Material required for a Botanical Expedition. 271 



36 inches broad and 78 inches long, together weighing 5 lbs. ; 

 and two pieces of a harder twisted rope, length 26 feet, 

 together weighing 1 lb. The total weight of this external 

 packing material should not amount to more than 6 lbs. 



On starting upon the expedition all the primary parcels 

 should thus be packed, two together, making loads of 86 lbs. ; 

 and only during the expedition, when necessity requires it, 

 should these loads be divided down to their original 40 lb. 

 packages. 



An ordinary carrier's load for a march of twelve miles in 

 the hills of India is 60 lbs., that is, amongst people who are 

 accustomed to carry. An ordinary horse load in the countries 

 I have traversed is considered to be 240 lbs., and where 

 camels were employed 640 lbs. was considered a good camel 

 load ; but much depends upon the condition of the animals, 

 the usages of the country, or the rapacity of the owners of 

 the carriage. 



Most carriers will carry, on an ordinary march of twelve miles, 

 a well-packed package of 86 lbs., if allowed their own time and 

 way in which to do it. Should there be any difficulty about 

 it, a little extra pay will generally smooth over the matter; but 

 there are places and circumstances where no more than 40 

 lbs. can be carried by one man at a time, and it is to meet this 

 latter emergency that it is essential to have the whole botani- 

 cal material packed, so as to get over such a difficulty with- 

 out injury to the material. Once the necessity and difficulty is 

 got over, the 40 lb. packages can again be repacked to 86 lb. 

 loads. 



In Persia, and in the Kuram Valley, Afghanistan, in both of 

 which places donkeys are a means of transport, they easily 

 carried 172 lbs., or two such loads, and some of the larger 

 animals were laden by their owners with 258 lbs. 

 Owing to its being m this form, I never had any difficulty 

 with the conveyance of my material, although in some cases 

 the packages were fully 93 lbs. in weight each. 



For the use of each collector a small pick-axe should be 

 taken, the iron head of which should be 9 inches in length 

 and weighing not more than li lbs., the wooden handle 20 

 inches long, with the iron head made so that it can be easily 

 slipped off one end of the handle; the pick should have a 

 sharp point at one end, and be expanded flat at the other; 



