828 



THE AGRIOULT 



URAL JOURNAL. 



in a remarkably short time were as docile 

 as if they had been long in careful teaching, 

 and readily at last allowed themselves to 

 be trotted away with the respective strings 

 and troops to which they were attached. 

 The demands for the suppression of the 

 Indian Mutiny swept the land of its 

 horses, and it has never recovered from 

 that denudation. 



In 1796 several cavalry regiments, 

 meant for India, arrived in time for Lord 

 Elphinstune to place them at the disposal 

 of General Craig. When they had accom- 

 plished their work some oi them went on 

 to their destination, others remained in 

 the Colony. Now, these horses at that 

 period were all of a sturdy stamp, and 

 just suited to the country, being for light 

 dragoon duties. But nien then used not 

 to be in Great Britain mounted on stal- 

 lions. It is, thei^efore, reasonable, to con- 

 clude that those of the regiment at the 

 Cape consisted of mares and geldings 

 only, with the rare exception of perhaps 

 an Irish rig or a Welsh runt— a fourteen- 

 hand pony, which was allowed to retain 

 one-half of its virility. But some of the 

 officers then, as now, who were likely to 

 be a length of time on the station, would 

 import better blood for sporting, especially 

 for racing, purposes. The late Mr Heatlie 

 told me that his father, v/ho was a dragoon 

 officer, imported some of the best that 

 England could send him. During the 

 seven years' occupation the bone and 

 muscle of the Cape horse was much im- 

 proved by the military. On their return 

 in 180G many of those who were here 

 previously came with their regiments, and 

 were allowed to settle in the country. 

 There were many of the said Capt. 

 Heatlie's class. 



In addition to this, the Home Govern- 

 ment, anxious to make the Cape a greatly 

 productive country, and feeder of British 

 commerce, designed an extensive system 

 of improvement in our agricultural, stock- 

 rearing, and wool-shipping industries. 

 Model farms were established. The most 

 advanced methods were introduced. The 

 finest breeds of horses, cattle, and sheep 

 were introduced, and held at stud at many 

 places, and every inducement was ofi'ered 

 to the farmer to avail himself of the ad- 

 vantages liberally placed at his disposal. 

 Experts were sent out to teach the farmer 

 the most profitable methods and informa- 



tion was extensively published for dealing 

 with the diseases of the animals, for the 

 use of those who could not obtain pro- 

 fessional help in good time or at reason- 

 able cost. 



IN SOMERSET'S TIME, 



In 1814 Lord Charles Somerset assumed 

 the reins of Government. He was a sports- 

 man and a money-maker. He did a vast 

 deal during the eight years that he was 

 Viceroy at the Cape to stimulate agricul- 

 tural pursuits and horse-breeding. He 

 imported the finest stud stock, and that for 

 racing purposes. He made the turf fam- 

 ous at the Cape, and perpetuated the pas- 

 sion for s^Dort there which is so character- 

 istic of the country to-day. Other men 

 with means followed his example. All 

 over the Western Province of the Colony 

 there were good breeding centres. The 

 Hantam, so favourable for the brood mare 

 and her young, so free, open, healthy, un- 

 dulating, and with warm kloofs into which 

 to retire when desirable, rapidly increased 

 its stock. Parts which are now known as 

 Worcester and its back country, and all 

 through to the Karoo northward ; the Berg 

 River and the range of country on both 

 sides of it going out westward ; and Cale- 

 don, with - wellendam, were at last alive 

 with the presence of the noble steed. Such 

 had the business become before Lord 

 Somerset left, that in 1821 no less than 

 196 horses were shipped mostly to India, 

 for military remounts by cavalry officers. 

 The declared value was 56,980 rix dollars, 

 which the then currency represented, an 

 average of about £,0 per head, or a total 

 of £4,273. Thenceforward horse-breeding 

 was a ■staple of the country, not only for 

 local use, but for exportation to Mauritius 

 and to India. The trade was largely in- 

 creased and the breeds improved by the 

 fact that, until the extinction of the East 

 India Company's Charter took place (late 

 in the fifties), the civil and military ser- 

 vants of |that company had specially fav- 

 rable priviliges offered to them to make 

 the Cape the limit of their furlough. They 

 came with riches and spent them freely. 

 Their passion for British sports was well 

 maintained. Many of them did South 

 Africa the good turn of importing Arab 

 stallions, and turning them to the most 

 beneficial purposes in the land. One of 

 these I saw from Oude, before the horrible 



