Condon globe. (Condon, Gilliam Co., Or.) 189?-1919, 1901-06-27
AFRloAN AoRsss ARe AARpN
POsseas Remavkabls Kndurancs ana
Fuwcr 20 Travel.

Possess Remarkahie Endurance and
Fuwor 10 Travel.
one Of the very lirss things that strike
the wanderer in the great expanses Of
the southern hemisphere IL the strength
md endurance OF the horse. Though
10 look at they are the sorrlest sctagN
| ever set eyes on. yet they appear 10
be possessed OF power OF getting over
he ground that Is little short OF mir
lculous and so astonishing In Its per-
llstence as 10 seem automatic. A very
ltrlklng Instance came under my no.
ice only few days after landing Ia
Cape Town In 1858. was sitting one
Saturday afternoon on the stoop OF
Parks Hotel. which occupied the cor
aer OF Addsrley and Strand streets,
when q dust-covered horseman stopped
and dlsmounted. His horse was taken
to the stables and in the course OF con-
versatlon In the bar learned that he
vas member OF legislative assembly
tor an up-country district. There was
40 railway communication with the In
terror In those days and ho had ridden
In from his home at Colesberg In less
than six days, having started the pre-
vious Monday.
Now Colesberg Is more than 500 miles
from Cape Town and the country Is
very rough going, much OF It being sand
and other parts very mountainous. No
English.bred horse. fed according 70
English methods. could have accom-
pllshed such a ride as this. more espe-
eially when we consider the tempera-
tuFe OF the Cape Colony. went to
look at the animal on which the journey
had been performed and found Il to be
= little roam schlmmel barely fourteen
hands and apparently as fresh as paint.
Another very remarkable ride that
came under my notice wrs performed
by Noer who lived a few miles from
Graytown, IN Natal His wife was
taken NJ and particular medicine. not
to be obtained In Graytown. was I'm
peratlve. So In the early hours OF the
/ night he started for MarltRburg. nfty-
ave miles distant. through an extreme
" hllly country and was back on his
farm in sixteen hours. The remark.
able thing In this ride was that this
Boer weighed over seventeen stone.
In my own experience many instances
ee the wonderful staying powers OF Al
rican horses have occurred. To men
ton one. in 1865. had been appointed
honorable secretary OF the first athletic
sports held In the Umboti country OF
Natal. They were to be held in Gray
town on boxing day. which fell on
Monday. All preparations, etc, were
concluded early in December. when
/ received an urgent request TO so TO the
! rrausvaal to look after friend who
was lying very III in his wagon with
40 attendants but couple Of raw kat
ars. I rode as hard as I could and
found him among the kopjes Of the
Drakensberg. between Lydenberg and
Wakkerstrom, very bad with fever.
which he had contracted somewhere In
the low country to the northwest
tended him for some days until be was
:learly out OF danger and then suddenly
remembered that had to be in Cray
town on Monday morning. was then
lifting on the wagon box drinking my
morning coffee at 0 o'clock Saturday
morning. Graytown was 220 miles
away. but was at my post there at
10 a. m. and In addition took second
prize both in running and jumping COM
petitions. Life.