CORN BETTER THAN BISCUIT. 209 



string one by one after her. The packers, 

 mounted, ride like field officers up and down 

 the line of marching mules. When a pack slips, 

 the mule is at once caught and the disarrange- 

 ment readjusted. Extreme vigilance is needed 

 whilst a train is on the march, lest a shifted load, 

 or loosened lynch, causes a gall on the back of 

 the mule ; a half hour's negligence in this respect 

 may render an animal useless for three or four 

 months. 



In provisioning the men employed on the line 

 flour was found to be far better than hard 

 bread, more portable, less liable to injury, and 

 better relished than biscuit. Our men learned to 

 bake capital bread, small iron ovens being part 

 of each working parties' equipment. Baking- 

 powder was also served out as part of the 

 rations. 



Salt pork and ration beef were carried in lOOlb. 

 barrels, two barrels being a load for a light mule, 

 or four fifty-pound sacks of flour. Two hundred 

 and fifty pounds may be taken as a fair average 

 load per animal for a train of mules. 



Feeding the mules west of the Cascades was a 

 most expensive and difficult affair. From the 

 Chilukweyuk depot to the furthest astronomical 

 camp, fourteen days' journey for packed mules, 



VOL. II. P 



