Having attempted to trace the characteristics of the Cape Horse 

 to its Libyan ancestors from such coincidents as color, stamnia, do- 

 cility, endurance and hardiness we return to its history in South 

 Africa itself. 



At the time of the discovery of the Cape in 1486 the Aborigines 

 possessed no knowledge of the horse (Epuus Caballus) nor do we 

 possess to-day any palaeontological proofs of its existence in pre- 

 historic times. The natural group of Equidae, however, were rep- 

 resented by three distinct types and in large numbers too. They 

 were: (1) The mountain Zebra (Zebra equus) ; (2) Burchells 

 Zebra (Zebra Burchelli; (3) The Quagga (Equus Champmani).^" 

 The mountain zebra still lives in the mountains of the eastern Cape 

 colony and is protected by law, while various species of it are found 

 right over Africa as high up as Abyssinia. The Burchell's Ze- 

 bra is almost extinct and the Quagga quite ; the last specimen died 

 in the Zoological Gardens, London in 1860.^° The Quagga was 

 closest related to the horse and would have been a most useful ani- 

 mal had it been domesticated. It disappeared, however, before 

 something was done in that direction ; although very early in the 

 history of the colony it was remarked by one of the company's di- 

 rectors in excuse for his refusing to send out horses from Holland 

 to South Africa that, ' ' there is such a fine race of horses indigenous 

 at the Cape and the colonists should capture them and by further 

 breeding help themselves. ' '-^ 



The history of the first importation of horses leads us right 

 back to the days when Holland was mistress of the seas and owned 

 the Cape and enjoyed the greatest trade with the East. Merchan- 

 dise, spices and food-stuffs played the main part in the trade with 

 the East Indies, and live-stock owing to the great inconvenience 

 and risk of life due to the long voyage formed a very unimportant 

 part, more so because at the Cape there was an abundant supply of 

 native cattle and sheep. It was by sheer necessity — cattle failed 

 and trouble arose with the natives — that a couple of horses were im- 

 ported and a small number were landed safely on the South African 

 shore. It was on a stormy day in the late autumn (April, 1652) that a 

 fleet of merchant vessels under the command of van Teylingen 

 sighted the Cape of Good Hope. On these vessels were ' ' some ' ' 



(19) Bohert Wallace. "Farming Industries in the Cape Colony". 1896. 



(20) E. LydeTcker "The Horse and Its Relatives, WIS. 



(21) ArcMeves of the Cape of Good Hope. 



13 



