3/6 Appendix B 



American exploration. They have the advantage of be- 

 ing insect and water proof and the disadvantage of being 

 expensive. 



It would be well if the traveller measured each case 

 for personal equipment and computed the limit of weight 

 that it could carry and still float. By careful distribution 

 of light and heavy articles in the different containers, he 

 could be sure of his belongings floating if accidentally 

 thrown into the water. 



It is not always possible to get comfortable native 

 saddles. They are all constructed on heavy lines with 

 thick padding which becomes water-soaked in the rainy 

 season. A United States military saddle, with Whitman 

 or McClellan tree, would be a positive luxury. Neither 

 of them is padded, so would be the correct thing for all 

 kinds of weather. The regulation army saddle-blanket 

 is also advised as a protection for the mule's back. The 

 muleteer should wash the saddle-blanket often. For a 

 long mule-back trip through a game country, it would be 

 well to have a carbine boot on the saddle (United States 

 Army) and saddle-bags with canteen and cup. In a 

 large pack-train much time and labor are lost every 

 morning collecting the mules which strayed while graz- 

 ing. It would pay in the long run to feed a little corn 

 at a certain hour every morning in camp, always ringing 

 a bell or blowing a horn at the time. The mules would 

 get accustomed to receiving the feed and would come 

 to camp for it at the signal. 



All the rope that came to my attention in South 

 America was three-strand hemp, a hard material, good 

 for standing rigging but not good for tackle or for use 



