CHAP. V. MODE OF EMBARKING CATTLE. 123 



quires, one hundred or one hundred and fifty, more or less, 

 and having approved of a lot, ten or twenty more than he 

 requires are brought together, from the whole of which he 

 drives out the worst, and having reduced the herd to the 

 required number, these are driven into a sort of yard or fold 

 of strong posts and rails, situated near the sea, where the 

 cattle remain ready for embarkation. The getting them on 

 board is rather a noisy and bustling affair, and when the 

 weather is at all rough, it is impracticable without loss. If 

 the sea is tolerably calm, the vessels approach as near the 

 shore as possible, perhaps within two hundred j^ards, and a 

 strong rope is passed from the ship to the shore. Two large 

 canoes are then fastened together by having strong bars or 

 poles tied across them, and projecting over the sides. The 

 cattle, which have perhaps never been tied up before, are 

 caught in the fold by having a rope passed round their horns, 

 by which they are tied one by one to a strong post in the 

 fold. To the rope round each animal's head two other ropes 

 are fastened, viz. one on each side, and extending in opposite 

 directions along the sea beach. Each of these ropes is held 

 by eight or ten men standing on the sand, or in the water. 

 "WTien all is ready the animal is driven out of the fold, and 

 generally runs at the men on one side, but is held back hj 

 those on the other side, and both parties of men keep advanc- 

 ing towards deep water, still pulling with the ropes, imtil 

 the bullock is beyond his depth. He is then drawn as he 

 swims to the side of the canoe, where the long ropes are 

 taken off, and he is fastened by the horns to the cross-bars 

 projecting over the sides of the canoe. WTien about ten 

 oxen are thus fastened, the canoes are drawn by means of 

 a rope previously fixed to the ship, the bullocks being swung 

 on both sides; a sort of canvas sling is then passed under 

 the body of each animal, and they are hoisted into the ship. 

 In this manner a hundred and fifty bullocks will sometimes 



