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. Jt 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- 
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