The other rivers in the northern division, and within the Limpopo basin, are the Crocodile, with its many tributaries, rising in the Drakensberg or Quathlamba range, and, passing through the Lobombo mountain, receives the Umcomasi, Sabie, and other small streams, and enters the northern part of Delagoa Bay. The Umbelosi drains the country south of the Komati, and passing through the Lobombo range, enters Delagoa Bay, or inner harbour at Lozrenzo Marques; it is navigable from the bay some few miles from its mouth. South of this river is the Tembe, which rising in the Lobombo mountains, with its small tributaries, enters the inner harbour. The last of the rivers that drain the south-eastern portion of the Transvaal is the important Maputa or Usutu river, which rises in the New Scotland district, at an altitude of 5780 feet above sea-level, receiving the following tributaries—Impeloosi, Little Usutu, Umkompies, Umkonto, Umtaloos, and other small streams; flowing through the Lobombo it receives the Pongola river, which rises a few miles to the east of Wakkerstroom, and receiving (in its course down) many tributaries flowing east and north, joins the Usutu, where it turns in a north-east and north direction for fifty miles; when a broad and navigable river it enters the southern part of Delagoa Bay. The lower portion for twenty miles passes through the Portuguese possessions, and after crossing the Lobombo mountains, it leaves the Transvaal and Amaswasiland, and enters the northern part of Zululand or Amatonga country. This completes the river system on the east of the Limpopo basin. On the west there are a few branches of the Limpopo on the left bank, that will complete this western division, viz. the Great and Little Marico rivers, the Molmane, the upper portion of the Notuane, and the Franks and Elands rivers, that drain the Marico and Rustenburg districts; the Orange and Vaal river basin, which is separated from the Limpopo by the central watershed, already described, which is also called the Hooge or High Veldt. The Vaal river rises in the Quathlambe mountains on the eastern border of the Transvaal, called the New Scotland district, at an altitude of 5813 feet, near Lake Crissie, flowing south-west past the town of Stamlerton, which is on the main transport road from Natal to Pretoria, passing through an open country, receiving in its course many small feeders; from this town the river turns westerly to Klip river, which is the boundary between the Orange Free State and the Transvaal. From this point the Vaal forms the boundary between the two Republics, down to Griqualand West, taking many turns and twists in a westerly, then south-westerly direction, receiving in its course many streams on the right bank, within the Transvaal boundary, as under—Klip, Gans, Sand, Bushman, Kapok, Rand, Waterfal, Klite, Kalk, Eland, Ensel, all spruits, to the Moi river, upon which Potchefstroom is built. Following the river down we next come to Loop, Baken, Machave, and Kockemere spruits; Scoon spruit, upon which Klerksdarp is built. Crossing several other small spruits we come to Klip spruit, Lion, Wolf, Maquassie, and Bamber spruits. The Harts river, which is a tributary of the Vaal, enters it within the boundary of Griqualand West, rises on the central watershed at Lichtenburg village, in the Transvaal, at an elevation of 6100 feet above sea-level, and flows in a south-west direction, passing the Koranna kraal, Maamousa, and the Bechuana territory, under the chief Monkuruan, where it leaves the Transvaal Republic and enters Griqualand West. The boundary of this chief is now being arranged by General Sir Charles Warren. This completes the river system of the Transvaal in the Orange river basin.
The towns within this area are Utrich, Darby, Lunenberg, Wakkerstroom, Standerton, Heidelburg, Fentersdorp, Potchefstroom, Klerksdarp, Lichtenburg, Bloemhof, and Christiana. There are no hills of importance in this division, only a few isolated “kopjies” at Potchefstroom, Hartebeestfontein, and at Klerksdarp, which do not call for any particular description.
On the south-east boundary is a native territory called Swaziland, or the Amaswasi country, belonging to a Zulu tribe; it is situated between the Republic, Zululand, and the Portuguese possessions at Delagoa Bay. It is a very hilly and well-wooded district, thickly populated with a warlike race. The Transvaal Republic say it is within their boundary, but the natives deny it; at any rate the Boers at present have no authority over them, and the chief rules quite independent of the Transvaal. It has long been under our protection, and it was the main cause of the Zulu war, because we would not allow Cetewayo to “wash his spears” in them. Gold-fields are now there. The English and Boers have hired large tracts of their country as cattle-runs, and will never be got out.
There are many roads to the Transvaal from the Cape Colony and Natal; those most used are from Kimberley diamond-fields, passing up on both sides of the Vaal river; they are rough, sandy, and in places very stony; others pass through Bloemfontein in the Free State, crossing the Vaal at several drifts. From Natal there are two over the Drakensberg to Harrismith, on to Potchefstroom and Heidelburg; also two passing through Newcastle, one going to Standerton and Pretoria, the other to Wakkerstroom, Lydenburg, and the gold-fields; portions of them are very good, other parts rough and heavy travelling. It is the same with all others that traverse the country, as they are never repaired.
The country on the south side of the watershed or high veldt is open and uninteresting, long stretches of rolling plains, not a bush or tree to be seen for miles; except here and there, at long intervals, a Boer farm is seen, and near it occasionally a garden surrounded by the well known tall gum trees; no Kaffir locations are seen in any portion of this part, a few huts occupied by the Kaffir servants may be located near each farm. The country is suitable for cattle, but sheep do not thrive.
This country is divided into thirteen districts—seven in the Limpopo basin, and six in the Orange and Vaal basins.
The first contains Pretoria, Rustenburg, Marico, Waterburg, Zontpansberg, Lydenburg, and Middleburg.
The second Potchefstroom, Bloemhof, Heidelburg, Wakkerstroom, Utrecht, and Standerton.
The white population, which was estimated in 1882, did not exceed 45,000 of all nationalities. Since the retrocession of the Transvaal it has greatly diminished, probably not more than 40,000 at the present time; putting five to a family, on an average, there would be 8000 families, 2000 of which would be made up of English, French, Germans, Hollanders, and other Europeans, to occupy this extensive country, which, deducting for native tribes, leaves for each white individual, great or small, 700 acres, and yet the Boers are not content with this large share, but must make war on native tribes to possess themselves of more. If they were an industrious and well-disposed people, and cultivated their lands in a proper way, the Transvaal would, and ought to be, the most prosperous and well-to-do country in South Africa, having all the advantages of a subtropical climate, plenty of water (if properly utilised) for cultivation, abundance of coal and other minerals, splendid grazing for cattle, and many other advantages; but no, they would sooner expend their energies in fighting the native tribes and stealing their cattle, because it pays them better, than devote their time to peaceful pursuits. From the time the Boers have held the Transvaal they have pursued this policy—as is well known by every colonist in the country, and nothing but a firm Government will ever bring them into a civilised state, and prevent their atrocities from being further perpetrated, as has lately occurred on their north-west border and in Zululand.
The splendid position the Transvaal occupies in South Africa, with all the advantages above stated, the proximity to Natal, and the seaports of Durban and Delagoa Bay, and eventually a railroad from Newcastle to Pretoria, as also from Kimberley and Delagoa Bay, shows that this country has great facilities for supplying the native trade in the north-east of South Central Africa, where the population is great, and the country rich in all kinds of produce. The gold will soon bring all this.