668 THE KAP-TRNT WAGON. 



accounted for, no doubt, by the expenditure of stock in the 

 acquisition of wagons before they set out. 



Till the defeat of the Zulus at Blood River in December. 

 1838, the majority of the migratory Boer nopulation were pre- 

 vented by danger of attack from separate . settlement and the 

 building of ordinary habitations, and had to depend for shelter 

 upon the wagon-tilt and such tents and screens as they had been 

 able to supplement it with. The principal period of wagon- 

 dwelling may therefore be set down approximately at two years, 

 during which time the vehicles freciuently formed effective fortifi- 

 cation against on-rushing Zulus and other Africans by being placed 

 ends together round the space to be defended, although in the 

 case of the more restless individuals it was doubtless much longer. 



Burchell described his wagon with some minuteness, and his 

 description is available to students of history. Its general scheme 

 was divided thus : 



I. The VooR Stel, consisting of 



(i) Voor widen, front wheels, less in diameter than the 

 hind ones. 



(2) As, axle-tree. 



(3) Voor-tang, with jaws projecting vertically forward 



to receive the pole or disselhoom, and horizontally 

 backward to receive the connecting pole or lange- 

 zvagen. 



(4) Draai-bord, swivel-board, between which and the 



axle-tree the voor-tang was gripped. 



(5) Schammel, which pivoted on the slightly convex 



surface of the draai-bord. 



(6) Ron gen. 



II. AcHTER Stel, the parts of which were : 



(i) Achter zvielen, hind wheels. 



(2) As. 



(3) Schammel. 



(4) Achter-tang, or coupling. 



(5) Rongen. 



These were connected by the Langczoagen and became : 

 III., the Onder Stel; 



IV., the BovEN Stel : 



(i) Buik-plank, or floor, 



(2) Leer en, or sides. 



(3) Kap, or hood. , 



The scheme of III has prevailed in the ordinary type of 

 wagon still in use for carrying purposes, so that an exact descrip- 

 tion of its parts may be superfluous at the present time. Such 

 modifications as have taken place may be discerned by compari- 

 son with Burchell's description. It need only be noted that every 

 part, of whatever degree of importance, was known to the Boer 

 by a name. 



An example of the Boven Stel has not apparently been pre- 



