84 ADVENTURES IN SOUTH AFRICA. 



The Cape wagon is a large and powerful, yet loosely- 

 constructed vehicle, running on four wheels. Its ex- 

 treme length is about eighteen feet, its breadth varying 

 from three and a half to four feet ; the depth of the 

 sides is about two feet six inches in front, but higher 

 toward the. back of the wagon. All along the sides 

 two rows of iron staples are riveted, in which are fas- 

 tened the boughs forming the tent, which arches over 

 the wagon to a height of five feet, with an awning of 

 Caff're mat, and a strong canvas sail over all, with 

 " fore-clap" and " after-clap," which is the colonial 

 name for two broad canvas curtains, that form part and 

 parcel of the sail, and hang in the front and rear of the 

 wagon, reaching to within a few inches of the ground. 

 In the front is placed a large chest occupying the ex- 

 treme breadth of the wagon, on which the driver and 

 two passengers of ordinary dimensions can sit abreast. 

 This is called the fore-chest, and is secured from sliding 

 forward by two buffalo rheiras, or strips of dressed hide, 

 placed across the front of it, and secured to the sides. 

 A similar chest is fastened in like manner to the rear 

 of the wagon, which is called the after-chest. Along 

 the sides of the wagon and outside of it are two longer 

 and narrower chests called side-chests. These are sup- 

 ported by two horizontal bars of hard w^ood riveted to 

 the bottom of the wagon. The side-chests are very 

 convenient for holding tools, and. all manner of odds and 

 ends too numerous to mention. The fore and after 

 chests are likewise extremely useful for containing 

 clothing, ammunition, and a thousand small articles in 

 daily use. Along the sides of the tent are suspended 

 rows of square-cut canvas bags, called side-poekcts, in 

 which the traveler keeps his hair-brushes and combs, 

 razors, knives, tooth-brushes, soap, towels, or any thing 



