The Art of Travel Part 6

If he has been well packed, the skins will keep in place and not fall off; but whether they do or not, he must be re-caught and re-packed every day. A young ox is generally more difficult to break-in than an old one: I do not know why. An ox requires no pack-saddle; his back is too round to carry one with advantage. It is therefore usual to lay spare skins, etc., upon him, and over these the bags that have to be packed. A great length of thong is required to lash them. It is convenient to make a pair of very large saddle-bags out of skin or canvas, which require simply to be placed on the ox's back and there girthed.

To train an Ox to carry a Rider.--It takes a very long time to train an ox to carry a riding-saddle well and steadily: indeed, very few oxen can be taught to go wherever they may be guided by the rider; they are of so gregarious a nature, that, for the most part, they will not move a step without companions. Hence, those oxen only are thought worth breaking-in which are observed to take the part of leaders of the drove when pasturing, and which are therefore supposed to have some independence of disposition. The first time of mounting an ox to break him in, is a work of almost certain mischance: for the long horns of the ox will often reach the rider, however far back he may sit, and the animal kicks and bucks in a way that severely tries the best of seats. All riding-oxen's horns should have the tips sawn off. After being mounted a very few times, the ox goes pretty steadily; but it is long before he learns to carry a rider with ease to himself. I should like to hear if Rarey's plan of tying up the foreleg would influence them. Their character is so wholly unlike that of a horse, that I doubt if it would.

In riding, it must be recollected that the temper of an ox is far less quick, though his sensations may be as acute as those of a horse: thus, he does not start forwards on receiving a cut with the whip, even though he shrink with the pain; but he thinks about it, shakes his head, waits a while, and then breaks gradually into a faster pace. An ox will trot well enough with a light weight; and, though riding myself upwards of 13 stone, I once took an ox 60 miles in a day and a half: this is, perhaps as much as an ox could, in fairness, be made to do. A ride-ox can be tied up by his nose-bridle; but, if wild or frightened, he will a.s.suredly struggle till the nose-stick be torn out of his nose, and he becomes free. It is, therefore, better to tie the bridle to a tuft of gra.s.s, or a slender twig, rather than to a tree or to the saddle-bags. Mounting an ox is usually a troublesome business, on account of his horns. To make ride-oxen quiet and tame, scratch their backs and tails--they dearly love it--and hold salt in your hands for them to lick. They soon learn their names, and come to be caressed when called.

Cows.--Most breeds of cows, out of Europe, cease to give milk after their calf dies; and the only way of making them continue their yield, is to spread out the calf's hide for them to lick, some time before milking them; it retains its effect for a week or more. Messrs. Huc and Gabet give the following graphic account of this contrivance, as applied to restive cows:--"These long-tailed cows are so restive and difficult to milk, that, to keep them at all quiet, the herdsman has to give them a calf to lick meanwhile. But for this device, not a single drop of milk could be obtained from them. One day a Lama herdsman, who lived in the same house with ourselves, came, with a long dismal face, to announce that his cow had calved during the night, and that unfortunately the calf was dying. It died in the course of the day. The Lama forthwith skinned the poor beast, and stuffed it with hay. This proceeding surprised us at first, for the Lama had by no means the air of a man likely to give himself the luxury of a cabinet of natural history. When the operation was completed, we observed that the hay-calf had neither feet nor head; whereupon it occurred to us that, after all, it was perhaps a pillow that the Lama contemplated. We were in error; but the error was not dissipated till the next morning, when our herdsman went to milk his cow. Seeing him issue forth--the pail in one hand, the hay-calf under the other arm--the fancy occurred to us to follow him. His first proceeding was to put the hay-calf down before the cow. He then turned to milk the cow herself. The mamma at first opened enormous eyes at her beloved infant; by degrees she stooped her head towards it, then smelt at it, sneezed three or four times, and at last proceeded to lick it with the most delightful tenderness. This spectacle grated against our sensibilities: it seemed to us that he who first invented this parody upon one of the most touching incidents in nature must have been a man without a heart. A somewhat burlesque circ.u.mstance occurred one day, to modify the indignation with which this treachery inspired us. By dint of caressing and licking her little calf, the tender parent one fine morning unripped it: the hay issued from within; and the cow, manifesting not the slightest surprise nor agitation, proceeded tranquilly to devour the unexpected provender."

The Highlanders used this contrivance, and called it a "Tulchan": hence King James's bishops were nicknamed "Tulchan bishops," to imply that they were officials of straw, merely set up as a means of milking the Scotch people of their money, in the form of church-dues.

Camels.--Camels are only fit for a few countries, and require practised attendants; thorns and rocks lame them, hills sadly impede them, and a wet slippery soil entirely stops them.

Elephants.--They are expensive and delicate, but excellent beasts of burden, in rainy tropical countries. The traveller should make friends with the one he regularly rides, by giving it a piece of sugar-cane or banana before mounting. A sore back is a certain obstacle to a continuance of travel; there is no remedy for it but rest. The average burden, furniture included, but excluding the driver, is 500 lbs., and the full average day's journey 15 miles.

Dogs.--Dogs will draw a "travail" (which see) of 60 lbs. for 15 miles a day, over hard, level country, for days together; frequently they will accomplish much more than that. For Arctic travel, they are used in journeys after they are three years old; each dog requires eight or ten herrings per day, or an equivalent to them. A sledge of 12 dogs carries 900 lbs.; it travels on smooth ice seven or eight miles an hour; and in 36 days, 22 sledges and 240 dogs travelled 800 miles--1210 versts.

(Admiral Wrangel.) Dogs are used by the Patagonian fishermen to drive fish into their nets, and to prevent them from breaking through the nets when they are inside them. (See next paragraph for "Sheep-dogs.")

Goats and Sheep.--Goats are much more troublesome to drive than sheep, neither are they such enduring walkers, nor do they give as much meat; but their skins are of such great use to furnish strong leather, that it is seldom convenient to make up a caravan without them. She-goats give some milk, even when travelling fast, and in dry countries; but a ewe-sheep is not worth milking under those circ.u.mstances, as her yield is a mere nothing. Goats are very mischievous--they make their way out of all enclosures, and trespa.s.s everywhere. They b.u.t.t at whatever is bright or new, or strange to them; and would drive an observer, who employed astronomical instruments on stands, to distraction. In an open country, where there are no bushes for a kraal, nets must be taken, and stakes cut, to make enclosures for the sheep. If they stray at all, the least thing scares them, and they will wander very far, and scatter. Goats are far more social and intelligent. If one, two, or three sheep only be driven, long thongs must be tied to their legs, and allowed to trail along the ground, by which they may be re-caught if they gallop off. When the Messrs. Schlagintweit were encamped at vast heights, among the snows of the Himalaya, they always found it practicable to drive sheep to their stations. When sheep, etc., are long hurdled at night, near the same encampment, the nuisance of flies and ticks becomes intolerable.

Sheep-dogs seem to prove of less use to travellers than might have been expected; perhaps the other dogs corrupt them.

Management of Cattle generally.--To make an animal rise when he throws himself on the ground with his pack, and will not get up, it is not of much use to flog him; twisting or biting his tail is the usual way, or making a blaze with gra.s.s and a few sticks under his nostrils. The stubborness of a half-broken ox is sometimes beyond conception.

Cattle Bells, in countries where they can be used without danger, should always be taken; it adds greatly to the cheerfulness and gregariousness of the animals--mules positively require them. Hard wood is sonorous enough for bells.

Brands and Cattle-marks.--In buying oxen out of the herds of pastoral people, it is very difficult to remember each animal so as to recognise it again if it strays back to its former home; it requires quite a peculiar talent to do so. Therefore it is advisable that the traveller's cattle should be marked or branded. A trader in Namaqua Land, took red paint, and tied a brush on to a long stick; with this he made a daub on the hind quarters of the freshly-bought and half-wild cattle, as they pushed through the door of his kraal. It naturally excites great ridicule among natives, to paint an ox that he may be known again; but, for all that, I think the trader's plan well worth adopting. The same might be done to sheep, as a slit ear is not half conspicuous enough. A good way of marking a sheep's ear is to cut a wad out of the middle of it, with a gun-punch; but it will sometimes tear this hole into a slit, by scratching with its foot.

Chaff, to cut.--Tie a sickle against a tree, with its blade projecting; then, standing in front of the blade, hold a handful of reeds across it with both hands, one hand on either side of the blade; pull it towards you, and the reeds will be cut through; drop the cut end, seize the bundle afresh, and repeat the process. In this way, after a little practice, chaff is cut with great ease and quickness. A broken sickle does as well as a whole one, and a knife may be used, but the curve of its edge is ill adapted for the work.

Cattle will eat many sorts of herbage, as reeds and gorse, if cut small; but will not touch them, if uncut.

Occasional Food for Cattle.--They will also eat seaweed and leaves especially birch and poplar leaves, and even thrive upon them.

[Ill.u.s.tration of man cutting chaff as described on p 64].

Pulling Cattle out of Holes.--The bight of a cord, or of some subst.i.tute for one, may be thrown over a horse's head, and he can be dragged out by a team of cattle with but very little danger to his neck. A crupper under his tail, or a thong as a breeching may be used. In Canada and the United States, a noose of rope is often run round the horse's neck, and hauled tight--thus temporarily choking the animal and making him still; he is then pulled as quickly as possible out of the hole, and no time is lost in slackening the rope.

HARNESS.

Saddles for riding.--Good saddles for riding, and, I may add, especially for packing, are of nearly as great importance as the goodness of the animal who carries them. English saddlers never, I believe, can be induced to stuff a saddle sufficiently; because they have no opportunity of seeing the miserable, scraggy condition of a travelled horse's back, to which it is destined to fit. But an English saddle, restuffed at a bush frontier town, is excellent.

Three rings, and nine of what saddlers call "D's," should be fixed to the saddle, not simply into the leather-work, but firmly riveted or secured into the tree itself. This must be especially insisted on, or frequent disasters will occur. The three rings are to be fixed to the pommel--one on the top, and one on each side of it; the nine "D's" are placed as follows:--three along the back of the saddle, two more on each side of the seat, and two in front, for the breastplate.

Fittings.--To these may be tied a light valise in front; a gun-holster on the right of the pommel; and a small bag--containing odds and ends, gunpowder, spare bullets, a few presents, etc.--on its left. On the right of the seat, a sabre-tasch, or thin leather portfolio-shaped pocket, for paper and writing materials; on the left, the water-canteen and hobbles; behind, the crupper and small saddle-bags. A breastplate is not worth having, except in a very hilly country. This description of a saddle, of course, applies to that of the travelling-horse. For the saddle of the shooting-horse the arrangement is different; only the gun-holster, and perhaps the water-canteen can then be taken. An ox carries a saddle precisely like a horse. I rode mine nearly 1600 miles, in South Africa, with a common hunting-saddle and its ordinary girths.

In default of riding-saddles, a pack-saddle must be cus.h.i.+oned to form a comfortable seat (see "Pack-saddles").

Saddle-bags are so troublesome to open, and require so many straps, that I believe it is best to use a bag of macintosh or canvas, rolled up and tied behind the saddle, where it should rest on a pad. The pad is made of two cus.h.i.+ons, each 9 inches long and 4 broad, sewn on a piece of leather, lying parallel to one another, and 4 inches apart. The s.p.a.ce between the cus.h.i.+ons corresponds to the backbone of the horse. To keep the whole in shape, it is usual to st.i.tch four or five laths of wood lengthways to the upper surface of the pad; upon these laths the bag will rest. If there be occasion to carry a bag on horseback for a short distance, pa.s.s one of the stirrup-leathers through its string; then throw the bag over to the other side of the saddle: it will lie behind the rider's leg, and be out of his way and he will sit upon part of its string.

Australians, as is well known, insist on the merits of a "swag," or a long package formed by rolling all their possessions into their blanket.

They carry it over the saddle-bows.

Sore backs.--Sore backs are the plague of beasts of burden; for, if the skin be once broken, it will never heal thoroughly again during the whole journey. Every precaution should, therefore, be taken at first starting: the saddles should be well-stuffed; the saddle-cloths ample, and without hem or edging (blankets are as good as any); the journeys should be short; the packs light and carefully balanced; rests of a day or two should frequently be given, and salt-water should be rubbed on the back.

Travelling in the very early morning is found to be bad for animals'

backs; but travelling late at night is not so. An Australian correspondent remarks, that a party of travellers or explorers in Australia, on leaving their camp, invariably saddle their horses with ample saddle-cloths below the saddle, and a.s.sist each other by turns, to fold the cloths in various ways. For instance, if the ridge of the back, or wither, should be found galled, the cloth would be folded up, so that the saddle should rest entirely on the two folded pads, as in the figure.--Other modes of folding will suggest themselves, according to the way in which the back may be rubbed.

[Drawing of folded saddle-cloth].

The first appearance of a sore back is a small hardish swelling or warble" this must at once be attended to, either by folding the saddle-cloth in some appropriate way, or by picking out the saddle-stuffing, so as to ease all pressure from off it; otherwise, it will get larger and larger, and a single day will convert what might have been easily cured, into a serious and irremediable gall. Girth-galls, on their first appearance, may be relieved if not cured, by sewing two rolls of soft woollen material on to the girth. The hair from the animal's mane or tail has been used on an emergency to stuff a saddle.

[Fig. 1, 2, 3 show different pack saddles].

Pack-Saddles.--To make when Travelling.--Cut four bent pieces of touch wood, and two small planks; season them as well as you can (see "Wood, to season"), and join them together, as in figs. 1 and 2, using raw hide in addition to nails or pegs. Stuffed cus.h.i.+ons must be secured inside the planks by tying or otherwise. With a saw and a mortise-chisel, a saddle of the pattern shown in fig. 3 would be easy to make. It is stronger than the one just described, and the notched cross-bar is very convenient for the pack-ropes.

Pack-Saddles made by Saddlers.--There has been, perhaps, no journey in which pack-horses worked so effectively as during the exploration of North Australia under Mr. Gregory. I am much indebted to Mr. Baines, the artist of the expedition, who has subsequently travelled extensively, for the following very interesting account:--

"The pack-saddles were made after a model by Mr. Gregory, and are the best I have yet seen. Two boards of light wood are connected by bows of iron, 1 1/2 inch wide and 1/4 inch thick, with hooks inserted in either side, for the pack-bags to hook on to. The straps for the breastings, breechings, and girths, were screwed to the boards; the crupper pa.s.sed through a ring on the after bow; and a light pad, which could easily be taken out to be re-stuffed, was secured by small thongs, pa.s.sed through holes in the ends of the boards. We had two girths, which crossed each other under the horse. (In unloading, the neck-strap is unbuckled on the near side, also the breasting and girths; and the whole is drawn off behind.)

[Fig 1 and 2 and an un-labelled figure on this page further ill.u.s.trate packing].

"The pack-bags were made of one width of canvas, turned up so as to have no seam in the bottom. Pear-shaped pieces were sewn in to form the ends, and rope was st.i.tched along the seams, having eyes above, by which the bag was hung upon the hooks (fig. 2). The flour-bags were made of canvas, of the usual width, with a round bottom st.i.tched into them. The mouth was sewn up when full, and an oiled bag of the same size drawn over it.

"When all our horses were saddled up, the word 'on packs' was given. Dr.

Mueller and I used to work together, and had our packs laid out in pairs; so that when each horse was led between his bags, we hooked them on at the same moment. When we halted, we laid our bags on a couple of poles, to keep them from the ground, as in the drawing.

"The bags sometimes came off when we were travelling; but it was generally easy to catch the horse and reload him. When a horse rolled over, or fell in a river, it was rather an advantage than otherwise to get clear of them. Our waterproof bags were of leather, lined with waterproof cloth, just large enough to fill one of the canvas pack-bags.

They had a bra.s.s neck with a worm inside, in which we screwed a plug of soft wood. (There was rarely, if ever, occasion to use them.) Each pair of bags was carefully balanced, one against the other, that the horses might not be unequally loaded. The average weight of stores carried in each bag was 75 lbs., making a load (at starting) or 150 lbs., exclusive of bags, packages, or saddlery. Bells were attached to the necks of the horses most apt to stray; but the clappers were tied up with a piece of thong, to keep them quiet on the march; and were loosened at night, so that the sound might guide us in searching for them next morning.

[Sketch of saddle bags on tree].

"We watched two hours each during night; the morning watch boiled the water, and woke the rest at four. We made our breakfast of tea or coffee, damper, and pork, which we ate raw, and went out for the horses; which were generally saddled up, and on the move, before sunrise. We travelled till one or two, when we led the horses to water, looked to any sores that might be caused by the pressure of their saddles, dressed them and altered the stuffing of the saddle to give them relief, and, after dinner, which was rather a brief ceremony, had the rest of the day for scientific or artistic pursuits,--that is, if something else did not require immediate attention. We could never trust to our guns for provision, as game was very scarce, and we had no opportunity of seeking it."

Sir Samuel Baker gave considerable attention to the subject of pack-saddles. The following is his account of the method he adopted in Africa:--"I had arranged their (the donkeys') packs so well, that they carried their loads with the greatest comfort. Each animal had an immense pad, well stuffed with goats' hair; this rested 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 before and behind, and also below the side of the saddle, prevented the loads from chafing the animal. Every donkey carried two large bags made from the hides of antelopes that I had formerly shot on the frontier of Abyssinia, and these were arranged with toggles on the one to fit into loops on the other, so that the loading and unloading was exceedingly simple. The success of an expedition depends mainly upon the perfection of the details, and, where animals are employed for transport, the first consideration should be bestowed upon saddle-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 river's bed, while the donkeys were blessed with the endearing name of 'my brother,' and alternately whacked with the stick."

The art of packing.--The art of good packing is to balance the packs accurately, and to lash tightly to the saddle, so that they will never slip. The entire load is then secured to the animal's back, by moderate girthing. It is going on a false principle, to wind one long cord round the horse, saddle, and packs; making, as it were, a great f.a.ggot of them.

To tighten the las.h.i.+ngs of a pack, thrust a stick through them, twist it forcibly round and round, till the las.h.i.+ngs are screwed tight enough, and then secure the stick.

Half-filled sacks require to have laths of wood, or a handful of twigs, put between them and the packing-cord, to equalise its pressure; otherwise, they are strangled out of shape and never lie firmly against the saddle.

Other Harness.--Cruppers.--A crupper rope should be pa.s.sed through a leather tube, fitting it loosely. Cruppers for pack-saddles, adapted to very mountainous countries, like those used in Norway, can readily be made by travellers. Instead of employing a ring to enclose the tail of the beast (which is sure to fret its sides), he should pa.s.s a curved bar of wood, a foot long, underneath the tail, and tie a cord to the pack-saddle, from either end of the bar.

Girths.--A roll of spare webbing should be taken to patch up torn girths; but a good subst.i.tute for a girth is made by cutting a band of tanned, or even of dressed, leather, to within four inches of its end, into seven or nine bands, and plaiting these together. But it takes a beginner just ten times as long to plait a girth as to weave it, and, therefore, for making more than one girth, it is well worth while to set up a rude loom. Do this as though you were making a mat. (See "Mat.") Girths need not be buckled; they may be laced.

Stirrups must be very roomy, enough to admit clumsily-shaped shoes, such as are made in the bush; they must be broad under the sole of the foot, and also at the place which rubs against the little toe. Unless they are heavy, it is not easy to find them with the foot; travellers in South Africa cut them out from any thick raw hide--that of giraffe, rhinoceros, or sea-cow does admirably. A wooden stirrup may be cut or burnt out of a block. It should have lead melted into it to give it sufficient weight. A stick and a thong, as shown in the figure, is a poor makes.h.i.+ft. Willow, or any other lithe wood, is easily bent into the required shape, especially if its outer edge be nicked with a knife; otherwise it would be a mere loop of wood, such as it represented in the next figure but two, in the paragraph on Rings.