G ALTON ON THE EXPLORATION OF ARID COUNTRIES. [Dec. 14, 1857. 
74 
convenient in size would be 4jx 8 inches at the base, and 8 inches 
high with an extra inch for the neck. 50 lbs. weight of water, in 
four whole canisters and two half ones, would pack side by side in 
a hamper measuring over all 11 inches x 10 inches x 2 feet 5 inches. 
Men would carry their loads in the way they were best accustomed 
to. One good plan is to drop the vessels into loose fitting bags, 
and to sling these at either end of a pole borne upon the shoulder. 
The mouth of these canisters should be like that of an ordinary tea- 
canister, closed with a cork, and the cork covered with a close 
fitting tin cap, to keep out ants and other small marauders. There 
can be no mistake about the number of these tins that would be 
required, as the Tables show the number of days’ rations that must 
be carried for each individual of the party. The cost of a number 
of these vessels, sufficient to supply the wants of a large party for a 
long series of expeditions, would not exceed that of a single horse. 
If from any cause the rations appear inadequate, no danger or hard- 
ship need result to the party in consequence. It is always open to 
the leader of it to curtail his excursion, and to give to his cattle and 
men the water that was stored for their use during those stages 
which he now determines to stop short of. And, again, the safety 
of their return journey need not wholly depend upon that of the 
caches, since it has been shown how easy it is to dispatch relief 
parties for further security. 
I sincerely trust that explorers in Australia may be induced to 
give a fair trial to my proposed method ; and I would suggest to a 
person who wished to do so that he should make a few preparatory 
attempts on foot, after the following simple arrangement, with a 
description of which I will close this paper. Let the explorer adopt 
as his immediate object the investigation and survey of a line of 
country to the distance of one and a half day’s journey into the 
heart of the desert. He need not carry any load of food, but let 
him select 7 natives as porters, and prepare the following outfit : — 
21 half-gallon water tins, of the description mentioned above ; viz. 4 X 4| 
inches at base, and 8 inches clear height, exclusive of the neck. 
21 food tins ; being simply square tin boxes with close-fitting lids, 4 X 4| 
inches at base and 3 inches high, a pile of three of them being of the 
same size as a water tin. 
21 meals (of \ day rations each) of food ; viz. : tea, sugar, flour, and salted 
meat ; each ready to pack up in its separate food-tin. 
14 light canvas bags ; each capable of holding two water tins, or else one 
water tin and a pile of three food-tins. The bags to be adapted for 
slinging from a pole, and having long enough necks to admit of their 
being sewn up or otherwise well secured against tampering. 
1 large spare bag ; a very light one, capable of holding four sets of food and 
water tins. 
7 strong light poles ; six feet in length, to be carried on the shoulder, to 
each end of which a canvas bag is to be slung ; the one bag containing 
