THE SHIFTS AND CONTEIYANCES AVAILABLE IN WILD COUNTRIES. BY FRANCIS GALTON, AUTHOR OF “ EXPLORATIONS IN TROPICAL BOOTH AFRICA.” WITH WOODCUTS. LONDON: JOHN MURRAY, ALBEMARLE STREET. 1855. Diniti7firl hv A t LONDON: FRUTIBO BY WOOD FALL AND KINDER, ANOKL COURT, SKINNER STREET. D initi7prl h\/ PREFACE. T he Author of this volume, which is intended as a Manual for all who have to rough it, whether they be explorers, emigrants, missionaries, or soldiers, earnestly invites such of his readers as can speak from actual experience of the matters on which it treats, to furnish him with remarks, sketches, and corrections, as, in the event of a revised edition being published, they would be of the greatest value to him. They should be addressed to the Author, “ Care of Mr. M urray, Publisher, Albemarle Street, London.’* December 14, 1854. Diniti7firl hv Diniti7prl hv CONTENTS. Page WATER .......................................................................... 1 1. Where to look for Water .... ib. 2. To know when it is near at hand . 2 3. Occasional supplies from Rain, Dew, &c. 3 4. To purify Water that is muddy, putrid, or salt 5 5. To dig W e l l s .............................................. 7 6. To water Cattle from Wells .... 8 7. To carry a supply of Water on Pack-saddles. 9 8. To carry Water in a Waggon 11 9. Small W a te r-v e s s e ls ..................................... 13 10. Additional Remarks * 15 F I R E ........................................................................... 16 1. To obtain a Spark............................................... ib. 2. T in d e r ................................................................. 18 3. To kindle a Spark into a Flame . 19 4. F u e l ................................................................. 20 5. Camp F ir e s ........................................................ 21 B I V O U A C ................................................................. 23 1. Where to seek for Shelter .... 24 2. Mattrasses, Blankets, and their Substitutes . 26 3. Different ways of Bivouacking 28 4. Huts, Tents, and Awnings .... 32 5. Tent Furniture .............................................. 36 6. Rude Houses........................................................ 37 CLOTHES, &c.................................................................. 40 1. Articles of D ress............................................... ib. 2. Personal C le a n lin e s s ..................................... 43 3. Knapsacks, K n i v e s ..................................... 44 4. Dry C loth es........................................................ 45 Diniti7firl h\/ C ooole VI CONTENTS. Page FOOD AND C O O K E R Y ........................................................................47 1. Bad and Poisonous D i e t ...............................................................ib. 2. Food from Various Sources.............................................................. 48 3. Preserving Meat, Fish, Butter, Milk, &c.......................................... 49 4. Bush C o o k e r y ................................................................................. 51 5. Plates and Cooking Utensils...............................................................53 MATTERS OF DISCIPLINE........................................................................55 1. Even T e m p e r ....................................... ......... ib. 2. Organising a P a r t y ........................................................................56 3. In Case of D e a th ................................................................................. 59 4. Bush L a w s ..........................................................................................60 5. Carrying the W ounded....................................................................... 61 6. Securing P r i s o n e r s ....................................................................... 62 7. Hostile Neighbourhood....................................................................... 65 DEFENCE ................................................................................... ... 67 1. Camp F o r t i f i c a t i o n ............................................... ib. 2. W e a p o n s .......................................................................................... 69 HIDING PLACES, OR C A C H E S...............................................................71 1. To make a C&che................................................................................. ib. 2. Notices to another P a r t y ...............................................................73 3. Secreting J e w e ls ................................................................................. 74 BOATS, RAFTS, FORDS, BRIDGES, &c...................................................76 1. Swimming Rivers. ib. 2. Rafts and rude B o a t s ........................................................................ 77 3. Carrying Boats O v e r l a n d ...............................................................81 4. Hints for Boating E xcu rsion s ..................................................... 82 5. Fords, Bridges, &c......................................................................... 8 4 LINE OF ROAD ACROSS COUNTRY . .8 7 1. Roads, to mark and f i n d ...............................................................ib. 2. Accidents by the Way . 88 3. Points of the Compass........................................................................89 4. C l i m b i n g .......................................................................................... 91 HEAVY WEIGHTS, TO RAISE AND CARRY .... 93 Diniti7firl hv C ooale CONTENTS. Vll Page CARPENTRY AND SMITH’S W O R K .......................................................96 1. T o o l s ....................................................................................................ib. 2. Lashings of Raw H id e ....................................................................... ib. 3. Seasoning and Bending Green W o o d ............................................97 4. Blacksmith’s W o r k ........................................................................98 5. Tin-smith’s Work . ........................................................99 SKINS, HORNS, &c.......................................................................................101 1. Curing Skins and dressing t h e m ..................................................... ib. 2. Parchment and Catgut......................................................................103 3. Horn, Glue, and I s in g la s s ...............................................................ib. V A R I O U S ................................................................................................. 105 1. Candles, Wax, Ac.................................................................................. ib. 2. Soap and its Substitutes . * . .106 3. Pottery................................................................................................. 107 4. Charcoal, Tar, &c................................................................................... ib. WRITING M ATERIALS ..................................................................... 109 1. P a p e r .............................................. ib. 2. B o o k b i n d i n g ................................................................................. ib. 3. Quills, Brushes, P e n c i l s ............................................................ 110 4. Ink, Lampblack, O x - g a l l ............................................................ I l l 5. Wafers, Signets . 112 CATTLE . 114 1. Merits of different B e a s t s ..............................................................ib. 2. Kraals and Cattle-bells . ............................................................117 3. Facts about Mules................................................................................ ib. 4. Milking wild Co w b ..................................................................... 118 5. Horse-breaking and c h a r m i n g ...................................................120 6. Breaking in Oxen . 121 7. Vice and Temper . 124 8. Et C e t e r a ........................................................................................125 SADDLES, BRIDLES, AND PACKING-GEAR .... 126 1. Saddles...................................................................................................ib. 2. Saddle-bags . 127 3. Girths, Stirrups, Bridles, &c..............................................................128 4. Pack-saddles....................................................................................... 129 5. Tethers, Hobbles, and K n e e -h a lt e r s ......................................... 130 D initi7prl h\/ C ooqIc V lll CONTENTS. Page WAGGONS AND DRAUGHT H A R N E S S ............................................131 1. Sledges, Waggons, Palanquins, &c..................................................... ib. 2. Harness................................................................................................. 134 3. Drags and Breaks.................................................................................ib. GUNS AND R I F L E S ...............................................................................137 1. Merits and demerits of large and small Guns— Remarks . ib. 2. Hanging up Guns, carrying, and cleaning them . .138 3. How to dispose of Guns at N igh t...................................................142 4. Mending Injuries to G u n s .............................................................