VISIT TO SOUTH AFRICA. 119 
expedition, must therefore be provided, calculating upon the time 
required for it. Thus, if more be in company, and the journey 
long, a baggage-waggon is essentially wanted. There are no post- 
houses, where horses may be hired. Travellers must therefore have 
their ov/n horses, or oxen. The latter are by far the most useful 
animals for travelling in this countr}^ for no expense attends the 
feeding of them, as they pick their own provender in the wilderness, 
where they either find grass, or eat the tender sprout of the rhino- 
ceros, and other bushes, generally refusing hay or corn, if even set 
before them : whereas, if horses or mules are employed, a sufficient 
stock of the latter must be provided. 
Many travellers sleep in their waggons, but we found it more com- 
fortable, to put up a tent. Cooking utensils are likewise necessary, as 
all victuals must be dressed in the fields, unless it happens, that a 
dinner or supper may be had at a farm-house, where the people are 
able and willing to entertain and lodge strangers. The roads being 
in many places excessively bad, stony, and steep, more cattle are 
wanted than on roads regularly made and kept in repair. There 
are even places, whore more than twenty oxen must be employed to 
drag the waggons up the precipitous ascent, and where horses would 
scarcely be of use. From this account it is plain, that arrangements, 
very different from what are required in Europe, are necessary for 
a journey in South Africa. 
A team or set of oxen or horses put to a waggon, is called by the 
Dutch a Spann, and those places in the wilderness, where halt is 
made and the oxen unyoked, an Outspann-place. As this is a con- 
venient word for the purpose, I am glad to be authorized by the 
journals of other English travellers, to retain it. The oxen are left, 
from two to four hours, to seek their food and get rest, while the 
travelling party cook their victuals and take their meals. 
Since farms have multiplied, the situation and boundaries of out- 
spann-places, have been appointed by Government, generally near 
some river or spring, as the want of water injures the oxen more 
than the want of provender. A loaded waggon requires from twelve 
