The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1900-08-09
A BoER STRONGHOLD.
Corner of the Transvnnl from when
1t Would BE Hard to DislOdge
the Afrikanders.

Reference has been frequently made
to the Zoutpansberg district in the
northeast corner of the Transvaal as
the last stronghold of the Bears when
compelled to abandon Pretoria after
defeat in the field; but hitherto hard
II ANYTHING has been known about
the country and its capabilities for
defense.
Officially. says the Chicago Inter
Ocean. the district is known as the
Zoutpansberg, but it is more com
monty called Magatoland, after the
chief of the Makatese tribe. which in
habited it up to 1899, until when 1t
was almost unknown to the Beers
themselves A South African CORE
spondent, describing the country,
says it is likely to receive attention in
the near future, for it is in its fast
nesses that the Beers will make their
last stand. 1t has two back doors,
so to speak, one across the Limpopo
in Mashonaland, and the other
through the Portuguese territory on
the east.
The whole country is one great
series of natural fortresses, standing
amid dense vegetation, in which a
commando could remain concealed for
a week if necessary without fear of
discovery. 1t is about $50 miles north
of Pretoria. of which some 210 miles
can be traversed by rail to Peters
burg. From there to Louis Trichardt,
founded a year ago as the capital of
Magatoland. is 80 miles, the road aft
er the first 90 running through dense
bush and offering many difficulties to
an invading force.
Magatoand was practically I'M
known to the Beers until the begin
ming of last year. when they assumed
occupation after the defeat of MPefu
by Gen. Joubert. 1t was the expert
ence then gained of the country by
the burghers of the commands COM
posing the Boer army that first gave
them the iuea of making it their last
resort in the event of invasion by the
British. No regular survey of the dis
trict has ever been made, but, roughly
speaking the towering krantzes that
crown Xoutpans range and overlook
Louis Trichardt and the Klein Spe-
| loullen extend some 60 miles to the
north and to the territory of the
Sewaas and Knobneuzen Kaffirs on
the south. viewed from Fort Schultz,
for many years the Boer advanced
| post.
The Magato range, elevated high
| above the clouds, has most impos-
ing appearance. Rising from the
plain in terraces for about three miles
| the summit of the range is formed
ola mighty overhanging krantz of vol
| canic rock descending sheer 500 feet.
This extends with a few breaks the
whole length of the range, and is alb
solutely unscalable. Only one road
enters the country at Magato's Hoof-
stad a distance of four miles from
the plain in a direct line. This road is
| covered by a recently erected fort,
and so winding and steep is the track
that it could be held by single COM
mando against an overwhelming
force. The mountain slope is covered
with forest, many of the trees grow
ing to 10 feet in height. There are
| two other passes into the interior of
the country, one IA miles northeast
of Louis 1rchardt, and Pisangkop, 20
miles southwest.
On the mountains there is an abund-
ant supply of water, and, unless they
have been recently removed, enor-
nous supplies of food. The climate is
healthful and comparatively cool, but
in the valleys during the fever season
it is little short of pestilential. No
doubt the burghers count on this in
| the event of the British following
| them and encamping in the Dwars
valley for any length of time before
| trying to scale the Magato heights.
| Their ranks would be decimated by a
| deadlier enemy than the Mauser bull
let. The malarial fog rolls up from
the river in the evening and spreads
over the plain to depth of eight or
ten feet; it does not, however, kill
outright if proper precautions are
| taken.