348 APPENDIX B 



saddle, with Whitman or McCIellan 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 winteen 

 and cup. In a large pack-train much time and labour are lost 

 every morning collecting the mules which strayed while grazing. 

 It would pay in the long run to feed a little com 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 aboard canoes. A four-ply bolt 

 rope of best manilla, made in New Bedford, Mass., should be 

 taken. It is the finest and most pliable line in the world, as any 

 old whaler will tell you. Get a sailor of the old school to relay 

 the coils before you go into the field so that the rope will be ready 

 for use. Five-eighths to seven-eighths inch diameter is large 

 enough. A few balls of marline come in conveniently as also does 

 heavy linen fish-line. 



A small-sized duffel-bag should be provided for each of the men 

 as a container for hammock and net, spare clothing, and mess-kit. 

 A very small waterproof pouch or bag should be furnished also for 

 matches, tobacco, etc. 



The men should be limited to one duffel-bag each. These bags 

 should be numbered consecutively. In fact, every piece in the 

 entire equipment should be thus numbered and a list kept in detail 

 in a book. 



The explorer should personally see that each of his men has a 

 hammock, net, and poncho ; for the native, if left unsupervised, 

 will go into the field with only the clothing he has on. 



Food. — Though South America is rich in food and food 

 possibilities, she has not solved the problem of living economically 

 on her frontiers. The prices asked for food in the rubber districts 

 we passed through were amazing. Five milreis (one dollar and 



