With foot-boards it is convenient for riding; a cradle can
also be attached for carrying field guns. Recent experiments have
shown the practicability of conveying elephants by rail in ordinary
open cattle-trucks; they were indifferent to the motion, noises, or
bridges; it is said that 32 elephants could be thus carried on one
train.
[Illustration: Detail of Elephant Saddle.]
The excellent railway facilities for moving troops and supplies to
the Indo-Afghan frontier were described in 1880, by Traffic Manager
Ross, of the Scinde, Punjab, and Delhi Railway, before the United
Service Institution of India.
He stated that experiments had been made by the military and railway
authorities in loading and disembarking troops and war _materiel_,
and that much experience had been afforded by the Afghan operations
of 1878-9.
The movement of troops to and from the frontier commenced in
October, 1878, and ended June, 1879. During that period were
conveyed over his road 190,000 men, 33,000 animals, 500 guns,
112,000,000 pounds of military stores. The maximum number carried in
any one month was in November--40,000 men, 8,000 animals, and
20,800,000 pounds of stores.
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