THE OX. 295 



country is shown by the tea caravans which come over the vShan hills in 

 Burma. The oxen employed are small, the loads are not heavy, and 

 perfectly balanced. The saddles are kept in place by a crupper and 

 iDreast-piece only, no girth being used, and, so equipped, the steepest and 

 roughest of mountain paths are successfully surmounted. 



/« South Africa, the " trek" ox is used in draught, though the natives In South 

 also employ them as pack animals. They are yoked in pairs, and sixteen Africa, 

 constitute an ordinary " span " for a waggon. 



In the Zulu War it was found that if allowed ample time to graze, 

 and judiciously worked, they could cover from 15 to 20 miles a day, 

 day after day, without knocking up. The manner in which they drew 

 heavy loads over rough ground, across rivers and drifts, up steep and 

 long hills, on roads impracticable for English draught horses, was 

 marvellous. 



Selection of oxen. — In selecting oxen for transport work, it should be Selection 

 borne in mind that they live and thrive best if worked in or near the of oxen, 

 localities in which they are bred. If possible, up-country oxen should 

 not be worked on the coast line, as it is found that the change of climate 

 and grass produces loss of condition and disease. None but trained oxen 

 should be employed, and they should not be put to work before they are 

 four or five years old. 



Aoe up to %vhich they are serviceable.— T\\^ age up to which they are Age up 

 serviceable depends on the care and attention they receive, and the ^° which 

 quality of the grass on which they are grazed. In localities where the gg^Jj^g.^ 

 grass is good they will work until they are sixteen or seventeen years old ; ^^jg^ 

 if the grass is of indifferent quality, until they are eleven or twelve years 

 old. 



Pace and hours of work. — They can travel at the rate of 2 to 2^ miles Pace and 

 an hour, and can work for seven or eight hours a day. In the winter hours of 

 months, owing to the grass being scanty and deficient in nutriment, oxen ^"^^^ * 

 are not able to perform so much work as in summer. Generally speaking, 

 winter grass is only sufficient to keep the oxen alive, not to work on. 

 It becomes poor about the latter end of June, and often in the first half 

 of that month ; and such was found to be the case along the line of 

 march in Zululand. Cattle fall off in condition from the beginning of 

 July until the spring grass is growing in September. This remark applies 

 generally to cattle fed on grass, and not to transport oxen only. 



Coati7ig.—OxQ.n cast their coats about September, when the spring Coating, 

 grass is coming in, and get their winter coats in March. As- the 

 tone and vitality of the system is somewhat lowered during the process 

 of coating, and they are thereby rendered more susceptible to external 



