Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1905-07-06
VICTORIA CATARACT
IT IS ONE OF THE NOTABLE WON
DERs OF THE WORLD.

that the friendly natives with whom ne
was travelling brought Dr.. David Idv-
ingstone for the first time within sight
and sound Of the wonderful cataract
on the Zambezi river, now known 40
the Victoria falls. Before finding It,
the good missionary had journeyed for
nedrly two years, and from his point
OF departure at thurman, III Cape Col
ony, had trnversed quite 1000 miles Of
hitherto unknown country.
Today one takes the train at Cape
Town on Wednesday, passes through
Kimberley Oh Thursday, reaches Bulu.
wayo on Saturday, and late in the nft-
ernoon Of Sunday begins to see 10 the
distance the rising pillar Of mist from
the great cataract.
The natives call 1t "Mosi.oa.tuni,"
meaning 1.-The roaring smoke" Twenty
miles away the spray thrown back
from the depths of the tremendous cav
ern into which the river tumbles ap-
pears like column Of smoke rising
from burning village, and during tho
last mile Of the railway journey the
roar Of the falling water becomes no
ticeable. Finally. when the edge Of
the chasm is reached, II the river IL In
flood, the eye and ear are assailed BY
a combination of phenomena that prob
ably cannot be duplicated as maryels
anywhere else on the planet.
The first question that 10 asked Of an
American who has seen this African
wonder generally IL, How does It COM
pare with Niagara r There ID no pos
sibility Of comparison. The two are a.
different as day and night. Niagara Il
a perfect picture In "a lovely natural
framework Every point and line and
curve Of, motionless rock, trembling
verdure and gliding water 10 touch Of
majestic beauty. Victoria ID simply .
phenomenon, terrific cash In the door
Of an apparently unending plain, which
as one gazes simply swallows river
In manner that produces almost
thrill Of horror.
The Zambezi valley for q hundred
miles or more In every direction from
the cataract ID rough and broken
plateau covered with low brush ana
stunted trees. with here and there an
outcrop Of somber bassltic rock, III
thoroughly uninterestin9 The herbase
IL but family green and tho tropical
sky only family blue. It Il ! haxy
half tone landscape. wanting h clear
cut tines Ia every direction and lacking,
above everything else, that element
we always unconsciously SEEK ii
nature picture-life. The absence Of
this produces In the mind / feeling Of
loneliness ana often Of fear. Across
this solemn scene appears I river t,at
In flood time Ii perhaps half mile
wide. II 3 deaf man were following
down one Of III banks he would notice
little but the underwater and the odd
looking column Of smoke ahead A.
this column was approached he would
expect to see the river banks bending
and the water flowing away 70 one
side Of the condagrat1on and might
glance to the right and left 70 note tina
direction taken. Hut the panorama
changes az hs gazes. The river II no
more, and there, where It should be,s
Is only the brown plain. as lonely.
brush covered and monOtcnous % ever.
One must 60 twenty mikes, farther be-
fore the vanished water and the sun.
face Of the land again commingle, be-
fore 1t will be possible to walk along
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