DOMESTIC OXEN OF THE HOTTENTOTS. 133 



THE DOMESTIC OXEN OF THE HOTTENTOTS, CALLED 

 BACKELEYS, BACKELEYERS, OR BAKELY-OSSE. 



Bos ? 



The following particulars relating to these Oxen are 

 taken from the highly interesting work ' The Present State 

 of the Cape of Good Hope,' by Peter Kolben, who visited 

 that colony in 1705, and remained there during a period 

 of eight years. 



"The Hottentots have a sort of oxen they call Backeleyers, 

 or fighting oxen ; they use them in their wars, as some 

 nations do elephants ; of the taming and farming of which 

 last creatures upon the like discipline the Hottentots as 

 yet know nothing. They are of great use to them, too, in 

 the government of their herds at pasture ; for, upon a 

 signal from their commanders, they will fetch in stragglers, 

 and bring the herds within compass. They will likewise 

 run very furiously at strangers, and therefore are of good 

 defence against the Buschies, or robbers who steal cattle. 

 They are the stateliest oxen of the herd : every Kraal has 

 half-a-dozen of these oxen at the least. When one of 

 them dies, or grows so old, that, being unfit for business, 

 his owner kills him, a young one is chosen out of the herd 

 to succeed him, by an ancient Hottentot, who is judged 

 best able to discern his capacity for instruction. This 

 young ox is associated with an old Backeleyer, and taught, 

 by blows and other means, to follow him. At night they 

 tie them together by the horns ; and for some part of the 

 day they fasten them together in the same manner, till at 

 length, by this and I know not what other means, the 



