The Alamogordo news. (Alamogordo, N.M.) 1899-1912, 1905-07-15

1t was on the 22d of. November, 1855,
that the friendly natives with whom he
was travelling brought DIR. David Llv-
ingstone for the first time within sight
and sound Of the wonderful cataract
on the Zambezl river. now known as
the Victoria falls. Before finding 1t,
the good missionary had Journeyed for
nearly two years, and from his point
Of departure at Kuruman, in Cape Col
Ony. had traversed quite 1900 miles Of
hitherto unknown country.
Today one takes the train at Cape
Town on Wednesday, passes through
Kimberley ON Thursday, reaches Bulu-
wayO on Saturday, and late I'm the aft
ernOOn of Sunday begins to see in the
distance the rising pillar OF mist from
the great cataract.
The natives call It "Mosi-Oa- -tuni, .
meaning 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 a column Of smoke rising
from a burning village, and during the
last mile of the railway journey the
roar Of the falling water becomes no
ticeable. Finally, when the edge Of
the chasm is reached, if the river is in
food, the eye and ear are assailed by
a combination of phenomena that prob
ably cannot be duplicated as marvels
anywhere else on the planet.
The first question that Is asked of an
American who has seen this African
wonder generally is, How does it COM
pare with Niagara There is no pos
sibillty OF comparison. The two are as
different as day and night. Niagara Is
a perfect picture in lovely natural
framework. Every point and line and
curve Of m0tionless rock, trembling
verdure and gliding water is touch of
majestic beauty. Victoria Is simply a
phenomenon, terrific cash in the floor
Of an apparently unending plain, which
as one gazes simply swallows river
in a manner that produces almost a
thrill of horror.
The Zambezi valley for Il hundred
miles or more In every direction from
the cataract is a rough and broken
plateau covered with low brush and
stunted trees, with here and there an
Outcrop OF sOmber basaltic rock, all
thoroughly uninteresting. The herbage
is but faiRtly green and the tropical
sky only family blue. It is a hazy
half tone landscape, wanting In clear
cut lines In every direction and lacking,
above everything else, that element
we always unc0nsciOusly seek in a
nature picture life. The absence OF
this produces in the mind feeling OF
loneliness and often Of fear. Across
this solemn scene appears q river that
in food time Il perhaps half mile
wide. II deaf man were following
down one Of its banks he would notice
little but the quiet water and the odd
looking column Of smoke ahead. AS
this column was approached be would
expect to see the river banks bending
and the water flowing away to one
side Of the confiagrati0n and might
glance to the right and left to note the
direction taken. But the panorama
changes as he gazes. The river is no
more, and there, where It should be,
Is only the brown plain, as lonely,
brush covered and monotonOus az ever.
One must go twenty miles farther be.
fore the vanished water ana the sur
face Of the land again cOmmingle, be-
fore 1t will be possible to walk along
the bank In company with the river.
So sudden Ii the transformation.
Meantime the pillar or smoke has re.
solved itself into a dense mist forced
upward in terrible puffs from yawn.
ing cash stretching directly across the
bed Of the river. This fearful abyss il
every second swallowing thousands Of
tons Of green and white water and
belchlng M blasts of mist that rise
hundreds Of feet into the air and hurry
away with the winds as if rejoicing
at their escape from the Inferno be-
low. And somewhere, nearly 400 feet
below. the entrapped river il lighting
its way between sheer walls Of black
rock toward narrow cleft fiji the
eastern wall. whence 1t escapes, foam
Ing and boiling, through The zigzags
and curves Of deep gorge leading Oh
to the eastward. One goes to an edge
Of this delivering cIasnl and looks
down upon the tossing waters. ever
pressed from behind by other foods
struggling out Of the narrow black
gateway, and perhaps the most prom.
inent mental sensation Is that OF thank.
fulness thai even in such d grim and
CHASTITY way nature has provided .
means BY which the fearful slit Of .
throat above that has swallowed the
stream can disg0rge It again without
causing m overwhelming catastrophe.
The Victoria cataract should he visit
ed at least twice before one il cOznpe
tent to pass IN opinion upon it. when
The river II Il food (TuIy) the scene Il
simply terrible. One sees nothing bul
an enormous sheet Of water disappear.
ing into the bowels of the earth with
= noise IS OF mountains falling upoii
one another, while from the awful gasI
comes back IN fierce gusts and swlrIs
the f0aming breath Of the tortured ele
ment below. Bit ii Decembef. whel
the water i low the edge Ut the cata
raet shows as long. creamy illm ii
i0veiy lace; the rising mist flows soft
y away through the little rain foresi
below the casef4l's llp: tie glgantl.
vault Itself becomes i wonderful spec
taele. dream II neuttal tInts. aav.
of beauty Far down In TT darl
depths the winters. gliding along iii
rocky walls md beiMIug graeeFully
around the corners toward the marrow
outlet pass eayIy umil IaueIllngIy /
freedom Fof u time he demon af til,
cataraet i sleeping Theodore i: VA
IT. szssskz.ss 49, 4 saH