TORTURING SADDLES 
from them altogether, as they would have then imagined 
that I was afraid of them, an impression which it would 
have been fatal to let them entertain even for a moment. 
Each man was allowed to replenish his belt each day to 
the extent of ten cartridges. 
I have elsewhere referred to the absurd pack-saddles 
used in Brazil, so heavy and unsteady when going over 
rough country, with the underpads so difficult to adjust 
that the animals were soon a mass of sores on the back, 
the sides of the body, on the chest and tail. I had other 
lighter and more sensible saddles, but I had to discard 
them, as the Brazilians would not hear of using them, and 
I gave up in despair of teaching them how to pack them. 
I eventually left those saddles behind. 
The riding-saddles, too, were almost as absurd as the 
pack-saddles, constructed as they were of innumerable 
and useless pieces of wood, iron, and leather. The stir¬ 
rups were gaudy, and consisted of a regular shoe of silver 
or other metal, into which you inserted the greater part 
of your foot, or else of a much ornamented circular ring. 
The head-piece and bit were also extremely heavy, clumsy, 
and highly decorated, for everything must be made for 
show if it has to be used in Brazil. 
It was not possible to associate in any way or be 
friendly with my men. They were unpleasant beyond all 
conception. One could not say a word, no matter how 
kind, without the prospect of a long argument or a row. 
It was quite beyond them to be civil, and, like all ignorant 
people, they always imagined that they could teach others 
everything, including good manners! They were ridicu¬ 
lously courteous to one another; a muleteer talking to 
another always addressed him as “ Sir,” and referred to 
his comrades as his “ colleagues.” 
We travelled that day nearly altogether over finely 
powdered reddish earth of volcanic origin. I had so far 
not met with a single fossil, not a shell, not a petrified 
127 
