Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1901-03-20
THE AFRICAN TREK OK.
Its Use as Transport and How its Best
Work is Done.

WORK IS Done.
At the present moment, when the eff
ficiency of our army in South Africa
largely depends on the stability of its
transport, it may not be amiss to con-
slider the capabilities of the trek, or
transport OK, whe, after all, despite
mules and traction engines, Is the
mainstay of South African transport.
The imperial authorities in the Cape
Colony and Natal are now busily en-
gagged in buying all the available OK
transports they can, as is testified by
their numerous advertisements in CO.
lonial papers.
Oxen are less expensive than mules.
They are slow, but sure, never doing
more than three miles an hour, or
twenty miles day, which is consider
ed a good trek. The Zulu OK is the
best bred animal, but small and UNI
serviceable when compared with the
bastard Zulu, or Natal OK, which
thrives on both the Sour" veldt, or
coast grass, and the Sweet" or up
country veldt. Oxen, however, require
very careful handling, and must on no
account be overdriven; they must have
at least six hours day for grazing
purposes. In the winter, which is COM
ing 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
the spring arrives in September. They
are very liable to lung sickness and red
water, and whole spans sometimes per-
ish from these fell diseases. In the
winter time they suffer terribly from
the cold, and on no account should
they 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 night
time, and moonlight tricks 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 durine
the day, two stretches of four hours
each. From O'Clock to s in the morn
ing and from 6 o'clock to 10 at night
are the favorite hours for treking.
AS to their haulage capacity, a
span or team of eighteen oxen will
easily draw buck wagon weighing a
iittie over toni, loaded to 5000
pounds, over the South African roads.
many of which are little better than
tracks across the veldt. Twenty miles
day for heavy baggage column in
such country as South Africa is really
good going.
ohe oil the great merits of the OK
wagon is the simplicity of its harness.
The two beasts nearest tile wagon draw
from pole (disselboom), on which the
yoke is 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 hue. Any breakage or
deficiency in such tackle can easily be
made good, as 1t islfree from the COM
pleXlties of set of harness. Prudent
transport riders invariably "outspan''
their team at the approach of a thun-
derstorm. If their trektouw be of wire
or chain, as whole spans have been de-
stroyed by lightning through neglect
ing this precaution.
In the conveys to the troops not
more than fifty wagons are dispatched
at one time, and, if the road permit,
SIX and more are driven abreast. The
second division usually starts in half
an hour after the first. Nearly all the
wagons in use in the present campaign
are built locally, made of strong colon
ial woods and constructed without
springs. Only two men are required to
manage each wagon-a driver and n
"voorlooper," or leader of the team
both of whom are nearly always train
ed Kafflrs.
AT present large numbers of these
wagons are being hired from colonists
at the rate of SIS to 500 a day, the im-
perial government making good any
losses that may occur in the span.-
Pail Mall Gazette.