SOUTH CENTRAL AFRICA--ITS TERRITORIAL DIVISIONS AND BOUNDARIES. THE
RIVER SYSTEM AND THEIR BASINS.
This extensive region is bounded on the south by the Cape Colony and the
Orange Free States; the Orange river by the former, and the Vaal river
from the fountain-head down to where it enters the Orange, in 29 degrees
10 minutes South latitude, 23 degrees 47 minutes East longitude, by the
latter State, with the exception of a portion of Griqualand West, which
extends beyond those two rivers, and forms part of the above region.
The Orange enters the South Atlantic in 28 degrees 40 minutes South
latitude, 16 degrees 25 minutes East longitude, and up to the junction
of the Vaal is the boundary of the Cape Colony and South Central Africa,
which extends northwards up to the basin of the Congo, a distance of
1400 miles, and in width, from the South Atlantic to the Indian Ocean,
in the northern part 1800 miles, the extreme south 1100 miles, an area
of over 2,000,000 square miles, divided into divisions or territories,
ruled over by independent chiefs, and will be dealt with under their
respective heads. Great Namaqua and Damaralands embrace the whole of
the west coast-line, from the Orange river northwards to the Qunene
river, the boundary of the Portuguese settlement of Benguela and Angola,
a coast-line of 730 miles. The remaining portion by the Portuguese
settlement, the eastern coast, extends from the south side of Delagoa
Bay, and the southern extremity of the Portuguese settlement, to the
mouth of the Zambese river, on to Quilimain, a Portuguese port on the
north, a distance of coast-line of 700 miles, up to the boundary of the
Congo Confederation.
This vast area is divided into three separate watersheds, the most
important one divides the waters of the South Atlantic from the Indian
Ocean. This watershed commences at the extreme southern point on the
Drakensberg mountain in Natal, 10,000 feet in altitude, following that
range round to New Scotland, 6100 feet in altitude, in the Transvaal,
then turns west, along the high veldt between Potchefstroom and
Pretoria, 6300 feet, to the north of Lichtenburg, a town in the same
State, 6100 feet, then in a north-west direction through a portion of
Bechuanaland, the Kalahara desert, to Ovampoland, 4300 in altitude, on
to Benguela, the Portuguese settlement on the west coast. All on the
west of this shed the country is drained by the Orange and Vaal rivers
and their tributaries, and the Swakop and other small streams in
Damaraland, into the South Atlantic Ocean. The second watershed
commences on the high land, 4260 feet in altitude, half-way through the
desert, in 23 degrees 40 minutes South latitude, 23 degrees 20 minutes
East longitude, takes a north-east direction, passing on the east side
of the great brak vlei Makarakara, along the granite range of the Molopo
in Matabeleland, on to the Lobolo mountain, 4500 feet in altitude, near
the Zambese river, 300 miles from its mouth. The above river and its
tributaries drain the country on the north of this watershed, and is
called the Zambese basin; on the south side it is drained by the Limpopo
river and its tributaries, called the Limpopo basin; both rivers
discharge themselves into the Indian Ocean. These three large rivers,
the Orange, Zambese, and Limpopo, with their branches, with the
exception of a small portion of great Namaqua and Damaralands on the
west coast, and also part of Umzela's territory and the Transvaal by
Delagoa Bay on the east coast, drain nearly 2,000,000 square miles of
South Central Africa. The Orange, south of the above region, with its
tributaries, drain the Orange Free State, and part of the Cape Colony,
to the extent of 170,000 square miles in addition. Each of these river
systems I propose to describe, as they form the principal geographical
features, previous to going more into the detail of the several
territories ruled over by independent chiefs.