The Osceola times., 1877-07-21
THE CZAR'S CAVALRY.
A Noble BODY of Men-DragOons Who
Fight Iudinerently Mounted or
on Foot - Their Horses
and Equipments

Mr.. MacGahan, of the London Daily
News, who recently witnessed review
of the Russian troops near Turnu Magu-
relli, writes as follows of the cavalry:
The artillery moved of and the de-
tachment of dragons came up. The
Russians do not claim TO have any tech
nically heavy" cavalry of the line.
There used to be whole division of
cuirassiers which were very heavy cav
airy, but there remain of cuirassers now
but three regiments, and these belong to
the imperial guard. But the dragons !
saw were virtually heavy cavalry--cav-
niry indeed as heavy as any in Europe.
Hose seventeen hands high, neither
q Imsy nor wtedy, strengthened, close
oros5tlsed, powerfully-quartered, noble
tu, the stamn III h small, well-bred heads. and
courage pervadhns ,bs low, whols %a 'to,ue fran
Men tall, square-shhSe.. s~roa mno,e nlann llane'
hanked, rather heavy-limBesS,' .o,hans uleam
but without clumsiness-men, in snP,' ~.
of the stamp OF our dalesmen, who fur.
nish the best troops to our household
cavalry, only for the most part of greater
breadth of shoulder and massiveness of
limb. | will frankly aver that it has
never yet beiallen me to see troop horses
so grand. Then saw a handful of Uhlans
the men, take them as a whole, run.
ming little smaller and lighter than the
dragons, but only trife so-the horses
of equal substance and another handful
of hussars, the men perceptibly slighter
and shorter than the dragons, yet still
big men, the horses hardly so tall, bu.
with almost as much power. The Rus
SLAMS, as they have technically no heavy
cavalry of the line, 50 they have techni-
cally no light cavalry of the line; the
Cossacks constitute their light cavalry.
IL is a fair question for discussion whether
regular cavalry thus massive, for really
no other expression conveys so tr'''"'"'
an idea Of their character.
The Russian cavalry aa99ie lsa very
rud;mentarv vet ,sfyiceable article Tor
,,ra,,;oai -. II consists simply of
~ wnodon f-.,ile raised on two wooden pan
noIS ~nich fit the horses back, lying
,angthwisc on either side of the back
bone. The only leather about the saddle
are the flaps, which come only a little
way down, but extend the whole length
of the pannels, Both pommel and cantle
arc high and cut out, 80 as 10 allow a
current of air to circulate along the
backbone between the pannels. In front
are pair of immense wallets which are
stuffed with belongings of man and horse.
Above the wallets is carried sheepskin
peaI t, above that again the cloak,
neat ,lded, not rolled, and the whole
is GOV. by the horse-rug, which en-.
velope wallets and their superstruct-
ure, and being carried back TO the cantle,
furnishes also the seat of the saddle,
there being no leather seat, as in our
military saddles, above the wooden frame.
Behind the wallets, or rather, perhaps,
behind the top of the rommel, the dra-
COON carries rations for two days, bread,
rice, salt, &C., in canvas bags made for
the purpose. Behind him. across the
cantle, hangs also in canvas bags on
either side his borse's ration of grain for
two DAYS, with two days allowance ef
hay, packed very close in hay nets, hang
ing down on either flank. On the pannel
ends behind the cantle is carried small
round valise, much of the same shape as
that used by our cavalry, but without
flap. In this and in the wallets the
dragon carries the following kit: One
uniform tunic, one white tunic, three
shirts, two pairs draws, one sleeping com.
forter covering head and neck, one pair
of boots, and one pair feathers for making
new legs to boots. Each third man
carries copper cooking.pot which fits
exactly over one end Of his valise.
Above the valise is half tent d'abri,
with one of the stakes. ] should have
said that above everything in front are
strapped the picket pegs and ropes, which,
however, seem TO be very little used.
Underneath the saddle frame is felt
blanket folded four-fold, which does duty
for our numna. 1t is refolded daily, so that
a fresh surface is always next the horses
back, an admirable preventive of chaing.
One inch-broad leather girth maintains
the saddle In its place with the aid of
another passing under the horses belly
some distance further back. A surcingle
keeps the rug in position, and straps 1t
down on to the frame. There is no
breast-plate or crupper TO the Russian
saddle. but a leather band crosses
horses chest TO keep the saddle in
tion. The beadstell is simple, st -