of this method of packing is that the weight of the kit is carried on the withers, and the rider being able to keep his hands low, can manage his horse better, and ride him more steadily. The saddle actually in use has wooden panels and iron arches; the new saddle about to be issued will be entirely of wood, the arches being formed of naturally bent wood; the new blanket folds in four instead of six, as was formerly the case, but is not found to answer so well, sore backs being more frequent than with the old. The panels of the saddle are not padded. A breast-plate, but no crupper, is used. A shoe-case, containing two shoes (one fore and one hind), and a set of nails, is carried on the near side. Opposite it, on the off-side, every second man carries a tin cooking-pot for himself and comrade, which contains their one day's ration; the cooking-pot, with case, weighs about 2 lbs. 15 ozs. The weight of the saddle itself is about 13 lbs. ; the blanket, 83 lbs. ; the gross weight of the saddle complete, with bridle, shoe-case (filled), breast-plate, and blanket, 45 lbs. 4 ozs. If forage is carried, a two-days' field ration of oats is placed in the corn sack, which, when filled, is divided into four divisions, and tightly bound round with cord, to effect an equal distribution of the weight; the sack is carried behind the saddle, under the rolled cloak. A two-days' field ration of hay is carried in front, and attached to the saddle-bags: it is first twisted tightly into a long thin wisp, which is then wound round and round, commencing at either end, and two flat circular slabs are formed and interlaced with the forage cord; they are then thrown across the pommel, and the wallet straps passed through the centre and back again; the hay is thus perfectly secure, and incommodes neither man nor horse. The ration is very small when compared with our own; the two-days' field allowance consists of: corn, about 9 lbs. 3 ozs. ; hay, 7 lbs. 6 ozs. ; total, 16 lbs. 9 ozs. Every fifth man carries a canvas water-bucket, which compresses into a flat circular package, and is suspended to the off-wallet; the weight is about 1 lb. 3 ozs. Each man has a mess-tin carried on the top of the rolled cloak, a head-rope hanging round the horse's neck and attached to the ring of a picketpeg (15 inches long, and 2 inches thick), which, together with a hobble-rope, is strapped behind the near-wallet; the horse, when picketed, is tied by the head to the peg, and hobbled by the fore-legs. The mess-tin, head-rope, picket-peg, hobble-rope, cornsack (empty), and forage-cord, weigh together about 4 lbs. 3 ozs. Two small camp-hatchets are provided for every 7 men; the hatchet is fastened to the off-wallet, the blade, cased, pointing to the rear; the weight is about 1 lb. 12 ozs. Every man has also a glass water-bottle, cased in leather, slung over the right shoulder. The 4 pioneers per squadron carry their larger tools behind the saddle, strapped on the off-side with the centre cloak strap, the handles pointing vertically downwards, and the blade, cased, edge pointing diagonally to the rightfront, resting on the cloak. The man carrying the pick is weighted with an additional 7 lbs. 2 ozs.; the shovel, 7 lbs. 8 ozs. ; the axe, 7 lbs. 12 ozs. ; the hatchet and bag, with smaller articles, 8 lbs. 8 ozs. Dragoons wear a light-blue cloth tunic with the facings of the regiment, a dark-blue loose blouse without facings, crimson breeches wide to below the knee, and high boots. In winter the tunic is worn over the blouse; in summer, slung over the shoulders and fastened round the neck with a cord. The cloak, of dark brown cloth, has a large hood to pull over the head, may be worn over both tunic and blouse, and reaches to below the calf of the leg. The head-dress is a black leather helmet, with brass crest and badge, and an undress cap, of the same colour as the breeches. Hussars wear a tunic, of dark or light blue according to the regiment, faced and trimmed with black, and lined with white, lamb-skin, braided in front with five bars of black and yellow lace, and also up the back. The breeches are the same colour as in the dragoon regiments, only tight at the knee, and braided in front with the Austrian knot. The head-dress consists of a felt chako, strengthened with a steel frame-work, which is covered with cloth of the colour of the facings of the regiment, and has a straight plume of black horse-hair in front. The blouse, cloak, cap, &c., are the same as for dragoons. The chako has now replaced C the busby, and is constructed with the view to shading the eyes and resisting a sword-cut, conditions which the busby failed to effect. Lancers wear a light-blue tunic, with crimson facings, and red piping. The full-dress cap is similar in shape to our own lancer cap: it is made of felt, strengthened with a steel frame-work, and covered with a different coloured cloth, according to the regiment; it is trimmed round the head with black lambskin, and has a long waving plume of black horsehair fixed into a badge in front, and passed under the cap-lines to keep it steady. The blouse, breeches, cap, &c., are the same as for dragoons. Every man has a second pair of breeches and a pair of high-lows, which are carried in the squadron baggage-wagon. The clothing of the hussar is somewhat heavier than that of the dragoon, and his riding-weight about 1 lb. greater; the lancer, armed with lance and revolver, rides about 1 lb. heavier than the lancer with the carbine; his horse equipment is about 1 lb. heavier than that of the dragoon, and his clothing about 1 lb. lighter. Of the three classes, the lancer rides by a few ounces the lightest, the hussar the heaviest by about 1 lb. The following table shows the gross weight carried by the dragoon horse, on the march, in peace and in the field; the second column includes a two days' forage ration, a one day's personal ration, and 66 additional rounds of ammunition. |