The Vaal and the Limpopo are the chief rivers. Neither of them is navigable. During the dry season both rivers are interrupted to such an extent by shallows, rapids, and sand bars as to be useless for purposes of transport even in small boats.
To a certain extent agriculture is pursued in the Middle Veldt. The pasturing of vast herds of cattle and flocks of sheep, and the caring for droves of pigs and the rearing of horses, constitute the great occupations of the Transvaal Dutchmen.
The horse disease, a kind of low fever, is a sad pest. In the summer time it is especially prevalent in localities near standing water. Hence, during the summer months the horses are removed to the high hills for safety. Animals which have had the disease and have recovered bring high prices. The country phrase in speaking of such a horse is that it has been "salted."
Dogs which are English-bred rarely survive long in the climate of the Transvaal. In the low-lying regions to the north the bite of the tsetse fly is fatal to horses and to other domestic animals. Throughout a large portion of Africa this fly is a terrible scourge to the farmer. Livingstone thus describes it: "It is not much larger than the common house fly, and is nearly of the same brown color as the common honeybee; the after part of the body has three or four yellow bars across it; the wings project beyond this part considerably, and it is remarkably alert, avoiding most dexterously all attempts to capture it with the hand at common temperatures; in the cool of the mornings and evenings it is less agile.
"Its peculiar buzz when once heard can never be forgotten by the traveler whose means of locomotion are domestic animals; for it is well known that the bite of this poisonous insect is certain death to the ox, horse, and dog.
"A most remarkable feature in the bite of the tsetse is its perfect harmlessness in man and wild animals."
At one time in the history of the country, lions, elephants, giraffes, buffaloes, and ostriches were common in every part of it.
In the process of settlement the haunts of these animals have been disturbed, and the raids of the hunters have driven them northward or into the more inaccessible parts of the Veldt mountains.
Herds of antelopes, zebras, quaggas, springboks, and other wild beasts are, however, still to be found, and furnish a large portion of the farmers' supplies of animal food.
The Bush Veldt is the least settled portion of the country. Still, even here a few planters find it profitable to grow coffee and the sugar cane.