A CAPE CART JOURNEY. 39 



important part. Hardy and rugged as their Dutch 

 masters, their sturdy efforts have conquered for the 

 early pioneers the almost insuperable difficulties of 

 this wild country. Rugged mountains, dangerous 

 kloofs and poorts, rushing rivers, parched and 

 waterless deserts, all have succumbed before their 

 untiring and ill-requited exertions. 



It is, indeed, not too much to say that but for 

 the patient ox the Boers would never have penetrated, 

 as they have done, to the uttermost recesses of 

 Southern Africa. But the ox has his bad qualities. 

 He is at times obstinate, ill-tempered, and trea- 

 cherous, and with increasing age and much trekking 

 he becomes " as artful as a waggon-load of monkeys." 

 The Boers are extremely proud of their cattle, 

 though they often sadly ill-use them. It is the thing 

 with them to possess a span of oxen of even size and 

 colour, and yellow oxen are oftentimes the most 

 admired. 



Unless you know them well, however, the Cape 

 oxen are " kittle cattle " to deal with. I remember' 

 well the first time I closely inspected a span, which 

 had been driven by a wandering fruit Boer up to the 

 outspan at Naroekas Poort, where I sojourned. 



As the great gaunt fellows stood lazily looking 

 about them, I went up to one and patted him on the 

 ribs. Instantly he let out in front of him with his 

 near hind leg, caught me full in the centre of the 

 thigh, and sent me flying to earth. I really thought 

 for a moment my leg was broken, as, indeed, 

 it might have been, and it was more than a week 

 before I recovered the use of the limb. After that 

 salutary lesson I have always been more careful 

 in approaching strange oxen. 



