Travels in India (Tavernier) 136.1.7

136.1.7

Those who desire to take horses into these mountains are often obliged, in the narrow and difficult passes, to haul them up with ropes ; and it is, as I have said, on account of this difficulty that but little use is made of horses in this country. They are fed only in the morning and evening. In the morning a pound of flour, half a pound of black sugar and half a pound of butter, are mixed together with water to give to the horse. In the evening it must be contented with a few horn peas, crushed and steeped in water for half an hour ; in this consists all their food during the space of twenty-four hours. The women who carry the men only receive 2 rupees each, for the ten days of traverse, and as much is paid for every quintal that the goats or sheep carry, and for every led horse.