Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1899-01-14
SOUTH AFRICAN HORSES.
They Arc Sorry hoolxinG Animals, hut
Capable of Grent EN-
durnnce.


One of the very first things that
strikes the wanderer in the great ex-
panses of the southern hemisphere is
the strength and endurance of the
horses. He notes that though to look
Mt they are the sorriest scrags he ever
set eyes on, yet they appear to be pos
sessed of power of getting over the
ground that is little short of miracu-
1ous, and so astonishing in its persist
once rs to seem automatic. A very
striking instance came under my notice
only few days after landing in Cape
Town in 1868. l was sitting one Satur-
day afternoon on the stoop Of Parks
hotel, which occupied the corner of Ad-
derley and Strand streets, when dust
covered horseman stopped and dis
mounted. His horse was taken to the
stables, and in the course of conversn-
Gon in the bar learned that he wns n
member of the legislative assembly for
an up-country district. There was no
railway communication with the in
terror in those days. and he had ridden
in from his home Mt Colesberg in less
than six days. having started on the
previous Monday.
Now Colesberg is more than 500 miles
from Cape Town, and the country is
very rough going, much of it being
heavy sand and other parts very noun
tainous. No Englishbred horse, fed ac-
cording to English methods could have
accomplished such ride as this, more
especially when we consider the tenn
perature of the Cape Colony. 1 went
to look at the animal on which the
Journey had been performed, and found
1t to be little roam schimmel barely IA
hands, and apparently as fresh us paint.
Hnother very remarkable ride that
came under my notice was performed
by Boer who lived few miles from
Grey Town, in Natal. His wife was
taken i'll, and Il particular medicine, not
to be obtained in Grey Town. was i'm
perative. So in the early hours OF the
night he started for Maritzburg. 55
miles distant, through an extremely
hilly country, and was back on his
farm in 16 hours. The remarkable
thing in this ride was that this Boer
weighed over II stone.
In my own experience many in
stances of the wonderful staying pow
ers of African horses have occurred.
To mention one. in 1866 had been ap-
pointed honorary secretary for the first
athletic sports held in the Umboti coun-
ty of Natal, They were to be held in
Grey Town on Boxing day, which
fell on a Monday. All preparations. en-
tries, ETC., were concluded early in De-
cember, when l received an urgent re-
quest to go to the Transvaal to look
after friend with no attendants but a
couple of raw Kafiirs. rode up as hard
as could. and found him among the
kopjes of the Drakensberg, between
Lydenberg and Wakkerstroom, very
bad with fever which he had contract
ed somewhere in the low country to the
northwest. l tended him for some days
until he was clearly out of danger, ant
then suddenly remembered that had
TO be in Grey Town on Monday morn
ing. I was then sitting on the wagon
box drinking my morning coffee at sin
a. m. on Saturday morning. Grey Town
was 220 miles away; but was at my
post there at ten IL M, and in addition
took n second prize both in running
and jumping ompetitions.-South AT.
Fipn