A Section along the Railway from to the Victoria Falls Author(s): A. H. Wallis Source: The Geographical Journal, Vol. 36, No. 3 (Sep., 1910), pp. 339-343 Published by: geographicalj Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/1777310 Accessed: 07-05-2016 01:33 UTC

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This content downloaded from 143.89.105.150 on Sat, 07 May 2016 01:33:32 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms A SECTION ALONG THE RAILWAY TO VICTORIA FALLS 339

believe in the excavating powers of ice, and it is mainly " ambulando " that I have been led to a different solution of this hard-fought controversy. The PRESIDENT: The subject of our discussion to-night has been the effect of covering the surface of the ground with ice. The slow geological changes which take place in these circumstances must depend on a large number of factors -on the hardness of the rock; on the slope and direction of the valleys; and on various meteorological conditions; and the problems involved are therefore of extraordinary difficulty. It is not to be wondered at that many questions thus presented have not yet been solved. I am sure most of us who are not experts have felt quite convinced by Prof. Garwood's eloquent presentment of his case. It is, however, fair to remember that we are somewhat like the jury who has heard three or four able advocates on one side and nobody at all on the other. In any case, we all must hope this discussion will be continued until the parties involved in it arrive at a satisfactory conclusion on these difficult problems,

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A SECTION ALONG THE RAILWAY FROM CAPE TOWN TO THE VICTORIA FALLS.* By A. H. WALLIS, F.R.G.S., Acting Resident Engineer, Cape Government Railways, Mafeking.

IN submitting to the Royal Geographical Society a section along the railway, the writer is of opinion that this is the first complete section of the route that has ever been prepared along the southern part of the continent, and it is hoped that the data will prove of interest to geographers and geologists. In order to show exactly what value attaches to the information furnished, the following particulars are given :- The section is plotted to an exaggerated scale, the horizontal scale being 20 miles per inch, whilst the vertical scale is 500 feet to the inch. The vertical ordinates are plotted to each mile of railway, involving the plotting of 1640 vertical ordinates. The data are obtained from the official records of the Cape Government Railways and the Rhodesia Railways, Limited. The levels were taken with an ordinary " dumpy " level, from low-water level ordinary spring tide at Cape Town, with a permitted variation of 0'03 foot per mile. The permission of the Cape Government Railways and that of the Rhodesian Railways, Limited, have been duly obtained for the purpose of this paper. The section has been carefully plotted. Scaling from the vertical ordinates may be safely accepted as exact to within 10 feet. To those unacquainted with the effects of the exaggerated scale, a warning should be given not to conclude that the continent of Africa, south of the Zambezi, is serrated to the extent as shown on the section; for were the horizontal scale plotted to the same scale as the vertical, the section would of necessity be several hundred yards in length to ensure the surface levels being seen in their true position. The surface levels of the section give their true geocentric position, in as far as sea-level has been assumed as uniformly geocentric. The datum is shown on the section as a straight line. It should more properly be shown on the section as a curve forming an arc of the circumference of the Earth; but it has been shown rectilinearly merely for the purpose of convenience, and the numerical data giving the heights of the

* Sectional Diagram, p. 380.

This content downloaded from 143.89.105.150 on Sat, 07 May 2016 01:33:32 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms 340 A SECTION ALONG THE RAILWAY various places are given as above sea-level in every instance. The levels were taken, as stated before, with an ordinary dumpy level, no coefficient for correction of curvature being adopted. Since the observations taken do not extend over more than 5 chains in each direction from the instrument, resulting in an observation of 10 chain lengths of true level, in which observation the collimation line of each was naturally tangential to the surface of the Earth, it is clear that each series of observations automatically corrected itself for curvature, inasmuch as each additional collima- tion line was tangential to the curvature of the Earth. As stated before, a limit error of 0'03 foot per mile was allowed. This error is naturally non-cumulative, the errors of plus being assumed to cancel the errors of minus, as equal sights were taken at equal distances from the position of the instrument. It must be admitted, in response to a possible query, that these levels have not been " tied in " with sea-level at its northern point. The direction of the railway is shown on the accompanying map by a broad red line, and the figures given in red denote the mileage from Cape Town. The railway, being of necessity a pioneer line, does not run in a straight line from Cape Town to Victoria falls, between which points there is a distance approximately of 16 degrees of latitude, or 1112 geographical miles, but meanders to such an extent as to give the distance along the railway as 1640 statute miles. Again, it must not be concluded that between Cape Town and Beaufort West (339 miles) the section given is a true outline of the country, since naturally a railway has to develop for gradient, avoiding the highest points and crossing ranges of moun- tains on the lowest and most accessible positions. This will account for the absence on the plan of Table mountain, 3550 feet in altitude, the range of moun~ tains at the Paarl (36 miles), south of Worcester (85 miles), the Hex river mountains at 145 miles, and further ranges at 186 miles, 230 miles, and 270 miles, at which points probably there are peaks towering as high as nearly 7000 feet; but at the same time the section is of value, as it gives an idea of the wrinkling up of the Earth's surface in the manner referred to later in this paper. Geographers may be assured that from Frazerburg road (290 miles from Cape Town) the section is fairly typical of the country as far as Kimberley (647 miles), although in the stretch of country referred to there are mountains east and west of the railway, reaching a height of probably 5000 or 6000 feet. From Kimberley to the Victoria falls, the railway can be safely assumed as strictly typical of the surface of the country, it being a pioneer surface line in which banks and cuttings have been studiously avoided, thus making the railway section show a true section of the country. It may be here pointed out that the railway between Francistown (1234 miles) and Bulawayo (1360 miles) practically runs upon the watershed of the country. To commence with the section. It will be seen that Cape Town is the zero line of the railway, rail level of which is 10 feet above low-water ordinary spring tide. Cape Town is situated .at the foot, and on the northern side of Table mountain, whose altitude is generally considered at 3550 feet. From zero the railway rises steadily to 650 feet at a distance of 27 miles from Cape Town, after which it falls on its way past Paarl (35 miles) and Wellington (45 miles) to 200 feet above sea-level at 63 miles' distance from Cape Town. It then rises at 85 miles to about 850 feet above sea-level, dropping to 720 feet at 98 miles, where the Breede river is crossed. From Cape Town to 116 miles the railway altitude lies below 1000 feet, but after this point the Hex river mountain climb is com- menced, and by the time 145 miles' distance is reached the railway attains an altitude of 3160 feet.

This content downloaded from 143.89.105.150 on Sat, 07 May 2016 01:33:32 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms FROM CAPE TOWN TO THE VICTORIA FALLS. 341

It may here be mentioned, to prevent repetition, that the mileages given in this paper are the distances throughout from Cape Town. From 145 miles to 160 miles the railway drops once more to 2530 feet into the valley of the , after which it rises again at Pietermeintjes to 3600 feet, an altitude which it does not attain again for 150 miles northwards. The line drops on its way past Matjesfontein to Laingsburg, where it crosses the Buffels river at 213i miles at an altitude of 2140 feet, rising to an altitude of 2720 feet at about 230 miles, from whence it again drops to the valley of the Blood river to 1650 feet at 253 miles, and a few miles further on, to 1560 feet, where it crosses the Dwyka river, rising again at 270 miles to 2300 feet, and falling again to 1760 feet at about 287 miles, where it runs along the valley of the Gamka river near Frazerburg road, from which point it steadily follows the Gamka river as far as Beaufort West (339 miles) to an altitude of- 2840 feet. From Matjesfontien (194| miles) to Beaufort West (339 miles) the railway passes through the desert country known as the " Lower ," the name given to it by the trek farmers of earlier days. The term evidently is of Hottentot etymology, and means dry or barren. A reference to the section shows that this part of the country lies below 3000 feet above sea-level. The chains of mountains which lie parallel to the southern coast are exemplified in a small degree by the zigzags of the section at 30 miles, 145 miles, and 186 miles, but in other parts of the colony tower to heights of 8000 feet above the sea. From Beaufort West the country rises to a height of 4550 feet at 405 miles. We are now in the " Upper Karoo," known to the old trek farmers as the " Nieuw Veldt," which maintains an altitude of over 4000 feet for over 100 miles, where it drops into the valley of the Brak river at 505 miles at an altitude of 3980 feet. It must not, however, be assumed that this is the only river between 400 miles and 500 miles, as a fairly large number of streams run from east to west in this distance, all of which, however, empty themselves into the Brak river, which eventually debouches into the Orange river, and which runs westward into the Atlantic ocean. From 504 miles to 516 miles the railway reaches an altitude of 4370 feet, constituting the southern point of the valley proper of the Orange river, whilst the northern border of the river-bed is crossed at about 600 miles at an altitude of 4030 feet. The country falls from this point to 570 miles to an altitude of 3520 feet, where the Orange river is crossed. The Upper Karoo from 400 miles to Kimberley (647 miles) is characterized by large flat-topped hills. These flat tops are composed of huge sheets of dolerite superimposed upon clay shale beds. These dolerite sheets are attributed to enormous extrusions of molten igneous rock, which, under volcanic pressure, have followed the lines of least resistance into the level bedding planes of the more recent shales and slates. The dolerite sheets act as a covering to the clay shales and retard the work of denudation. It. is no uncommon sight to see a chain of flat-topped hills several miles distant from a similar chain bearing a surface incline almost in a direct line with each other, leaving it conclusively proved that the intervening country was at one time connected and covered with the selfsame sheet of dolerite, but which in the course of time has been washed away. From 600 miles to nearly 700 miles the surface of the country lies in the vicinity of 4000 feet, falling only below this level at the various beds of the rivers which the railway crosses, such as the Modder river at 623 miles, which runs westward into the Orange, and the Vaal river, which is crossed by the railway at 693 miles at an altitude of 3900 feet. From 780 onwards to 920 miles the country rises well above 4000 feet, reaching an altitude at 810 miles of 4500 feet, passing the

This content downloaded from 143.89.105.150 on Sat, 07 May 2016 01:33:32 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms 342 A SECTION ALONG THE RAILWCAY TO VICTORIA FALLS.

township of Mafeking at 870 miles at an altitude of just under 4200 feet. This strip (from 780 miles to 920 miles) is grass country with little or no growth of trees. Generally speaking, it is of limestone formation with huge underlying beds of dolomite or magnesie limestone. The railway leaves the at 886 miles 39 chains, where it crosses the Ramathlabama spruit at an altitude of 4180 feet, and enters the Beehuanaland Protectorate. The railway traverses the protectorate fron 886 miles 39 chains to 1289 miles. The major portion of the country passed through belongs to Chief Khama of the Bamangwato tribe, who owns by far the largest portion of the Beehuanaland Protectorate. From 920 miles to 980 miles the country falls from 4000 feet to 3100 feet, where the railway crosses the Metsimaelaba river, a stream which runs eastward, eventually entering the Notwani, which in its turn becomes the Limpopo or Crocodile river, and which runs eastward to the Indian ocean. From 920 miles to 1270 miles the country lies well below 4000 feet, and can generally be said to be at an average of 3000 feet, dropping below that height only at one or two river- beds, and never rising above 3600 feet in the whole distance. The principal rivers crossed are the Lotsani at 1133 miles, the Shashi at 1218 miles, and the Tati at 1233 miles, all of which run eastward. These rivers are tributaries of the Limpopo or Crocodile river. The country from 990 miles to the Shashi (1218 miles) constitutes the western fringe of the Kalahari desert. The surface is composed mainly of fine red sand, covered in the wet season by a luxurious vegetation, whilst in the dry season it presents the appearance of a typical desert. From 1270 miles the country rises from 4000 feet to an altitude (at 1300 miles) of 4850 feet, the railway taking its course through the watershed of the country in order to avoid the unnecessary construction of bridges, and it runs between and almost parallel to the Inchwe and Ramaquabane rivers, which are tributaries of the Shashi. The railway reaches Bulawayo at 1360 miles at an altitude of 4464 feet. The country in this vicinity is of granitic nature. From Bulawayo on its course to the falls it drops quickly to an altitude of 4000 feet at 1378 miles, falling to 3900 feet at 1400 miles, and from thence to 3450 feet at 1420 miles, where it crosses the Umgusa river, dropping still further to 3250 feet at 1449 miles, where it crosses the Guaai river, which runs northwards, eventually emptying itself into the Zambezi. In this vicinity the railway passes through a large extent of teak forest. After leaving the Guaai the railway runs straight without any curvature for a distance of 70 miles, and with little or no change of level. At 1500 miles the altitude is 3420 feet. The country is characterized by its sandy desert appearance with many pans or pools of water, showing traces of the remains of an inland sea. At 1520 miles the country rises to 3600 feet, from which point it drops down to Wankie at 1577 miles, to an altitude of 2300 feet, which is the lowest point on the railway between Bulawayo and the Victoria falls. It rises again at 1590 miles to barely 3000 feet, dropping to 2650 and 2780 altitudes, where it passes two unimportant rivers, rising again to an altitude of 3490 feet at 1627 miles, from whence it descends to the Victoria falls (1640 miles) at an altitude of 2099 feet. The top water-level of the Zambezi river at this point is about 400 feet below rail-level, or 2600 feet above the sea. A detailed analysis is given of the water taken from a well in the clay slate deposits at Palapye road, one of the lowest points on the railway, as follows :-

All grains per gallon. Silica ...... 2'94 Iron and alumina ...... 0'59

This content downloaded from 143.89.105.150 on Sat, 07 May 2016 01:33:32 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms REVIEWS 343

All grains per gallon. equal to 26'45 as calcium Calcium oxide ...... 1481 carbonate. c equal to 25'47 as magnesium aegnesia, ...... 12'13 carbonate. Sulphuric oxide (SO) ...... 6'65 Chlorine as sodium chlorine ... 114'07

All along the railway between the distances referred to we have large tracts of country known as the black mud country. The writer is in touch with several officers of the Bechuanaland Protectorate Native Police, whose duties carry them throughout the protectorate. These gentle- men are now provided with aneroids and prismatic compasses, and it is hoped that within a few years we shall have approximate data before us to more definitely establish the boundaries of what has been conjectured to be one of the biggest inland sheets of water of a similar nature to Lakes Nyasa, Tanganyika, and Bangweolo.

REVIEWS.

EUROPE.

' HIGHWAYS and Byways in Buckinghamshire.' By Clement Shorter. (London: Macmillan. 1910. Pp. xix., 344. Map and Illustrations. 6s.) The author's name should be sufficient guarantee that the literary reputation of the series is maintained in this volume. As studies of the subjects which, as it were, wait upon topography these books are excellent. From his descriptions of churches one would judge the present author to be attracted rather by genealogy than by architecture. The most striking structural features of some noted churches (Wing, for example) are missed. But the illustrations in great part supply them. ' Sicilian Ways and Days.' By Louise Caico. (London: Long. 1910: Pp. 279. Illustrations. 12s. 6d.) The small town of Montedoro, which was the headquarters of the writer of this book, is in the inland province of Caltanisetta, a district which has attracted few visitors. On the working of the sulphur mines she has an interesting if somewhat melancholy chapter, and out of her intimacy with native customs she has written much that is of value. But the book contains a good many pages of rather trivial detail. ' A Corner of Spain.' By Walter Wood. (London: Nash. 1910. Pp. xii., 203. Map and Illustrations. 5s.) The corner in question is Galicia. The book is a well-written general description, which " does not pretend to be a history or a complete record," but is worth the attention of an intending visitor, and is fairly illustrated in colour and half-tone, and by line drawings. The historian of the English in the Peninsula will find not a little to interest him. " The Alps of the Bernina.' By E. L. Strutt. (London: Fisher Unwin. 1910. Part i., pp. xxiv., 234; part ii., pp. xxiv., 232. 10s. each.) These belong to the well-known series of Conway and Coolidge's Climbers' Guides. They are in pocket-book form, of convenient size, and with sheets bound in for the mountaineer's own notes. The careful directions as to ascents and the notes closely correlating authoritative maps are the chief features.

This content downloaded from 143.89.105.150 on Sat, 07 May 2016 01:33:32 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms SOUTH AFRICA.

Section along the railway from CAPE TOWVN TO VICTORIA FALLS compiled from levels taken from the railway surveys by A. H. WALLIS. (Act*Resiaent neer Cape oRys.) 1910.

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