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.)
