281 
of horses is beyond their means, they train their finest oxen 
to bear the saddle, or rather a sheepskin, as its homely 
substitute. The course of education commences while the 
animal is still very young. They begin by perforating the 
cartilage of his nose, and introducing a wooden pin into the 
hole. After the wound has become callous, they fix a slip 
of hide to the pin, by way of a bridle, and lead him about; 
then they accustom him to bear the sheepskin and girth, 
and to walk, trot, and canter alongside of a trained beast. 
After he has become perfect in his paces, the most daring 
of them undertakes the office of rough-rider, and a great 
deal of kicking, tossing, and tümbling ensues, but he is at 
length brought to reason, and submits quietly to his fate. 
* In the month of March I went on a shooting excursion 
(do Quagga's Plain, in company with two other officers of the 
garrison. The usual mode of travelling in this country is 
on horseback, or in a waggon. With the latter, which was 
the vehicle we chose, it is absolutely necessary to proceed in 
the cool of the morning and evening, the meridian heat 
being too oppressive to the cattle. We left the Bay early 
in the morning, and halted about ten o'clock at the Swartkop 
River. Six miles above the ford at which we crossed it, 
they have begun to build a village, which is intended to be 
the capital of the new Drostdy of Urtenhage, and is called 
by the same name; a practice hitherto invariably followed, 
but not to be approved of, as it necessarily eee 
ambiguity, The Landrost’s house, an extensive building, 
is already finished, and the ground is laid out for such as 
. choose to settle in the village, in lots of forty yards wg cad 
for which they pay a quit-rent of forty Rix-dollars. They 
are entitled, besides, to the privilege of grazing a feet cows 
on à neighbouring common. ee ; 
je The Sunday an which we crossed on the following 
morning, is a considerable stream. .Its breadth, at this amy 
though the rainy season had not yet set in, was at a 
sixty yards, Its banks are clothed with wood, and exceed- 
ingly bold and romantic. Among a great variety of trees 
and shrubs, we could easily distinguish the Doorn booms 
