SOUTH AND EAST AFRICA. 39 



Pack Donkeys. As pack animals donkeys are excellent, carrying 

 loads of from 70 Ibs. ; their hardy and thrifty nature rendering 

 them very suitable for this purpose in areas where the use of horses 

 and mules is impracticable. 



Eiding and Pack Oxen. Riding and pack oxen were at one time 

 largely used in the Kalahari and South West Africa and were as 

 efficient for these purposes as they are for drawing heavy vehicles. 

 They are, however, rarely seen nowadays as their training is a 

 rather long and tedious process. 



Camels. For traversing the desert wastes of the Namib and water- 

 less bush or scrub country without roads or tracks, such as is met 

 with in the Kalahari and in North Eastern Rhodesia, the camel 

 has proved invaluable and will doubtless continue to be employed: 

 this applying particularly to the more inaccessible portions of the 

 Namib, the exploration of which will have to be carried out with cam els. 



It cannot be too strongly emphasised, however, that the camel 

 is a difficult and unpleasant animal to work with, and where there 

 is a possibility of oxen being used they are infinitely to be preferred. 



For South African conditions camels from the Canary Islands 

 have been found to be the most suitable. 



A good camel will easily carry from 300 pounds to 350 pounds 

 at an average speed of about 2 ! / 2 miles per hour, and will keep 

 this up for from 10 to 12 hours per diem. 



Loads have to be carefully balanced and it is well therefore, on 

 starting on an expedition to have all provisions and equipment put 

 up in boxes or bales of from 150 Ibs. to 160 Ibs. 



The packing of a camel requires considerable skill and, where 

 these are available, should at the outset at any rate be left to 

 practised attendants. The animals are made to kneel and the bal- 

 anced load is caught in a double sling of rope with two loops on 

 either side. 



For carrying water there are special camel tanks, but in South 

 West Africa it is customary to fix two 15 gallon steel drums on 

 to a simple saddle carrier as is shown in PL III, fig. 2. 



Camels can go for ten days or even longer without water, but 

 if possible should have water once a week. 



As regards food it has been found on long treks in the Namib 

 that 2 Ibs. of oats per diem are quite sufficient to keep the animals 

 in condition, as they graze on brak bushes (salsola and aerva sp.), 

 which are almost everywhere met with. Where, however, no vege- 



