[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 cushions 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 passed 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, passed 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 illustrate 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 stitched 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 stitched 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 brass neck with a worm inside, in which we screwed a plug of soft wood. (There was rarely, if ever, occasion