. Prairie traveler : a hand-book for overland expeditions, with maps, illustrations, and itineraries of the principal routes between the Mississippi and the Pacific. directionwithout regard to roads. Moimtains and brokenground may easily be traversed, and exemption isgained from many of the troubles and detentionsattendant upon the transit of cumbersome wagon-trains. One of the most essential requisites to the outfitof a pack train is a good pack-saddle. Various pat-terns are m use, many of which are mere instru-ments of torture upon the backs of the poor brutes,lacerating them cruelly, and ca
. Prairie traveler : a hand-book for overland expeditions, with maps, illustrations, and itineraries of the principal routes between the Mississippi and the Pacific. directionwithout regard to roads. Moimtains and brokenground may easily be traversed, and exemption isgained from many of the troubles and detentionsattendant upon the transit of cumbersome wagon-trains. One of the most essential requisites to the outfitof a pack train is a good pack-saddle. Various pat-terns are m use, many of which are mere instru-ments of torture upon the backs of the poor brutes,lacerating them cruelly, and causmg continuedpain. The Mexicans use a leathern pack-saddle withouta tree. It is stufied with hay, and is very large, PACKING AKD DKIVIjSTG. 99 covering almost the entu*e back, and extending fardown the sides. It is secured with a broad hairgirth, and the load is kept in position by a lash-rope drawn by two men so tight as to give the mi-fortmiate beast intense suffering. A pack-saddle is made by T. Grimsley, No. 41Main Street, St. Louis, Mo. It is open at the top,with a light, compact, and strong tree, which fitsthe auunals back well, and is covered with raw. OBIMSLETS PACK-SADDLE. hide, put on green, and drawn tight by the con-traction in drying. It has a leathern breast-strap,breechmg, and lash-strap, vriih a broad hair girthfastened in the Mexican fashion. Of sixty-five ofthese saddles that I used in crossmg the ]vockyMountains, over an exceedingly rough and brokensection, not one of them wounded a mules back, 100 PRAIKIE TRAVELER. and I regard tliem as the best saddles I have everseen. No people, probably, are more familiar with theart of packing than the Mexicans. They under-stand the habits, disposition, and powers of themule perfectly, and will get more work out of himthan any other men I have ever seen. The muleand the donkey are to them as the camel to theArab—their porters over deserts and mountainswhere no other means of transportation can beused to advantage. The
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1850, booksubjectwestusd, bookyear1859
