be named by the senior officer on the spot, (not being the commanding officer of the train) one by the commanding officer of the train, and a third by the contractor; the decision of which committee shall be final.

15. It is, however, to be understood, that casual sickness shall not be considered as a sufficient cause of rejection, and that a reasonable time, not exceeding one month for bullocks, and three months for elephants, shall always be allowed for the recovery of cattle coming off a march, before a sentence of rejection is passed on them. In all cases where sickness is alleged for the absence of the elephants, or bullocks, at muster, the commanding officer shall ascertain that the elephants and bullocks actually exist. No charge, how ever, for maintaining the cattle is ever to be admitted, except for such as shall be returned present, and in serviceable condition.

16. That the contractor shall keep in cantonments, and at fixed stations, one driver for every four bullocks, and one sirdar for every forty bullocks, whether carriage or draught.

17. That for bullocks, whether carriage or draught, when actually marching within the company's dominions, or those of their allies, an increased number of drivers shall be kept, in the proportion altogether of one driver to every two bullocks, and one sirdar for every forty additional drivers. The wages of the additional drivers to be employed on such occasions, at the rate of five sonaut rupees per mensem for each driver, and six sonaut rupees for each sirdar, shall be paid by the contractor, and charged by him, in a contingent bill, which shall be presented for

audit through the usual channel, accompanied by a certificate signed by the commanding officer present, and the officer under whose charge the bullocks may be, stating the number of extra drivers who were actually employed, and for what period of time.

18. That the sirdars and drivers be mustered, and monthly returns made of them, with the bullocks, agreeable to the form which is now in use. The return shall be signed by the contractor, or his agent, and countersigned by the commanding officer of the train, under whose charge they may be ; as well as by the commanding officer of the station or detachment, and exclusive of the monthly musters of the elephants, bullocks, and drivers, they shall be mustered daily in the morning and evening, by the non-commissioned officers, who shall be appointed to execute this duty.

19. That when the cattle are mustered, the draught bullocks shall be provided with bridles and picket ropes, and the carriage bullocks with pads and picket ropes. and the elephants with pads and picket ropes and chains, which shall be kept constantly in readiness, and in good order for service. The pads, both for elephants and bullocks, shall be well made, and properly stuffed, according, in every respect, with the muster pads that will be kept at the office of the secretary to the military board, and at the different stations of the army.

20. The contractor shall engage to keep such establishment of elephants and bullocks as government shall hereafter fix, corpplete; and to furnish, at his own proper cost and charge, whatever number may be required to supply

casualties

casualties occasioned by death, or such as may be returned unserviceable from the ordinary course of service; or to replace such as may have been delivered over to the management of an agent of goverument, as provided for by the 40th article.

21. Any elephants or bullocks that may be rendered unserviceable by forced marches, by overloading them, or by excess of labour, the contractor shall be paid for by the honourable company, at the rate of sonaut rupees 783 12 6 for each elephant, and of thirty sonaut rupees for each bullock, upon a certificate from the commanding officer, that such casualty proceeded from one other of the above causes.

or

22. A forced march is explained to be, when the distance shall exceed ten coss in fine weather, and eight coss in bad weather, in the twenty-four hours: overloading is explained to be when the weight shall exceed by two maunds, (exclusive of the pad, and other necessary gear) the regulated weight of twenty maunds for an elephant, and by ten pounds weight (exclusive also of the pad, and other necessary furniture) the regulated weight of 210 pounds for a bullock. The pads and necessary furniture to be as follows: For a bullock.

23. All casualties are to be noticed in the returns, that the contractor's accounts may be passed only for the number of elephants and bullocks, and the periods of the month for which they have been effective, and in serviceable condition.

24. The contractor shall engage to furnish each bullock, in cantonments, or at any fixed station, with two seers of gram per day, each seer being equal to eight Calcutta sicca weight, forty such seers making one maund, equal to eighty-two avoirdupoise pounds; and with a quantity of straw or other dry cut fodder, not less than ten seers weighed dry; and the contractor shall incur a penalty of fifty sicca rupees a-head upon each bullock, when it shall be proved before a committee of officers, that they have received a short allowance of gram, or fodder, through the neglect (or other cause) of the contractor, or his agents; the gram and fodder shall be served out to the cattle in the presence of one or more European non-commissioned officers, who shall see the provender duly weighed in its dry state, before it is served out to the cattle, reporting the same to the commanding officer, for the information of the commander in chief, or, in his absence, for that of the commanding officer of the troops under this presidency.

25. The contractor shall, moreover, engage to furnish at the current bazar price, to be certified by the commanding officer, one extra seer of gram for each bullock, when actually marching, or employed with the artillery at their annual practice; such extra allowance is not to commence until the

date

date of actual march, but to be given equally on halting days; and is to be drawn for in a contingent bill, accompanied by a certificate signed by the officer commanding the detachment, and the officer under whose charge the bullocks may be, of the quantity of extra gram which has been actually furnished.

26. All elephants which shall be retained in the service from the present existing contract, and all such as shall thereafter be received into the service, are, as soon as surveyed and approved of, to be marked in such manner as government, or the commander in chief, may direct; and the contractor is to be held responsible, to the full amount of his contract penalty, that he does not sell, exchange, or otherwise dispose of, any elephant, which shall have been received into the service until the same shall be condemned, or regularly discharged from the service. 27. Every bullock, tendered by the contractor, and approved of for the service, is to be marked on the haunch, in the presence of the officer approving, with the mark of the united company, D. for draught, and C. for carriage, with two figures to denote the year when admitted into the service, thus 06, for the present year.

28. No elephants or bullocks are to be at any time hired, or employed by the contractor, for the purpose of fulfilling his engagements, which are either directly, or indirectly, the property of any officer in the service, under the penalty of sonaut rupees 1,000 for every elephant and sonaut rupees fifty, for every bullock, so hired or employed.

29. Should government, or the commander in chief, or, in his

absence, the senior officer commanding the troops, with the approbation of government, find it necessary, during the period of the contract, to reduce the number of elephants, or of draught, or carriage bullocks, whether the same shall have been originally proposed as the fixed establishment, or may have been afterwards augmented, under the provision contained in the 28th article of the present advertisement, it shall be in their opinion to do so, the company giving to the contractor, in writing, one month's notice of such intention, and of the number to be reduced.

30. Should any increase in the number of elephants or bullocks be required, notice thereof shall be given to the contractor, who shall undertake to supply them at the rate of ten elephants, and of two hundred bullocks, within three months from the date of requisition, and to feed, and find attendants for them, at the rates, and on the terms specified for those of the establishment, which will be hereafter fixed by government.

31. No new elephants either to supply the present deficiency, if any, or to replace casualtics, or to increase the establishment, will be received into the service, except such as from Chittagong, or the country to the southward and eastward of that province.

32. The contractor shall appoint his own agents, either licensed Europeans, or natives, at the different stations, and shall be held responsible for their due execution of every part of his engagements. He shall notify their names to the commander in chief, or, in his absence, to the commanding officer of the troops under the presidency; to the commanding officers at the respective

33. The bills and vouchers, for one month complete, are to be sent to the military paymaster-general, who is immediately to transmit them to the military auditorgeneral, in whose office they are to be inspected, checked, and returned in ten days after they shall have been received, that they may be re-delivered to the contractor.

34. The contractor's bills are then to be paid at the option of the contractor, either in Calcutta, by the pay-master to the artillery and garrisons, or by bills of exchange drawn on the provincial treasuries, which will be obtained upon application, for that purpose, being made to the military pay-mastergeneral.

35. Escorts are to be furnished, when applied for, under the direction of the commanding officer of the station at which the escort may be required. If refused, the contractor may appeal to the commander in chief, whose decision shall be final.

36. The breaking in carriages, eighteen in number, are to be delivered over, upon survey made by directions of the commanding officers of stations, in good order, and condition, to the new contractor, he engaging to deliver them at the expiration of his contract, in the like rate. The contractor will be allowed sicca rupees 150 per annum, for keeping each breaking in carriage in constant repair, and replacing it when necessary. The number of breaking in carriages to be eighteen, as at present, (subject, however, to such increase as may hereafter be thought

necessary) six to be kept at the presidency, six at Cawnpore, and six at Futtyghur, unless directed to be stationed elsewhere, by the commander in chief.

37. The bullock sheds shall be delivered in good condition to the contractor, who shall engage to keep them in constant repair, and return them in the same good state at the expiration of his contract; and he shall furnish sheds for all bullocks additional to the establishment hereafter to be determined on, allowing a space of ten feet by four, for each bullock, and such additional sheds shall likewise be delivered in good condition at the expiration of his contract, in consideration of an annual allowance, for that purpose, of sonaut rupees 2,500.

38. The cattle are to be exercised as the commander in chief, or, in his absence, the commanding officer of the troops under the presidency, or the commanding officers of the respective stations, with his approbation, shall direct.

39. The proposals are to specify the rate per month, in sonaut rupees, at which the contractor will engage to feed and keep the establishment of elephants, and bullocks, whether draught or carriage, complete; and supplied with attendants, with the usual number of pads, saddles, ropes, and all other the usual gear; taking upon himself the risk of all casualties.

40. That the new contract shall be restricted to a time of peace, and that whenever the elephants and bullocks shall proceed on service into an enemy's country, the company will appoint an agent, or agents, to take charge of the number of elephants and bullocks, which shall be so sent on

service,