New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-10-27

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A Terra Incognita.
Mr.. Jerome L. Babe, appointed by tn
President OF the Transvaal Republic, Africa
to represent that country in the Uaite
States as consul general, Furnished the pres
with interesting information regarding hi
country.
The Transvaal Republic is in the interior
500 miles from the nearest point on thu
eastern coast and 1000 miles north OF Capa
Town. Its area is about sc, 900 square miles
and is therefore equal to that Of the Stat.
of Utah. 1t lies on . high plateau, 1000 fee
| above the level of the sea The southern
part of the country consists Of vast grassy
and treeless plainP, dotted here and there
by copies. The northern part is mountain.
GUS, but it is we'll wooded and watered
| The climate varies from the highlands to
| the lOwlands, but 1t is generally equable,
and similar to that of California, always
warm at midday and cold enough tor
blankets at night. The natives of the coun.
try are especially free from pulmonary dis
eases, and good many Englishmen are
now there for their health. Its sgricultu-
raj resources are wool, hides, tobacco,
maize, wood, coffee aud c0ttOn-an extra.
ordinary variety of staples. Maize being
exclusively of American origin, it seems
odd that the native South African should
have cultivated it from q time beyond the
memory of the people, but even Living
| stone found it growing on the banks of the
| Lualaba, and cultivated BY people who had
never seen white man.
All the precious metals are found in great
abundance, but President Burgers declines
| to locate che diamonds till the pending
question of sovereignty is settled, lest the
British should rush in and Jump" the coun-
try without ceremony, as their did the land
which now constitutes the Orange Free
State. There is alluvisl gold in great
abundance covering 1000 square miles. 1t
ground sluices. Thirty thousand dollars OF
this is now exhibited at the Centennial in
Pniladelphia by an American named Cam
eron, who mined it with his own hand.
Very few payable quartz leads have yet
been discovered. There are what they call
stringere, that is, small diverging veins of
gold supposed to lead back to some large
deposit. The most valuable gold is now
found in the ravines and gulches, although
surface all the way from six inches to foot
deep. Only the coarse gold is taken out.
Lead and silver are found in abundance:
no pure silver mines have been found, but
the lead is very rich in silver. averaging
sixty ounces to the ton. The lead is also
worked at great profit, being put into pigs
to supply the whole South African coast
Iron and coal are mined in sufficient quar-
titles OIL the eastern borders of the State
toward the coast. Plum5ago mines have
also been discovered. In fact, in mineral
wealth it is one of the richest countries in
the world.
The country, Mr.. Babe said, was settled
by the Dutch come thirty years ago. who
emigrated from Cape Colony and Natal,
which were held BY the English, whom
they hated. They bought the ground from
the natives, purchasing individual farms
and giving arms, ammunition, blankets,
calico, etc, in exchange. When the settle.
ment had increased sufficiently to REQUIRE
. police protection, q government was
formed, and the rest of tho land was pur
chased from the natives by treaty, the
original occupants retiring to reservation.
He added. regarding the people:
"They are q very fine race of mer;
tall, straight, symmetrical and we'll
like the best specimens
Of American Indians, with delicate, regular
and muscular and graceful bodies.
Compared with most of the other savages
Of the world, they are mild and conciliatOry
in their disposition. Msny of the women
are very handsome. They have no belief in |
. Supreme Being, NO gsds. and no wor
e
Their only priest is the medicine man, or
doctor, who treats his patients by incanta-
tons and superstitious rites. They have |
ind maintain marriage relations, and are |
very strict. POlygsmy is allowed. Men caa |
have as many wives as they can buy of the |
fathers of the women. A COW is the largest |
of money known in the re. |
gion, and the price Of girl is generally
from three to five COWS. All travelled sta |
satsa In oI ION ~ ~.
native women OF the Transvaal region as |
the most virtuOus women in the world. |
They are almost always true to death to
the man who purchases them, though they |
have to do all the work and are treated |
like beasts of burden. They are of rich |
olive complexion, with fine forms and pleas
ing faces when young. In the interior they |
90 entirely naked, only wearing string Of |
beads around their Waste, which they call |
muchs.' The men wear bunch of animals
tails around their loins. The women 3D.
pear to have no mOdesty whatever concern
ng their personal exposure, but their virtue |
10 almost unparalleled"
The population of the Transvaal Republic
g now about 1900, principally Dutch, the
others mostly English, with @ very few
Americans. The form of government is re.
publican, with . President and one house
Of Legislature called Volksraad. Dutch is
Inc LANGUAGE Of the country: There are
iour papers, one side Of each being printed
in English and the other in Dutch.
In regard to the war now progressing,
Mr.. Babe said: "The President has got
into war with the natives. Thew are led
0y son OF the chief who sold all the land
TO the Dutch settlers generation ago. The
ION now claims that the sale was q fraud.
md goes to war for the purpose of recover.
his heritage. He has Is 900 natives under
oil
md rifles, ranging ell the way from old
lintlocks to carbinee, and are drilled in
regiments. These armies were formerly
lot much feared, a. they depended upon
pears. But since tho arrival of Europeans
lpon the coast they have succeeded in
making themselves very formidable. The
hief allowed them to 60 one at q
ime to the coast on condition that
ach would bring back musket for
llmself and o diamond for the chief. He
las also obtained possession Of two pieces
hem. The result of the first collision is
hat the Dutch have been terrible defeated.
hey have been in the habit of whipping
he natives and driving them like sheep as
ong as they depended on their native
vo0den weapons; but with modern weapons
hey have acquired courage and effective.
ess, and the Dutch are reported to have
ed in panic at the first fire. The Presi-
ent was 90 disheartened when he heard Of
be disaster to his troops that no begged his
taft to kill him. But his life was spared,
nd the British government, which has blqp
rying to confederate all the South AA64
olonies under . viceroy, will now prObe ~ |
lcceed. This republic has hitherto de-
lined ell Overturer, preterring to maintain
9 independence. but it will now Join the
'nfederstion. English troops will = sent
, recover the lost ground, and the trans
aal Republicjwill lOse its name aad pass
nder British jurisdiction.