Page 32 - PERSIAN 2 1879_1883

20 ADMINISTEATION RBPORT O? THE PERSIAN GULP POLITICAL

attacked generally die quickly, in twenty days or so, though some are
known to linger on for a long time. No remedy is attempted; the
mules attacked are simply separated from the others and allowed to die.
Serrajah, Sore-lacfa.— Serrajah is a malady which breaks out occa­
sionally in the cold weather. It corresponds to the Indian “barsauti,”
and shows itself as running sores on the legs. It is not dangerous or
contagious, nor is it of frequeut occurrence. The remedy resorted to in
Persia is firing.
Sore-backs and girthfalls are very common among the caravans, but
little notice is taken of them. The mule with a sore-back is generally
worked just the same as a sound mule. When the sore is small, the
muleteer sometimes 6ews some padding on the saddle to prevent the
latter pressing on the sore part, but when the w’ound is spread over a
large surface, this remedy is impossible. When the sore is very bad
indeed, the mule is laid up and not worked until the wound is healed, but
it is very seldom that a Persian considers a sore bad enough to require
this extreme (!) measure.- The best application for sore-backs is said to
be hen-eggs and wheaten flour beaten up together and made into a paste.
This should be applied twice a day, the wound being previously carefully
washed. I have never, however, seen this used.
JhliscellancoM.—The female mule is preferred to the male by the
Persians, being considered stronger and more enduring. The Persians
are probably correct in this estimation, castration accounting for the
deficiency of the males, making them more lc-ggy, and endued with less
stamina. There is no doubt that, as a rule, the chest measurement of
the female is greater in proportion to her height than that of the male.
Major Probyn, late on special duty in Persia purchasing mules, informed
me that passing any mule under the standard, and then taking its chest
measurement he could, latterly, almost invariably tell without further
examination, whether it was a male or a female, from the greater propor­
tional chest measurement of the latter.
Among the articles of a mule’s equipment, previously described, I
omitted, to mention one, that from its universal use among the mules in
every caravan would seem to be almost as essential as a saddle or a
headstall, I mean a belL The reason for the nse of the bell is not quite
clear; whether it is meant to enliven the monotony of the march for
the mules (like the band for troops) and make them forget their fatigue,
or on dark nights to indicate if the mules stop or stray; but it probably
answers both these purposes. A considerable number of the mules in
every caravan are decked with bells, generally one or more little merry
tinkling ones round the neck and sometimes larger and deeper toned ones
hanging down beside the saddle. Another institution in every mule
caravan is the yaboo, a strong pony or galloway, which leads the cara-
van and is followed by all the mules. This leading yaboo carries a load
just like the mules, and has, hung round his neck, a large bell of much
deeper tone than the mule bells. It i6 remarkable how the mules follow
thk yaboo and 6how no disposition to stray, whereas, when there is 110
yaboo, I believe they frequently stray away and get lost or stolen,
lne explanation of this no doubt is that nudes from following their
mothers, and the herds of mares in their youth, got accustomed to re*/