BRITISH TRANSPORT-ITS SUPERIORITY.

Evening Star, Issue 11434, 29 December 1900, Page 6

BRITISH TRANSPORT-ITS SUPERIORITY.

frJ™ -r? «"»*«, tawpori on the march, from Ronton to Pekrn (say, ti* oorrespon-" with both pack mnles and boats. "The" latter were loaded up with eight days' rap. plies, and wore poled and towed up the river by Chinese coolies. So well was this boat column managed, that, although moving «pa winding river against a very heavy current, it almost invariably, at the end of each day's journey, reached a point not far from the British camp, so that the men had access to their rations. On occasions when the boat column was delayed our soldiers Were always able to fall back on the food they carried in their haversacks or on mules. I might add here that the Japanese also had a' large number of boats, but they were never able to keep up. Our pack mule transport was perfect, and was the admiration and envy of the foreigners. Long training m Burmah, and on the north-west frontier has taught] our officers-how to load and manage a large i transport train. The system of regimental: transport may not admit of that oeutraKsation which the precise love, but in the actual wear< and tear of a campaign it prevents rather than invites confusion. On the march to Pekin, while the transport of other armies blundered in the rear or got lost in the darkness, our regimental mules were never out of touch with their respective regiments. They did not stick in the mud, and if by chance a mule threw off its load, the incident did not delay the march of the men and animals behind. The mule was amply drawn aside, and while the load was being readjusted the rest of the transport moved steadily on. That is the advantage pack animals have over carts over bad and narrow roads.