THE SOUTH AFRICAN TREK-OX.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 6781, 28 April 1900, Page 2

THE SOUTH AF R I CAN TREK-OX.

Bis Superiority as a Means of

Transport.

At the present moment, when the efff-j ciency of our army in South Africa laigely depends on the stability of its transport, it \ may not be amiss to consider the capabilities of the trek, or transport, ox, who, after all, despite mules and traction engines, is the mainstay of South African transport. Oxen are less expensive than mules. They are slow but sure, never doing more than three miles, an hour, or twenty miles a day, which is considered a good trek. The Zulu ox is the best bred animal, but small and unserviceable when .compared with, the bastard Zulu or Natal ox, which thrives on both the "sour" veldt, or coast grass, and ithe "sweet," or up-country, veldt. Oxen,, however, require very careful handling, and must on no account be over-driven j they must have, at least, six hours a day for grazing purposes. In the winter, which is coming on now, they can find a picking on. the parched veldt where a mule or horse would fail. They are, naturally, in poor condition till the green grass of spring arrives in September. They are very liable to lung sickness and red water, and whole spans sometimes perish from these fell diseases. In the winter time they suffer terribly from the cold, and on no account should be worked in the rain during that season, for, among other things, the yoke, when wet, gives them sore necks, thus rendering them useless. The ox's best work is done at nightf time, and moonlight treks are the usual thing with "transport riders" after their teams have been grazing all day. They are never kept under the yoke for more than eight hours during the. day, two stretches of four hours. eacn. From four" to eight .in. the morning and from six to ten at night are the favourite hours for trekking. .

As to their fiaulage capacity, a " span" or team of eighteen oxen will easily, draw a buck waggon (weighing a little over a ton), loaded to 6000 pounds, over the South African, roads, many of which are little better than tracks across the veldt. Twenty miles a day for a heavy baggage column in such a country as South Africa is really good go"ing. One of the great merits of the ox-waggon is the simplicity of its harness. The two beasts nearest the waggon draw from a pole (disselboom^ on -which the yoke ;s. fastened, and the couples in front are 'attached to a wire or hide rope, known, as the trektouw, to which the yokes are fastened by riems, or thongs of Mde. Any breakage, or deficiency in such tackle can easily be made good, as it is free from the complexities of a set of harness. Prudent transport riders invariably " outspan " their team at the approach of a thunderstorm, if their, "trektouw " be of wire or chain, as wEole spans have been destroyed by lightning through neglecting this precaution. • > In the convoyß to. the troops not more than . fifty waggons are despatched at one time-, and, if the roads permit, six and more are driven abreast. The second division usually starts in half an hour after the first. Nearly all the waggons in use in the present campaign are built locally, made of strong colonial woods, and constructed without springs. Only two men are required to manage each waggon — a driver and a■" "voorlooper" or leader of the team — both of whom are nearly always trained Kaffirs. At present large numbers of these waggons are being hired from colonists at ithe rate of £3 or £4 per day, the Imperial Government making good any losses that may occur in the span. ■■"' - ■ •