Mule-Back Reconnaissances

To engineers who have had experience with the mule, which possesses the intelligence of the horse and all the stubbornness of the burro, the title of this paper may seem somewhat ludicrous, but, with all his capriciousness, that animal has proved himself a capable and useful member of surveying parties in Central America. It may be that the writer has been absent from highly civilized countries too long to keep in touch with current literature, but he has never heard of the mule being used in the manner described in this paper. Reconnaissance work, as far as the writer knows, has never been reduced to an exact science. On railroad work the old and experienced engineer is usually sent out to make the reconnaissance, and this he does in walking or riding over the country. By his experience he can tell whether or not a line is possible, as his eye is trained to measure cuts and fills, estimate the cost of bridges, and judge as to curvature, etc. ln the United States he can usually obtain a map of the country from the Geological Survey, but in Central and South America, and in other countries which may be said to be in the first stages of development, maps are not obtainable, or are very inaccurate.