Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1886-05-22
ENoLANp,s AFRICAN COLONY.
fsica Soil and saIubrious Climatic What
the Beers Say of Il.
ffss. I o,d,, Ttos.af
iCnr. London Tlmea.l


pig things are done nowadays, and
done nnnoticed and unknown. There
are probably not many of the ordinary
public in England who know that early
in this good year of 1885 the Liberal
ministry added to the English empire
a new colony or domain equaling Spain
in area. And yet this was done by
simple, UNDECIDED proclamation in that
never-read publication, The London
Gazette This newest colony of Bee
huana," or whatever its ultimate tit.e,
lies in the heart of temperate Africa.
Its official limits are "the parts of South
Africa situate west of the boundary of
the South African republic; north Of
the colony Of Cape of Good Hope; east
Of the twentieth meridian of east longi-
tude. and south Of the twenty-second
parallel of south latitude.
1t is situated On the great central
backbone of Africa. and il. fer the most
part, a plateau of from 1000 to 5000
feet above the sea level, and healthy to
q degree for Europeans. Entering the
district from the south, the general
character OF the country is that OF open
and undulating plains, for themost part
bare of forest trees, but dotted with
patches OF camel-thorn shrub. This lasts
for about 100 miles, after which the
country becomes pleasantly and at times
densely wooded except where it is
mountainous, as in the neighborhood Of
the stony towns OF the chiefs Gas
seitsi and Sichele, The main cause of
this absence of trees lower down is the
enormous demand for wood created
when the diamond diggings made Kim
berly populous center, using endless
steam engines, 1t is commonly reported
that for ten years every day there en-
tered Kimberly about 100 wagons, each
carrying on the average of twenty trees,
chiefly cut up in these districts.
There is much good, rich soil, and in
all the bottoms Indian corn, millet and
wheat yield good crops, even under the
/ rough and-ready agriculture of the ma
tiyes. over all these plains and hills
/ there is capital grass-so much SO
that the Beers tell one another it is tho
hest pasture land in South Africa, A
fact further evidenced by the great num-
bers Of cattle and sheep owned by the
natives of the parts from time immemo-
rial. until, in recent years, there has
( been wholesale robbery at the hands of
| freebooting white men. But although
the Beers among themselves are SO con-
WINGED Of the excellence Of the country
as actually to name part of it after
Goshen, that, land of fesh-pota
and fertility, and to regard the
whole of the once prosperous native
territories as a Naboth's vine
yard Of great price, they none
the less sedulously propagate the idea
that the whole country is yalueless to
any except the hardest Of Boer farmers.
There are even leading statesmen of the
Cape Colony misied by these interested
Boer allegations so far as to report Off
ciaLly that the country is one of dry
farms only, where none but Boer farm.
ers can make living.
Water supply is naturally the chief
difficulty, and no doubt along the trade
roads at certain seasons but little water
is to be found on the surface. River
courses abound, and in most parts good
water is found at u reasonable distance
from the surface There is natura
water supply running through the coun
try at certain seasons of the year from
the eastward, but of this the Boer farm
ers are well aware, and it is one grea
complaint of the natives that the Beers
ON the Transvaal side have con
tilually encroached on the headwater.
Of the rivers on which are stu
ated the chief of the native 'plov
lands. " There are miles upon miles O
ZEAL and black soil here, with but few
stones or rocks, Mt present covered witt
rich grasses, and, wherever turned III
by the natives, yielding excellent crop
Of Indian corn, millet, wheat and pump
kins. in sho:t, it seems undoubtet
that for agricultural purposes thes
great treeess plains are excellent.
These plains have long been the nom
of pastoral farmers. When European
first penetrated here they found tn
natives rich in oxen and the plains at
fording, in addition, ample sustenanc
to countless droves Of harhPbeeSt, giraffe
wildebeest, Gland and buck of all kind
Sheep, goats and cattle all fourished il
this country. Horses also do well unit
they fall victims to the dreaded 'hors
sickness"