We must now follow the ammunition-carriages up to the same point, and in so doing less difficulty exists, as the changes which have taken place are more marked. The earliest record we have shews us Clive carrying his ammunition on lascars’ heads, their fidelity and steadiness insured by a detachment of Europeans with their muskets in the rear, to shoot deserters. This plan, of course, could only be adopted when the distance intended to be gone over was very small. Tumbrils are early mentioned, both in our armies and those of native powers, and there is reason to believe that they differed but slightly from those which are now found in magazines, and generally used in the transport of treasure; they were larger and more unwieldy, and required many bullocks to draw them. The committee in 1793 condemned them as too high, too heavy, liable to overturn, and the ammunition in them, from the absence of partitions, was shaken and broken[34] on rough ground; they were also unnecessarily large for the quantity of ammunition intended to be carried in them. They recommended the introduction of one which was built under their orders, and which corresponds very nearly in measurement with that still existing (Plate No. 5), subdivided for the reception of the ammunition, and capable of containing 90 rounds of 12–pounder, or 150 of 6–pounder ammunition; the box was easily removable, and fitted with a seat in front for the driver and his bundle; to counterbalance his weight, the centre of gravity of the box was a little thrown back; and probably this very precaution has caused the chief fault which can be found with this carriage, a tendency to fall back in going up hills; it travels lightly and easily to the cattle, and is well adapted for bullock-draught. During the last war with Tippoo, the heavy tumbril, drawn by many bullocks,—five to eight pair, was found very inconvenient with the galloper-guns, either keeping the guns in the rear, or leaving them without ammunition if they kept up with their corps. As a remedy, Colonel Blaquiere, of H.M.’s 25th dragoons, proposed a carriage “consisting of a sort of double limber, with four wheels of equal height, drawn by four horses, and driven by two men riding the near horses.” Its advantages were, “the means of carrying six additional men, the power of substituting the limber for that of the gun, if the latter was wounded, or to avoid the necessity of shifting the ammunition when the supply in the gun limber was expended.”