186 THE DISEASES AND DISORDERS OF THE OX. 



mately find that an attenuated virus will be the best to inoculate- 

 ■with. We are not aware that this has been yet placed beyond 

 doubt ; but every day adds to our stock of power over disease. 

 That it may become still more efficacious is our fervent hope, 

 and, we may add, our earnest belief. 



A propos of preventive inoculation we extract the following 

 passage from King Solomo?i's Mines, which many of our 

 readers will doubtless recognise. The talented author, Mr. PI. 

 Rider Haggard, will, we feel sure, excuse us quoting from the 

 remarks he makes as to the selection of a waggon and span of 

 oxen. The reader, if he has not as yet procured a copy of the 

 work, is advised to do so without delay, for it is a good book, a 

 useful and practical book, though full of fancy as of merits — a 

 book of the very kind that English people want, and^ what is 

 more, will have at any cost. We have read it with intense 

 interest, and, finding in it veritable mines of wisdom, we feel 

 pleasure in saying that we laid it not aside until every word had 

 been read from end to end. Some readers may think there are 

 too many '^ good jokes" in the book, for one cannot help 

 feeling a little disappointment at having to smile in the midst 

 of an exciting situation. But the book, none the less, will do, 

 and has done, a great deal of good, and some will be delighted 

 to hear of Mr. Good and the lovely but unfortunate Kuku- 

 ana girl, Foulata, who makes a very pretty, and, we will add, a 

 very pathetic picture of fidelity and love. Even Mr. Good himself 

 has, after all, more good in, than neat attire on, him, and at 

 least he will give rise to a very good laugh : — 



Having paid this tribute to my bump of caution, I bought a waggon and a 

 span of oxen on Sir Henry's behalf, and beauties they were. It was a twenty- 

 two foot waggon, with iron axles, tery strong, very light, and built throughout 

 of stink wood. It was not quite a new one, having been to the Diamond Fields 

 and back, but in my opinion it was all the better for that, for one could see- 

 that the wood was well seasoned. ... It was what we call a " half -tented "' 

 waggon, that is to say, it was only covered in over the after twelve feet,^ 

 leaving all the front part free for the necessaries we had to carry with us. In 

 this after part was a hide " cartle," or bed, on which two people could sleep,, 

 also racks for rifles, and many other little conveniences. I gave £125 for it, 

 and think it was cheap at the price. Then I bought a beautiful team of twenty 

 salted Zulu oxen, which I had had my eye on for a year or two. Sixteen) 

 oxen are the usual number for a toam, but I had four extra to allow for 

 casualties. These Zulu oxen are small and light, not more than half the size- 

 of the Africander oxen, which are generally used for transport purposes ; but 

 they will live where the Africanders will starve, and with a light load will make- 

 five miles a day better going, being quicker and not so liable to get footsore.. 



