chap, iv.] ADVANTAGES OF DONKEYS . 101 
donkeys were easily aided/ their tails being held by 
two men, while they shuffled and slid down the sandy 
banks; but every camel fell, and the loads had to be 
carried up the opposite bank by the men, and the 
camels to be re-loaded on arrival. Here again the 
donkeys had the advantage, as without being unloaded 
they were assisted up the steep ascent by two men in 
front pulling at their ears, while others pushed behind. 
Altogether, the donkeys were far more suitable for the 
country, as they were more easily loaded. I had ar¬ 
ranged their packs and saddles so well, that they 
carried their loads with the greatest comfort. Each 
animal had an immense pad well stuffed with goats' 
hair ; this reached from the shoulder to the hip-bones ; 
upon this rested a simple form of saddle made of two 
forks of boughs inverted, and fastened together with 
rails—there were no nails in these saddles, all the 
fastenings being secured with thongs of raw hide. 
The great pad, projecting far both in front, behind, and 
also below the side of the saddle, prevented the loads 
from chafing the animal. Every donkey carried two 
large bags made of the hides of antelopes that I had 
formerly shot on the frontier of Abyssinia, and these 
were arranged with taggles on the one to fit into loops 
on the other, so that the loading and unloading was 
exceedingly simple. The success of an expedition de¬ 
pends mainly upon the perfection of the details, and 
where animals are employed for transport, the first 
consideration should be bestowed upon saddles and 
packs. The facility of loading is all important, and I 
now had an exemplification of its effect upon both 
animals and men ; the latter began to abuse the camels 
and to curse the father of this, and the mother of that, 
because they had the trouble of unloading them for 
the descent into the rivers bed, while the donkeys 
were blessed with the endearing name of “ my brother," 
and alternately whacked with the stick. It was rather 
a bad commencement of a forced march, and the ravine 
we had crossed had been a cause of serious delay. 
