The gun is then lifted off the cradle and down the skids by
levers and tackle.]
An elephant's gear consists of a _gaddela_, or quilted cloth, 1-1/2
inches thick, reaching half-way down his sides and from the neck to
the croup. On this is placed the _guddu_, or pad, 6x5 feet and 9
inches thick, formed of stout sacking stuffed with dried grass. The
whole is girthed with a long rope passed twice around the body,
round the neck as a breast-strap, and under the tail as a crupper.
The whole weighs 200 pounds. An improvement upon this has been made
by our authority (Mr. Sanderson), which seems to bear the same
relation to the old gear that the open McClellan saddle does to the
ordinary British hunting saddle. It consists (see illustration) of
two pads entirely detached, each 4 feet long, 15 inches wide, and 6
inches thick, made of blanket covered with tarpaulin, and encased in
stout sacking. One is placed on each side of the elephant's spine,
and retained there by two iron arches. There is no saddle-cloth, the
load rests on the ribs; the breast-strap and crupper hook into rings
on the saddle; there are rings to fasten the load to; it weighs 140
pounds.
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