tho Birds of NyamUaad. 359 



Protectorate, along the borders of the desert ; hut 1 thiidc 

 by far the best is the '' Kaffir ox/' which appears to be 

 a kind of degenerate cross-breed between the '' Damara " 

 and "Africander" and has always very Lirge horns. These 

 oxen, if chosen from such districts as Morokwen or any- 

 where along the edges of the desert, are well accustomed to 

 thirst, as in such places during the dry season water is seldom 

 obtainable except from wells. The natives never think of 

 watering their oxen oftener than once in two days, and in 

 many places they have to live entirely on wild melons for 

 six months in the year. Such oxen are obviously eminently 

 suited for use in the desert. ]\ly experience is tliat tlie best 

 type is one that is compactly and strongly built, with a 

 short neck ; it does not take so long to feed as a l)ig ox, 

 and will stand the heavy work in the saud better than a 

 large lanky beast *. 



It would take far too long to give here a detailed account 

 of the journey, day by day, through the desert, from Vryburg 

 to Lake Ngami, and this would consist for the most part 

 of a monotonous catalogue of long, cold night-treks through 

 the interminable silent busii-veldt of the Kalahari; I will 

 therefore attempt to give only a short outline of the various 

 stages into which the journey can l)c divided. As the heat 

 of the sun is too great to allow oxen, which are getting no 

 Avater, to work during the day-time, all travelling has to be 

 done at night, after 4< p.m. and up to 10 a.m. This leaves 

 a very short day, which is almost entirely taken up by 

 much-needed sleep and rest, so that while travelling in 

 the Kalahari very little time is available for work of any 

 kind. 



The first stage of the journey is from Vryburg to Mo- 

 rokwen, a distance of about ninety-five miles. The road 



* It is most important tliat the spau of oxen slioukl be thoroughly 

 well trained to pull together evenly, for during the long dark nigal- 

 treks it is almost impossible for the driver to note all the shirkers, Avhich 

 will not do their fair share of the work, while the best oxen are killing 

 themselves. The two front and hind oxen are the most important in the 

 wiiule span. 



