Henry Ernest Dudeney/Modern Puzzles/49 - Exploring the Desert

Modern Puzzles by Henry Ernest Dudeney: $49$

Exploring the Desert

Nine travellers, each possessing a motor-car, meet on the eastern edge of a desert.

They wish to explore the interior, always going due west.

Each car can travel $40$ miles on the contents of the engine tank,

which holds a gallon of petrol,

and each can carry $9$ extra gallon tins of petrol and no more.

Unopened tins can alone be transferred from car to car.

What is the greatest distance at which they can enter the desert without making any depots of petrol for the return journey?

Sources

• 1926: Henry Ernest Dudeney: Modern Puzzles ... (previous) ... (next): Arithmetical and Algebraical Problems: Locomotion and Speed Puzzles: $49$. -- Exploring the Desert
• 1968: Henry Ernest Dudeney: 536 Puzzles & Curious Problems ... (previous) ... (next): Arithmetical and Algebraical Problems: Speed & Distance Puzzles: $76$. Exploring the Desert