travelling, and in this South Africa has gradually accomplished a 

 great deal. 



The first colonists found with the natives the pack-ox as the 

 only beast of burden, especially selected ones were also used for 

 riding and racing. 



The Boers introduced the ancient germauic traveling wagon, 

 with which their ancestors — the Climbers and Teutons crossed the 

 Roman boundaries.'^" This cumbrous and unwieldy wagon was a 

 real treasure to the sturdy pioneer of old, it did a three fold duty of 

 home, conveyance and fort. It was drawn by 8 to 10 pairs of oxen 

 and how the formidable mountain passes were crossed with such 

 transport remains the wonder and admiration of all who behold 

 the ancient tracks across the mountain sides. For about two cen- 

 turies the ox-wagon has been the chief mode of conveyance and has 

 identified itself so much with the nation's history that it was given 

 a place of honor in the coat-of-arms of both the old republics. 



Good roads were first made in 1844,'^" and were soon followed 

 by bridges and mountain passes at great costs. To-day the Union 

 is threaded with a network of excellent roads. 



As the settlement increased and spread out, other means of 

 transport and locomotion were called for, and it is this necessity 

 that has largely caused the production of the Cape Horse and its 

 unequaled qualities and capabilities as a riding horse. Outlying 

 districts like Graaf-Reinct, Calvinia, Hantam and Sw^ellendam some 

 300-400 miles from Cape Town all required more sei*ous communi- 

 cation to be done on horse-back. This called for sturdy horses 

 with great endurance and stamina and with continual hunting ex- 

 peditions and frequent wars these qualities were perfected. 



During the middle of the 18th century, owing to better roads 

 and greater safety of life and property, the "Horse wagon" made 

 its appearance. Burchell travelling in South Africa in 1822 in 

 describing a Race meeting he attended makes the following remarks 

 on the equipages : ' ' Vehicles of every description from the elegant 

 built London carriage of the Governor and the antiquated Dutch 

 calash and the light jolting 'paarde-wagen' are seen about * * * * 

 the 'paarde-wagen' is a light v/aggon drawn by 6 or 8 horses and 

 used more frequently for the conveyance of persons than for the 



(76) H. Kloessel. "Die Sudafrikanische Bepublielc." Leipzig 1890. 



(77) Bobert Wallace. Farming Industries of the Cape colony 1916. 



36 



