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SECTION I (MILITARY)—APPENDIX II.
Referred to in paragraph 8, page 3.
No. 47-M. D., dated 16th September 1892.
From—The Inspector-General, Civil Veterinary Department,
To—The Secretary to the Government of India, Military Department.
Referring to the unofficial notes No. 4248-D., marked B., dated 10th
September 1892, by the Hon'ble Military Member of the Viceroy's Council as
to measures that may be adopted with the view of obtaining first class stallions
direct from Arabia or Syria, I have the honor to submit the following sug-
gestions.
2. Doubtless the surest and best way of obtaining such horses would be
to depute a selected officer having a bent for the duty, and known as a good
judge of the Arab horse, to purchase the best Arabs found for sale. To per-
form this duty satisfactorily, some time, say 6 or 8 months, should be given
to the officer, as probably he would find it safer to return with the stallions
purchased in South Arabia to the Persian Gulf, and thence ship them to
Bombay, and afterwards proceed viâ Karachi, Aden, and Port Said to Syria,
where he would commence his search in Syria and Northern Arabia, and re-
turn viâ Damascus to Port Said, and thence ship the second batch of horses
to Bombay.
3. Another course may be adopted, viz., to offer a reliable Arab horse
dealer in Bombay—reliable for his honesty as well as his knowledge of Arab
horses—good liberal prices, say from Rs. 3,000 to Rs. 5,000, for every Arab
approved by the Civil Veterinary Department as suitable for Government
stud purposes.
Jasim bin Fid.
Ali bin Amer.
4. The time was when no difficulty was experienced in finding reliable
Arab gentlemen in the horse trade to undertake such a commission; but
during recent years the Arab horse market in Bombay has fallen in the hands
of men unknown as judges of horses, and of a different class to the Arab
gentlemen horse dealer of former times. Still there are one or two men who,
I believe, may be trusted, and I beg to advise that an offer on the lines above
indicated may be made to the men mar-
ginally named, with the strict under-
standing that only first class Arabs, showing undeniable blood, shape, and
good bone of leg, will be accepted, and I further suggest that they may be
informed that from 10 to 15 stallions of the described stamp will be required.
5. In the event of the Government of India approving of either measure
above proposed on account of the very pressing demands for good Arab stal-
lions, and the great difficulty of finding such horses now-a-days ordinarily
imported, I earnestly solicit that the necessary action for carrying out either
proposal may at once be adopted.
6. At the present date the number of Government stallions is 100 short
of the sanctioned strength (309) in Northern India (not including Bombay),
and I expect that not more than 40 of the 77 English horses indented for
from England will be sent out this season. Moreover, the want of good Arab
sires is much felt in the breeding districts, and so I hope to be pardoned for
stating the demand for more Arab stallion power is imperative to allow of the
horse-breeding industry being duly kept up.
No. 4 M. D., dated 22nd January 1893.
From—The Inspector General, Civil Veterinary Department,
To—The Secretary to the Government of India, Military Department, Calcutta.
I have the honor to report for the information of the Government of
India, having purchased during the months of November and December 1892
18 Arab stallions for Government stud purposes. Several of these horses are of
a very superior stamp, and the rest of good quality and shape and suitable for
stud work.