The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1896-02-05
DELAGOA BAY.
Description of the South African Harbor
and Key to tho Transvaal.

Delagoa bay is pronounced the fines
ropean powers which have interests il
South Africa have long kept watch o
each others movements in relation
to it.
In the latter part of September, 1894
there was report in England that &
syndicate had purchased concession
for building n pier in Deiagoa bay, BY
which practical control of the por
would pass 10 the TranSvaal. SooI
afterwards there was an uprising o.
kafirs against the Portuguese, TO whom
De'agoa bay belongs. and British ma
rines were promptly laaded at Lorenzo
Marquee, from the gunboat Thrush
against the protest of the Portuguese
governor.
Delagoa bay is the natural outlet OF
the trade of the Transvaal. and Portu-
gals interest is to make all the traffic
Of the plateau of the interior converge
toward this port To this end the
fretOria-Lorenzo Marquee railway was
commenced in 1886. For half century
prior to this attempts were made, bu,
unsuccessfully, to establish communi-
cations between the Transvaal and
Delagoa bay. With basins, quays and
railways at Lorenzo MARQUEE, communi-
eating with the gold fields and rich
country of the interior, Lorenzo Mar
queZ will have a great future before il.
At present its chief imports are arms
and alcoholic liquors; its exports, oil,
uuts, caoutchouc, etc.
The town is surrounded by a wall,
and batteries have been erected to de-
fend it against hostile attack on the
land side. The town lies low on the
northern side of the inner harbor. or
English river, as it used to be called.
Lorenzo Marquee has splendid har-
Dor, capable of holding and sheltering
hundreds of the finest ships. The en-
trance to the harbor is so wide and fine
that feet of ironclads could enter il.
The harbcr covers some 1000 square
miles Of water, dotted here and there
with wOod-clSd islands. Invacll island
guards the entrance, and here the Por-
tuguese have planted batteries to de-
fead the anchorage. The entrance to
tie inner harbor. or English river,
where Lorenzo Marquee has been
planted, is about mile wide. Fifteen
feet OF water covers the bar at low
water. Vessels drawing IL feet OF
water can navigate the English river
for 20 miles, while two miles from
Lorenzo MARQUEE they can lie in suf-
ficient depth and free from every wind.
About five miles from Lorenzo Marquee
three rivers, the Temby, the Drlnbas
and the Mattoll, empty themselves into
an estuary.
The decision Of the ownership of TIE
Bay of Lorenzo Marquee became a
question of grea. importance in 1875.
Portugal claimed possession of the
whole of it by right of discovery, Eng
land by effective colonization The
British settled along the southern part
of Delaeoa bay and built town, sad in
the course of time England, while
acknowledging Portugal'S right 10 the
northern part Of the bay, claimed tho
EOhIhtlD IL, Wv IL llt DIS
brought to a crisis when, in 1865. tbs
Transvaa1 republic, by proclamation,
claimed the hRputa river from its juno
ton with the Pongola to tsembouchere
into the southern part Of Delagoa bay.
Both England and Portugal strenuous
ly resisted this claim and set up counter
pretensions. Eventually the matter
vas referred TO the arbitration of Mar
shall MacMalon. the then president of
the French republic. In 1875 he de-
Clared that the southern part of Della
goa bay, including the Maputa river up
TO the Lombobo mountains, belonged
10 Portugal, England consequently
hauled down the British ensign. but in
1891 an agreement was made between
that country and Portugal that in the
event OF the latter country wishing 70
part with the bay England should have
The first right of purchasing it--St
Louis Globe Democrat.