666 THE KAP-TENT WAGON. 



trekkers. It was for longf regarded as indispensable to farmers 

 in remote reg-ions, whatever their nationality : except for the 

 Cape-cart, the possession of which was restricted to a fortunate 

 few, it was the sole means whereby families were enabled to 

 visit their always somewhat distant neighbours, upon which occa- 

 sions it also obviated the tax upon sleeping accommodation to 

 which the primitive farm-houses were often unequal ; it formed 

 the only means of repairing for a season to the centres of 

 civilization. Bird, in the paper quoted, says that it was, at the 

 time to which he refers, the " only mode of conveyance " by 

 which a lady could then perform the journey of 54 miles between 

 Pietermaritzburg and Durban. It was by means of a wagon like 

 this, presented to him by his friend Oswell, that Livingstone 

 was enabled to seriously embark upon the exploration of the 

 interior, and in it a son was born to him, and named after his 

 benefactor, somewhere near the Zambezi. 



The wagon was one of the Boer's most cherished possessions. 

 He drove it himself, taking pride in the skill which he attained 

 in the use of the long whip ; in the co-ordination of the 

 animals' strength' when confronted 'with heavy obstructions. 

 When the road was good he sat upon the voor-kist. calling out 

 the names of his beasts as they happened to slacken in exertion 

 or speed. The oxen knew their respective names, and instantly 

 responded to the call. They had been named when born for 

 another more happy purpose. The cattle-kraal was furnished 

 with a separate compartment called the kalver hok, or calves' 

 pen, from which they were called by name in turn for the pur- 

 pose, first of inducing their mothers to yield their milk, and next 

 of taking what remained for them after their owner had drawn 

 his share. The name which thus began as a joyous call assumed 

 a more stern purpose in mature life. 



The oxen were objects of as much pride as the wagon which 

 ' it was their duty to draw. The owner was precisely acquainted 

 with the characteristics of each, and he was prone to boast of 

 them in so far as they approached his ideal of perfection. To 

 his description of their performances was added that of their 

 colour and general appearance, which he accomplished partly 

 with the aid of gesture. Their merits were measured by quick- 

 ness of step, drawing power, and the readiness with which they 

 responded to a call, vocal or physical. The class of cattle classi- 

 fied as " Afrikander " was doubtless the result largely of selective 

 breeding, having strength and speed for its object. 



The names of oxen became somewhat stereotyped, and were 

 not of very great variety. Although some of them would appear 

 to suggest an earlier association with particular places, such as 

 Tafelhcrg, Blaamvherg or JVitzcnherg, it is remarkable that they 

 were generally associated in application with the colour of the 

 animal named ; thus the second was invariably given to a grey 

 animal, a colour which the Boers described as blue, and the third 

 to one mostly or entirely white. They were chosen chiefly with 

 the view to ease and distinctness in enunciation. Common names 

 were Bontman, for a parti-coloured animal, Bandom for one 



