This river, from the fountain-head to its mouth, where it enters the
Indian Ocean, eighty miles up the coast from Delagoa Bay, in 25 degrees
25 minutes South latitude, 33 degrees 30 minutes East longitude, is 850
miles in length. Its configuration is nearly three parts of a circle.
The chief fountains rise south of Pretoria in the Transvaal, on the
watershed between Potchefstroom and Pretoria, 26 degrees 10 minutes
South latitude, 28 degrees 40 minutes East longitude, taking a
north-north-west course for 200 miles, then turns north-east, and then
easterly for 400 miles, and then in a south-south-east direction for 250
miles over a flat country to the ocean.
The principal tributaries on the west and north are the Eland, Great
Marico, Notuane, Makalapsie, Setuane, Serube, Pakwe, Maclutsie, Shasha,
Makhae, Kubie, and the Nuanettie, and their several branches, which
drain the country on the eastern side of the two watersheds. The Great
Marico, with its branches of Little Marico and Molmane, drains a
considerable extent of country in the Marico and Molmane district, and a
large portion of Bechuanaland under the chiefs Gaseitsive, Sechele,
Makose, and Lindsey. The remainder pass through the chief Khama's
country, and the Mashona country under the Matabele king, Lo-Bengulu.
The eastern branches all rise in the Transvaal as under:--the Apies
passes by Pretoria, Pienaar, Matlabas Sand, Palala, Magalaquen, Hout,
Lovolo, and the Olifants river with its many branches.
Their fountains rise on the north side of the watershed, which passes
east. The other rivers are the Manica, with its three principal
branches, the Sabie, Crocodile, and Umcomati, that partly drain the
Lydenburg gold-fields; the Umbolosi and the Maputa, with two main
branches, the Uzutu and Pongola, that fall into Delagoa Bay. The
eastern coast-line, north of the Limpopo, drains the territory under the
chief Umzela; the two principals are the Sabie or Sabia, which rises in
the northern watershed at Sakaloto kraal, 18 degrees 10 minutes South
latitude, 32 degrees 8 minutes East longitude, at an altitude of 4210
feet above sea-level, and the Buzi river, which supplies Umzela's kraal,
and both rivers enter the Indian Ocean in Sofala Bay. These rivers
complete the Limpopo basin, which drains the northern portion of the
Transvaal, the Portuguese settlement, in addition to those already
named.
THE ORANGE AND VAAL RIVER SYSTEM, AND THE ANCIENT RIVER SYSTEM OF THE
KALAHARA DESERT, COVERING AN AREA OF 520,000 SQUARE MILES.
The only portion of the Orange river which forms the south boundary of
South Central Africa is that part from its mouth to the junction of the
Vaal. The Orange above that junction turns south-east, and from Ramah,
which is the point where the boundary between Griqualand West and the
Orange Free State join, the river is the northern boundary of the Cape
Colony up to Basutoland, where the head-fountains rise in the mountain
regions of that territory, and it is the boundary of Natal near Giant's
Castle, at an altitude of 10,000 feet above sea-level.
The Caledon forms one of its tributaries, draining a portion of the
Orange Free State. The Vaal river, which forms the south-east boundary
of South Central Africa, rises in the Quathlamba mountain--a beautiful
range of hills on the eastern division of the Transvaal, now called New
Scotland--and Wakkerstroom district, and from Klip Staple, an isolated
hill, 6110 feet in altitude above sea-level, also from Lake Cressie, a
large sheet of water at an elevation of 5813 feet. Rensberg, a part of
the Quathlamba, is 6800, and in 26 degrees 10 minutes South latitude, 30
degrees 32 minutes East longitude. From this point the river flows
south-west, seventy miles, to Standerton, a town in the Transvaal, and
on the main transport road from Natal to Pretoria, passing through an
open country, receiving in its course many small feeders. From that
town the river takes a winding course west for 120 miles, down to where
the Moi river, upon which Potchefstroom is built, joins it; on the
northern bank several small streams flow into it that rise in the
watershed, running from Klip Staple westerly to Lichtenburg, the
altitude averaging 5000 feet. The principal are Bushman, Kalk, and
Rand. Heidelburg is situated on the latter, between the Kalk and Rand.
On the south bank the river Wolga is one of the upper tributaries,
rising in the Drakensberg above Harrysmith in the Orange Free State. It
is an important stream draining a large extent of country. From the Moi
river the Vaal flows south-west, with many bends and turns, for 240
miles, to the town of Barkly in Griqualand West, where the altitude is
3750 feet, and 28 degrees 30 minutes South latitude, 24 degrees 41
minutes East longitude. Between these two points there are several
spruits falling into it from the north, and rising on the south slope of
the watershed. The most noted are Scoon, rising in the Dwaasberg, a
gold-bearing district, on which are situated the towns of Fenterdrop and
Klarksdorp; Klip, Maquassie, and Bamber spruits. The other towns
between Klarksdorp and Barkly are Bloemhof, Christiana, and Hebron,
situated on its banks, the latter being the first town built on the
river diggings after diamonds were discovered. The rivers on the south
side drain the Orange Free State: the principal are the Rhinoster,
Valsch, and Vet. The Vaal from Standerton down to Barkly, and beyond to
its junction with the Orange, is very picturesque, well-wooded with fine
timber, and bush on its banks, which are steep--the water has been known
to rise forty feet without flooding its banks--many islands, with their
rich foliage, particularly in the autumn, in April and May, when the
lovely tints give great beauty to the river. Kimberley, the diamond
centre, is twenty-five miles south-east from Barkly on the south side of
the river. From Barkly the river flows for twenty-five miles in a
north-westerly course, where the Harts river joins it. In this distance
there were, and are now, several diamond-diggings, viz. Pniel, opposite
Barkly, Waldick's plant, Good Hope, Gong Gong, Kesi Kamma, and others.
The Harts river rises in the Transvaal at two large fountains, with
vleis at Lichtenburg, 26 degrees 22 minutes South latitude, 26 degrees
37 minutes East longitude, at an altitude of 6100 feet above sea-level,
passing down south-west for 220 miles, enters the Vaal at Lekatlong
Kaffir station, and also a mission station of the London Mission
Society, passing through, in its winding course, an open grass country.
On and near its banks are the native kraals Maamuosa, Taung, and
Phokwane, as also Boetsap in Griqualand West. From the junction of the
Harts to the junction of the Orange the Vaal flows south-west for sixty
miles, through a hilly country, particularly at what is called the
"Poort," where the river enters a mountain district, and for seven miles
the scenery is grand and wild, to within a short distance of Siffonel
kraal, where formerly the chief Siffonello lived, and after 1869 it
became a diamond-digging camp. At the junction of the Orange and Vaal
the two rivers form a broad sheet of water, well-wooded on both banks,
which is now the Orange, and flows west by south for eighty miles,
through a hilly country, to the great bend near Prieska, which is on the
colonial side of the river, then turns north-west for 120 miles, winding
between lofty and rugged mountain scenery, with broad belts of wood on
both banks, to a Griqua town, where Klaas Lucus lives, passing
Bultfontein and Kheis, a Korunna village, and the extreme western
boundary of Griqualand West. From Klaas Lucus the Orange flows in a
westerly direction, with many extensive bends, for 380 miles, where it
enters the South Atlantic Ocean, 28 degrees 40 minutes South latitude,
16 degrees 25 degrees East longitude. At Kakaman's drift, thirty miles
below the bend at Klaas Lucus, the ancient river Hygap enters it, which
is the main stream that carries off the waters from the Kalahara desert,
being the only outlet of the river system of that extensive region. At
the junction of these two rivers a Korunna chief, Puffadder, had his
head kraal--fifteen years ago.
The river from this point is very beautiful and grand; noble and lofty
hills flank it on both sides. Many hundred islands, with dense bush,
add immensely to the beauty of the country. Between the Hygap and the
South Atlantic Ocean there are four rivers that drain the South
Kalahara, the Nisbit, Aamo, Keikab, and the Great Fish river; the three
former rise on the south side of the Brinus mountain, the latter is a
large and extensive tributary of the Orange, being over 400 miles in
length, rising in Damaraland in 22 degrees 10 minutes South latitude,
flowing south through the desert, receiving in its course, on the
western bank, many branches that rise in the mountain region of Great
Namaqualand, the most important being the Amhup, Koros, Huntop, Chun,
Oip, and Manobis, and enters the Orange river about ninety miles from
its mouth. The total length of the Orange to the Vaal, and up that
river to Lake Cressie, is 1110 miles. There are several cataracts and
rapids on both the Orange and the Vaal, with long stretches of smooth
water. The most extensive cataract is Aukrabies, below Kakaman's drift,
where there is a foil of nearly ninety feet. The ancient river system
of the Kalahara desert, of which the Hygap is the outlet into the
Orange, requires care to properly describe the peculiar formation of the
several watercourses that intersect that extensive region, and from the
magnitude of some of them show that at some remote period they were vast
flowing rivers, whereas at the present time water is seldom seen in
them. The upper or more northern fountains rise in Ovampoland, at an
altitude of 3350 feet near the Omareru river, distant from the Orange
river at the junction of the Hygap nearly 700 miles; 200 miles below the
upper fountain of this river the elevation is 3200 feet; 130 miles to
the south of this, at the junction of the Nosop river, the altitude is
2700 feet; and 160 miles following the course of the Nosop down south to
the junction of the Molapo, along that river to the junction of the
Kuruman river, the height is 2400 feet, which river receives the name of
the Hygap; and 170 miles following that river due south to the junction
of the Orange, the altitude is 1470 feet,--consequently there is a fall
of 1880 feet from the fountains in Ovampoland to the Orange river. The
Black and White Nosops join in the desert, forty miles to the east of
Rhinoster vlei. They both rise on the eastern boundary of Damaraland,
having many feeders from the mountain range 8000 feet above sea-level,
flowing south and east to Narukus, where the Elephant river joins it,
receiving its waters from the Limestone Peak, 4444 feet in altitude.
Twenty miles below Narukus the river is called the Oup, which meanders
in a south-east and south direction, and falls into the Molapo,
twenty-four miles below the junction of that river and the Nosop. The
distance of the upper springs of the Black and White Nosop to the Molapo
is nearly 500 miles. Twenty miles below Narukus the Nosop separates
from the Oup, and continues more to the east, which has already been
described. Forty miles to the west of the junction of the Oup and
Kuruman rivers is a large vlei, thirty-two miles in length, called
Hogskin vlei, and in places from two to three miles broad. This vlei
receives three small rivers, the Knaas, Snake, and Moi; their
fountain-heads are in the hill district on the west, covered with bush
and rugged in form. The country is very pretty and picturesque, with
fine kameel-doorn trees, prickly thorns, and mimosa trees. On the east
of this large vlei is an extensive salt-pan, but not used, as there are
no inhabitants except Bushmen and Korannas. To the south is the Back
river, which rises in those beautiful mountains known as the Brinus
hills; from the topmost springs it flows in two directions, one to the
Great Fish river, the other eastward past Liefdote, Tobas, and Klopper
vlei, turns south-east, and enters the Hygap sixty miles above the
Orange river, and seventeen miles below Swaart-Modder, where I built a
stone house under the hanging cliff, in the dry bed of the Hygap. The
other two rivers that complete this ancient river system are the Molapo
or Mafeking, and the Kuruman. The former rises on the central watershed
in the district of Molapo in Montsioa's territory. The eye of this
river is situated 26 degrees 7 minutes South latitude, 26 degrees 20
minutes East longitude, in a lovely wooded glen, 5350 feet above
sea-level, and only ten miles from the main eye of the Molmane river
that falls into the Limpopo basin; the watershed passing across the
desert divides the two. From this fountain the Molapo turns westerly,
passing Melemas and Macebe's kraals, continuing in the same direction
for 315 miles, joins the Nosop above described, and forms the main
stream of which the Hygap is a continuation. The Setlakooly and
Moretsane are the only branches of any size that drain the country in
that long distance.
The Kuruman river rises south of the mission station of that name, flows
west and enters the Hygap a few miles below the junction of the Oup,
passing through a wild and broken country the last ninety miles of its
course. The Hygap river from this point to the Orange is a broad and
deep river, and from the lofty and perpendicular sandstone rocks,
reaching in many places 200 feet in height at the bends, where the
current acted upon them in its course down, it is evident that at a
remote period it was a river of some magnitude; the force of water in
many places has undermined the base of the cliffs, forming caves, that
have been used by the early inhabitants as dwelling-places, and in one
of which I erected a stone front to live in for a time when in that
region many years ago.
At the fountain-heads of many of these desert rivers the springs are
very powerful, but the water does not continue for any great distance
above the sand in their beds, but sinks and percolates through the sand
until it reaches the Orange river. Knowing this, I had very little
difficulty in procuring water by digging a few feet into their beds, the
sand in many places filling up the original beds eight to ten feet in
depth. The water when procured was clear and cool. There are several
rivers on the west coast that drain Damaraland, the country being so dry
that rarely any water is found in them near the coast; Swakop is the
most important, the mouth being in Walfish Bay, as also the Kuisip
river, south of Swakop, which enters the south side of the above bay.
The rivers on the north are Omaruru, Ugab, Hubb. The northern boundary
of Damaraland, the Cunene river, separates the Portuguese settlement,
Benguela. And in Great Namaqualand is the Little Orange river which
rises on the west slope of the mountain range, and enters the South
Atlantic near Angra Peguena island, lately annexed by Germany, which
completes the Orange and Vaal basin in South Central Africa. The rivers
or branches of the south side of the Orange, which drain a large portion
of the Cape Colony and Little Namaqualand west of the junction of the
Vaal river, are the Ongar, which enters the Orange near Prieska,
Hartebeest or Vish river, Pillans, and some small streams of no note.
The country which these rivers pass through is wild and very hilly.