Showing teams of men, some standing naked in the river hauling an ox span and wagon (tipped at a precarious angle on the farther bank) across the Umzingwane. Sir John Willoughby describes the work involved in this task: The ... rivers, on account of their steep banks and sandy beds, were great natural obstacles to the advance of the main column, and also to us, though to a somewhat lesser degree. Drifts had to be made over each, the banks cut away and the sandy beds corduroyed [the corduroy road leading out of the river can be seen in the foreground of this print]; but even then, with new drifts, until they have settled down and become hard by the frequent passage of many waggons, it takes hours of hard labour, with double spans of oxen, hauling of ropes, breaking of trek gear, shouting and swearing, and general trial of temper to get a convoy of waggons across one river...' Willoughby, 'How we occupied Mashonaland', The Fortnightly Review, Apr. 1891, p. 520. Photograph taken about July 15th 1890.