into this quite a small herd could be driven, not lifted, and he could stand up and drive it with the pigs wedged tight all round his legs. When a herd of lean pigs are destined for a journey by rail, the question of transfer from carts to truck is a serious one. They are often placed in a pig-yard in districts where there is much demand for their transport, and "driven on board." Recently the writer found the staff of a station on a Western line of railway dispersed in various directions up and down the line, equipped with lanterns, and in pursuit of seven pigs which had escaped from a truck. It is to the credit of the porters that all of the truants were caught except one, who met his death by collision with an "up express." This incident may be compared with the adven- tures of a pedigree bull despatched early this summer to the Isle of Wight. The animal was shipped at Portsmouth in one of the small sailing boats which still play the part of carriers' vans between the mainland and the island. The bull was in charge of a man, who held it by a chain fastened to ring in its nose. When half-way across the Solent the chain broke, and the bull was loose in this open lugger, with four or five passengers, trusses of hay, luggage, potato-sacks, and the rest of the assorted cargo. Fortunately, it was an imaginative bull ; the man in charge fastened a piece of string to the ring, jerked it, and the bull, which was showing a disposition to walk about the boat, became submissive, under the impression that he was still chained.
Calves, lambs, turkeys, and swans are usually carried by rail or boat in crates. This is perhaps the most humane way of moving them, for they have not to be driven or handled. An axis-deer recently brought from France was inclosed in a large wooden case, with flat boarded bars. It smashed this, though its horns were sawn off, and got loose in the guard's van. Then it attacked the guard, who had to escape on to the footboard and stop the train till the creature was secured. An Indian buffalo presented to the Zoological Society by a Rajah on a. visit to this country was taken there in a parcel- post van with its head stretching out at the back. Birds are by no means so easy to carry securely as might be imagined. Pigeons often fight when confined in baskets, and birds for showing are sent in low hampers with V-shaped partitions, in each of which a pigeon is stowed away. Prize fowls are placed in tall open-work baskets, in which they can stand upright. Parrots are bad travellers. They generally seize the side of any box or basket in which they are placed with their beaks. This is in order to hold on when carried. Soon they rather like the sensation, and steadily eat a hole in their box. To avoid this a wooden perch should be fastened to the bottom of whatever receptacle they are placed in. Canaries and small birds are often carried in the large cages in which they live. This is a mistake. They are more comfortable and more easily carried in the small close cages which bird- catchers use when travelling. Cats and all small animals should always travel in a hamper, with hay or flannel at the bottom and a lining of thick brown paper on the sides, though not covering the top. This prevents their seeing through the hamper and keeps them quiet, while it protects them from . draughts when waiting on the station platforms.
Previous page
