204 PACK-SADDLES VERSUS APARACJOS. 



was usually to carry the tent-poles. I am sure he 

 knew, when thus armed, that mischief was in his 

 power : no sooner was he loosed from the packers 

 than he charged in amongst the thickest clump of 

 mules he could see, running the sharp ends of the 

 sticks into their sides, and sending the band right 

 and left paying off old grievances, I imagine. 

 Colonel Hawkins (Her Majesty's Commissioner) 

 once saw him turn a complete summersault, when 

 the aparacjo was first synched on. With all their 

 faults we could not do without them, and had 

 patiently to put up with their oddities. 



Pack-saddles of all sorts and patterns, that have 

 any element of woodwork in their construction, I 

 decry as worse than useless. The frame broken, 

 your pack-saddle is done for; no mending will 

 ever make it fit for use. It will work unsteadily 

 on the animal's back ; the load easily shifts, and a 

 gall is the consequence that may take months to 

 heal. We had a few ' crosstree ' pack-saddles, 

 made to begin with on the most approved plan 

 and of the strongest materials, but abandoned 

 them for the aparacjo, a Mexican invention, which 

 I believe to be the very best contrivance ever 

 made for packing freight of various kinds for 

 transport on mule-back. 



It requires a great deal of skill and long prac- 



