Tools—­Three or four good axes, several bill-hooks, a good hatchet with hammer head and nail-puller should be in the tool kit.  In addition, each man should be provided with a belt knife and a machete with sheath.  Collins makes the best machetes.  His axes, too, are excellent.  The bill-hook, called foice in Brazil, is a most valuable tool for clearing away small trees, vines, and under-growths.  It is marvellous how quickly an experienced hand can clear the ground in a forest with one of these instruments.  All of these tools should have handles of second-growth American hickory of first quality; and several extra handles should be taken along.  The list of tools should be completed with a small outfit of pliers, tweezers, files, etc.—­the character, of course, depending upon the mechanical ability of the traveller and the scientific instruments he has with him that might need repairs.

Survey instruments—­The choice of instruments will depend largely upon the character of the work intended.  If a compass survey will suffice, there is nothing better than the cavalry sketching board used in the United States Army for reconnaissance.  With a careful hand it approaches the high degree of perfection attained by the plane-table method.  It is particularly adapted for river survey and, after one gets accustomed to its use, it is very simple.  If the prismatic compass is preferred, nothing smaller than two and one half inches in diameter should be used.  In the smaller sizes the magnet is not powerful enough to move the dial quickly or accurately.

Several good pocket compasses must be provided.  They should all have good-sized needles with the north end well marked and degrees engraved in metal.  If the floating dial is preferred it should be of aluminum and nothing smaller than two and one half inches, for the same reason as mentioned above regarding the prismatic compass.

Expense should not be spared if it is necessary to secure good compasses.  Avoid paper dials and leather cases which absorb moisture.  The compass case should allow taking apart for cleaning and drying.

The regular chronometer movement, because of its delicacy, is out of the question for rough land or water travel.  We had with us a small-sized half-chronometer movement recently brought out by the Waltham Company as a yacht chronometer.  It gave a surprisingly even rate under the most adverse conditions.  I was sorry to lose it in the rapids of the Papagaio when our canoes went down.

The watches should be waterproof with strong cases, and several should be taken.  It would be well to have a dozen cheap but good watches and the same number of compasses for use around camp and for gifts or trade along the line of travel.  Money is of no value after one leaves the settlements.  I was surprised to find that many of the rubber hunters were not provided with compasses, and I listened to an American who told of having been lost in the depths of the great forest where for days he lived on monkey meat secured with his rifle until he found his way to the river.  He had no compass and could not get one.  I was sorry I had none to give; I had lost mine in the rapids.