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Chapter XVI. HORSES. Particulars of the number of horses shipped in each vessel for the use of the troops in Egypt will be found in Appendix I., and it will be noticed that after the sailing of the Bulla from Sydney on the 25th November, 1915, the despatch of horses for military purposes entirely ceased. Several things contributed to this decision, one being the fear of loss during the long voyage in the monsoon season. The Palermo, for instance, arrived in Egypt with only about half the animals embarked, the rest having died on the voyage. Although the captain of the ship claimed that pneumonia and not weather conditions accounted for this heavy mortality, the impression that the conveyance of horses through the Red Sea during the period of the monsoon would entail very heavy losses became firmly established in the minds of the Imperial Authorities. I n June, 1915, the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty notified the Colonial Office and the Board of Trade that horses then on the way to Egypt were to be diverted to India, and the War Office cabled to the Australian Defence Department to the same effect. Eight vessels were at this time en route, and all were ordered to proceed to Colombo, and thence to a port in India to disembark horses. It was stated that steps were being taken to ensure that no avoidable delay should occur, so that the transports could continue their voyage to Egypt with the troops on board. Efforts to divert the Afric, Persic, Bakara, Kabinga, and MalaTcuta, which were already far on their voyage, failed, but the Ajana, Port Macquarie, and Botanist were all sent from Colombo to Bombay. Of the Ajana's 267 horses, 10 died on the voyage. The Botanist, which had 405 on board, lost 20; and the Port Macquarie, which carried 429, lost no less than 77. Of the horses actually landed in Bombay, 27 died ashore, 104 were retained in India, and 864 were at a subsequent date forwarded for the use of the troops in Egypt. Three other vessels, the Medic, Suevic, and Chilka, had also loaded horses, but, as they were still on the Australian coast, the two first-named were ordered to land their horses at Adelaide, and the Chilka, which was farther on the way, put into Fremantle for the same purpose. The shipment of horses was