•77S- by timej cannot be otherwife than uncertain and variable; too much fo, indeed, to be collated with our method o f reckoning by miles. An hour upon a hilly road, muft ne- ceffarily be ihorter than an hour upon a level one. The reader, therefore, mull not expeil a perfedt geometrical accuracy in my map, it being laid down only from my own obfervations with a compafs, and the accounts I got from others. In the mean time, however, it is the only one that exifts, and may probably be o f no fmall affiftance In the framing of others that may be made hereafter. In general, the uury or an hour on the road, is reckoned as much as a man can ride on a round trot, or a common hand-gal- lop in thatfpace of time, and is confidered as being equal to the diftance which a man is able to drive a waggon with oxen in two hours; though even thefe on a plain level road, and with a lighter load than they generally draw, will go al- moft as faft a trot, and in the fame proportion for other paces, as one ufually rides on horfeback. Four fuch hours with a horfe, or with eight oxen, are reckoned to make one Jkoft. This is as much as they ufually drive with a load in a day, or in the fpace of twelve hours, as fometimes they bait once on the road. The peafants that live farther up in the country, and have a long way to travel, are provided with a fpare fet o f oxen or two, which they make ufe of by turns, and in this manner are able to drive day and night, or two Jkofts (i. e. eight horfe-hours) in the twenty-four natural hours. Now as thofe who live a good way up in the country take fourteen, and ibmetimes twenty and odd days, befides a day or two for refting, to carry their goods in this manner to the Cape, and fomewhat lefs time to return return in, it may eafily be conceived, that they do not fpare the poor creatures in the leaft: one may fee them often enough driven puffing and blowing with their tongues hanging a good way out of their mouths; and one plainly perceives, that but little time is allowed them for refting, and ftilL lefs for feeking their food: now and then, indeed, they are able to fill their bellies with grafs, ffirubs, and water, but have fcarcely time to chew the cud. It is from this caufe likewife, that from having been, as it were, almoft choked with fat, they grow quite lean on fuch a journey as th is ; though, by the time that they take another journey next year to the Cape, they may poffibly, eipecially fuch as during that period are not much worked, get into as good plight as before, on their ufual pafture, which they have in great abundance. As I have juft been treating of the manner o f travelling at the Cape, I muft here farther add, that throughout all this colony oxen are never put into a team, fo as to draw with their horns, but with their fhoulders. only, one yoke being ufed for each pair' of oxen, which in the mortifes with which it is fattened round their necks, has notches for putting on and taking off the head-harnefs. The yoke belonging to the hindmoft pair is fattened by its middle part to the pole of the waggon; and thoie belonging to the reft have a- rope, ftrap or chain, running through them, which by this means is ftretched out equally between all the cattle. Perhaps this manner of hameffing their oxen, which feems to leave them fo much at liberty to move about, without giving them an opportunity of making ufe of the ftrength they have in their horns, will account 177S • J uIy*
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