We had two suits of clothes, one for wear on the river in the day time, and the other for evening in camp, the latter being kept in a rubber bag, so that we always managed to be dry and warm at night.

On making camp the day suit was spread out on rocks or on a branch of a tree if one were near, or on a bush to dry, and it was generally, though not always, comfortably so, in the morning when it was again put on for the river work.

Sometimes, being still damp, the sensation for a few moments was not agreeable.
We snapped several of the lighter oars in the cross currents, as the boats were heavy and did not mind quickly, and to backwater suddenly on one of the slender oars broke it like a reed.

Some of the longer, heavier oars were then cut down to eight feet and were found to be entirely serviceable.

The steering oars were cut down from eighteen to sixteen feet.