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 tumbling 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 

 to Quagga's Plain, in company wdth 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 creates some 

 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 square, 

 for which they pay a quit-rent of forty Rix-dollars. They 

 are entitled, besides, to the privilege of grazing a few cows 

 on a neighbouring common. 



" The Sunday River, which we crossed on the following 

 morning, is a considerable stream. Its breadth, at this time, 

 though the rainy season had not yet set in, was at least 

 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 Doom boom,* 



