SOUTHERN AFRICA. 
79 
wagt-meejler^ or peace-officer of the divifion, is called in, by 
the latter, to pace the diftance, for which he gets three dollars. 
If the Feldwagt-meefter fliould happen to regulate his pace to 
the fatisfadion of both parties, the affair is fettled ; but as this 
is not always the cafe, the next ftep is for the difcontented 
party to apply for a commiffion, confifting of the Landroft, 
two members of the Council, the Secretary of the diftridl, and 
a Meffenger. Thefe gentlemen fliare fifteen dollars a-day as 
long as they are out upon the commiffion to determine how 
far a man ought to walk in an hour. 
The dangerous and difficult roads in every part of the 
colony, but particularly the kloefs or paffes of the mountains, 
and the ftill more perilous fords of the rivers, fhew how very 
little fenfe is entertained by the peafantry of public benefits or 
public conveniences. Each gets over a difficulty as well as he 
can, and no more is thought about it till it again occurs. An 
inftance appeared of this in croffing the Breede river oppofite 
to Brandt Valley, which is done by means of a fmall fiat-bot- 
tomed tub, about fix feet by three. In this machine foot paff- 
engers hawl themfelves over by a rope fixed to two pofts, one 
on each fide of the river. When a horfe is to crofs, the faddle 
is taken off, the rider gets into the tub, and drags the animal 
after him. But when a waggon is to be tranfported, it mufl: 
, firft be unladen, and the baggage carried over in the veffel : 
the carriage is then made faft by one end to this floating ma- 
chine, and the other is buoyed up by a cafk, and in this man- 
ner it is dragged over. Thus is half a day confumed in paffmg 
a fmall river of thirty or forty yards at the moft in width, 
when 
