The Prairie Traveller, a Hand-book for Overland Expeditions


 * Preface

The different Routes to California and Oregon. -- Their respective Advantages. -- Organization of Companies. -- Elections of Captains. -- Wagons and Teams. -- Relative Merits of Mules and Oxen. -- Stores and Provisions. -- How packed. -- Desiccated and canned Vegetables. -- Pemmican. -- Anti-scorbutics. -- Cold Flour. -- Substitutes in case of Necessity. -- Amount of Supplies. -- Clothing. -- Camp Equipage.
 * CHAPTER I.

Marching. -- Treatment of Animals. -- Water. -- Different methods of finding and purifying it. -- Journadas. -- Methods of crossing them. -- Advance and Rear Guards. -- Selection of Camp. -- Sanitary Considerations. -- Dr. Jackson's Report. -- Picket Guards. -- Stampedes. - - How to prevent them. -- Corraling Wagons.
 * CHAPTER II.

Repairing broken Wagons. -- Fording Rivers. -- Quicksand. -- Wagon Boats. -- Bull Boats. - - Crossing Packs. -- Swimming Animals. -- Marching with loose Horses. -- Herding Mules. - - Best Methods of Marching. -- Herding and guarding Animals. -- Descending Mountains. -- Storms. -- Northers.
 * CHAPTER III.

Packing. -- Saddles. -- Mexican Method. -- Madrina, or Bellmare. -- Attachment of the Mule illustrated. -- Best Method of Packing. -- Hoppling Animals. -- Selecting Horses and Mules. -- Grama and bunch grass. -- European Saddles. -- California Saddle. -- Saddle Wounds. -- Alkali. -- Flies. -- Colic. -- Rattlesnake Bites. -- Cures for the Bite.
 * CHAPTER IV.

Bivouacs. -- Tente d'Abri. -- Gutta-percha Knapsack Tent. -- Comanche Lodge. -- Sibley Tent. -- Camp Furniture. -- Litters. -- Rapid Traveling. -- Fuel. -- Making Fires. -- Fires on the Prairies. -- Jerking Meat. -- Making Lariats. -- Making Caches. -- Disposition of Fire- arms. -- Colt's Revolvers. -- Gun Accidents. -- Trailing. -- Indian Sagacity.
 * CHAPTER V.

Guides and Hunters. -- Delawares and Shawnees. -- Khebirs. -- Black Beaver. -- Anecdotes. -- Domestic Troubles. -- Lodges. -- Similarity of Prairie Tribes to the Arabs. -- Method of making War. -- Tracking and pursuing Indians. -- Method of attacking them. -- Telegraphing by Smokes.
 * CHAPTER VI.

Hunting. -- Its Benefits to the Soldier. -- Buffalo. -- Deer. -- Antelope. -- Bear. -- Big-horn, or Mountain Sheep. -- Their Habits, and Hints on the best Methods of hunting them.
 * CHAPTER VII.