The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1885-07-20
ENu.ANp,s new opLnny

The Advantages OF Bechuana as an Ag-
riculturai and Grazing Country.
Big things are done nowadays and
done unnoticed and unknown, writes
correspondent of the London Times.
There are probably not many of the
ordinary public in England who know
that early in this good year 1885 the
Liberal ministry added 10 the English
empire new colony or domain equal
ing Spain IN area. And yet this was
done by simple unheeded proclema-
ton in that never-read publication,
the London Gazette. The new
est colony of "Bechuans," or
whatever its ultimate title, lies
In the heart of temperate
Africa. It's official limits are "the
parts of South Africa situated west OF
the boundary Of the South African
republic; north of the colony OF the
Cape Of Good Hope; east Of the Goth
meridian of east longitude, and south
of the 2ad parallel of south latitude"
1t is situated on tho great central back.
bone oil Airi3a, and Is, for the most
part, plateau Of from 1000 TO 5000 ieet
above the sea level, and healthy to a
degree to Europeans. Entering the
district from the south, the general
character OF the country is that of open
and undulating plains, for the most
part bare of forest trees, but dotted
with patches Of camelthorn shrub. This
lasts for about 100 miles,
after which tho country BIO,
comes pleasantly and at timos
densely wooded, except where il IL
mountainous, rs in tho uelghborhood
OF tho "stony" towns Of tho Chiefs
Gasseitsi and Sichele. The main
cause of this absence Of trees lower
down is tho enormus demand for
wood created when the diamond dig
ging5 made Kimberly populons
center, using endless steam engines.
1t Is commonly reported that tor 10
years every day thoro entered KIM
berley about 100 wagons, zach carry
ing, on tho average, 20 trees, chiefly
cut up in these districts. There is
much rich soil, and in all the bottoms
Indian com, millet and wheat yioli
good crops, even under tho rough and
ready agriculture of tho natives
over all these plains and hill there Is
capital gr8ss--sO much so that tho
Doors toll one another IL isl
The btst pasture land in South
Africa, O fact further evidenced by the
great numbers OF cattle and sheep
owned by tho natives Of those parts
from Time lmmemorial, until In recent
years there has been wholesale rob
DerY ~ the hands of ireebooting white
men. But, although the Beers among
themselves arc 30 convinced of tho OK
cellonce Of the country az actually to
name part of II after Goshen, that land
OF fleshpots and fertility, and to regard
the whole Of tho once prosperous ma
tive territories ss Naboth's vineyard
OF great price, they none
tho less sedulously propa-
gate the idea that the whole
country Is YalueleBs TO any except the
hardest OF B1er farmers. There arc
even loading statesmen of tho Cape
Colony nisled by those Interested Boer
allegations so far as TO report officially
that tho country is one Of "dry farms"
only, where none but Boer farmers
can make living.
Maler supply ~ naturally the chief
dlilloultyJ and no doubt along the trade
roads at certain seasons but little
water Is to DO found on the surface.
There Is natural water supply run
ming through tho country q. certain
seasons OF the year from the east. |
ward but OF this the Boer farmers are |
wei aware, and II il one great COM
plant of the natives that the Boors on |
the Transvaal side have continu- |
ally eucroached on the headwaters of |
the rivers on which are situated |
tho chief Of the nstiyo "plow lands"
There are miles upon miles of real and |
black soil here, with but few stones or
rocks, at present covered with rich
grasses, ond, wherever turned up by
the natives, yielding excellent crops
OF Indian corn, millet, wheat and
pumpkins. In short, IL seems un-
doubted that for agricultural purposes
these Pro I tfeeless plains are excel
lent, These plains have long been the
homo Of pastoral farmers. When
Europeans first penetrated here they
found the natives rich in oxen, and
the plains afiording, in addition, am
pie sustonance 10 countless droves of
hartebeest, giraffe, wildobeast, Gland
and buck Of all kinds. Sheep, goats,
and cattle all flOurlshed in this coun. |
try. Horses also do well until they |
fall victims to the dreaded "horse sick |
ness"