Casco Bay breeze. [volume] (South Harpswell, Me.) 1901-1917, 1908-07-16
QUEER MooEs.oE. 'rsAvEL.
Poor Substitutes for the Horse In ORR
entail Countries.

!. entail Countries.
A writer for The National Geo
graphic Magazine" lays great stress on
the service to civilization which Is rem
dered by the horse. That animal. he
says. is found chiefly in those countries
which lie within the temperate zone.
and which may be regarded as Occiden-
tai. There are believed to be 100000
900 horses in the world today, and
four-fifths Of them are in the regions
just indicated. In tropical and Orien-
tai countries the work of carrying
burdens and drawing vehicles is per-
formed by donkeys, oxen or buffalos.
elephants and man himself.
The writer just mentioned, o. p.
Austin, Of the National Bureau of Sta
tistics. has information about the num-
bers Of these animals employed in the
work described. He has reason to
think that there are 100000 camels.
20.OO0.OOO buffaloes and 10000 900 dom
keys. In the United States and Canada
there is one horse on an average to
every three and a half persons; In
Mexico. one to every twelve: in Tur-
key. one to every forty; in Japan. one
to every thirty-three; in the Philip
pines, one to every fifty. and in In
dfa and Southern China one to every
200.
Mr.. Austin estimates the weight
which a horse will carry at from 200 to
$50 pounds, donkey from 100 to 200.
an OK about the same, the mama (South
American relative Of the cameD from
so to 200, the true camel from $50 to
500 and the elephant from 1900 to
2500 pounds. A man can carry from
75 to $50 pounds, though his ability de-
ponds not only on lbs general strength
but also on the method of sustaining
the load. IL he uses a neck yoke, as
the Chinaman does, and divides the
burden, he may be able to handle more
than IL he takes il in a single pack
age. In Southern Europe and in Ash
attic countries a practice is common
which Is notable for the skill exhibited
rather than the weight sustained. Wo-
men often poise on their heads huge
parcels of jars containing some fluid.
For instance, milk is thus brought into
Manila from the rural districts. So
deity are these loads balanced that
TO be put in place and removed
OF course. il burden is put on
wheels 1t can be moved by man or
beast more easily than IL actually car
ried. In Belgium and some other coun.
tries carts are drawn by dogs. The
same kind of animal pulls the sledges
oil the Esquimau and Laplander, though
reindeer also perform such service in
the Arctic regions. Camels usually
carry freight and passengers on their
backs, but occasionally they are hitch
ed TO wagons. Palanquins are some
times born by camels, walking tandem.
the two poles of the vehicle being ex-
s1ptionally long. Their front ends are
held up by the forward camel and the
rear ends by the second one. the poles
resting in straps which hang down on
either side of the animal from a sort
OF saddle. In India women Of rank
use carriage drawn by a pair of bull
locks. but also ride in palanquins hav-
ing human bearers.
Still another vehicle which is much
patronized in Oriental countries is the
jinriksha. This has two wheels and a
top like buggy, and is drawn by
man or boy. This jinriksha is pro-
vided with two rods which correspond
TO the thills Of buggy, but are
shorter. The forward ends are con-
nected by crossbar. against which
the man leans when pulling the We
hicle. Heavy carts for freight are ar
ranged In the same general way, but
are pushed from behind. In the island
Of Madeira a low sled, drawn by oxen.
is often used for transporting passen-
gers, who are sheltered from the sun
by rude canopy.
Primitive but ingenious methods OF
crossing stream are sometimes prac-
ticed in India. Mr.. Austin says that
huge bags made Of buffalo skin and in
fiated like balloons, are employed
there as RATS. Rawhide ropes are
made to serve as bridges. The same
writer refers also to the houseboat of
the Chinaman, which is a place of resi-
dence, not a means Of transportation.
Millions Of Cinnamon live in such
craft, the boats being anchored In
large rivers or harbors. These floating
abodes usually contain a remarkable
combination of things. There are con-
veniences for cooking. a tiny flower
garden at one end and a pigsty at the
other. The boats are often sculled
from place TO place by the mother OF
the family, with her children playing
about her and her youngest strapped
upon her back.