BREAKING-IN OXEN. 45 



Mr. Stewardson, tailor by profession, but now "jack of all 

 trades," to accompany us up the country in the capacity of 

 cicerone, etc. ; and as this man, from long residence among 

 the Hottentots, was thoroughly conversant with the myste- 

 ries of ox-breaking, to him, therefore, we deputed the difficult 

 task. 



At the end of a "riem," or long leather thong, a pretty 

 large noose is made, which is loosely attached to, or rather 

 suspended from, the end of a slight stick some five or six feet 

 in length. With this stick in his hand, a man, under shelter 

 of the herd, stealthily approaches the ox selected to be oper- 

 ated on. When sufficiently near, he places the noose (though 

 at some little distance from the ground) just in advance of 

 the hind feet of the animal ; and when the latter steps into 

 it, he draws it tight. The instant the ox finds himself in the 

 toils, he makes a tremendous rush forward ; but, as several 

 people hold the outer end of the " riem," he — ^in sailor lan- 

 guage — is quickly " brought up." The force of the check is 

 indeed such as often to capsize one or more of the men. He 

 now renews his effiDrts ; he kicks, foams, bellows ; and his 

 companions, at first startled, return and join in chorus ; the 

 men shout, the dogs bark furiously, and the affiiir becomes 

 at once dangerous and highly exciting. The captured ani- 

 mal not unfrequently grows frantic vnih rage and fear, and 

 turns upon his assailant, when the only chance of escape is 

 to let go the hold of the '' riem." Usually he soon exhausts 

 himself by his own exertions, when one or two men instant- 

 ly seize him by the tail, another thong having also been 

 passed round his horns ; and by bringing the two to bear in 

 exactly opposite directions, or, in other words, by using the 

 two as levers at a right angle with his body, he is easily 

 brought to the ground. This being once effected, the tail is 

 passed between his legs and held forcibly down over his ribs, 

 and the head is twisted on one side, with the horns fixed in 

 the ground. A short, strong stick, of peculiar shape, is then 



