What would a Redwood log weigh I wonder?
And how many blokes would that lot represent?
Brilliant, Nigel! So my speculation about independent pairs seems to be unnecessary in the light of that picture. Now, I wonder who it was who originally stated that "oxen are notoriously difficult to control in teams".
I think you've just spent the last two days scouring the internet to produce that (amazing) picture. I'd typify the cattle as 'blackies'. You'd find them in the hills still, in the UK, at selected old-fashioned establishments. We could search Googliferous under 'Scotch black', perhaps.