Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-03-11
BY BANDS OF STEEL
British Possessions in Africa
Connected by Railways.
NOW ABOUT 5000 MILES
Kalamo, 1,74s Miles From Cape
Town, Northern Terminus.
ROAD BUILT THROUGH JUNGLE
Rapid Advance Of the Line Being
Constructed From Damascus
South to Mecca.
NOW ABOUT 5000 MILES
ROAD BUILT THROUGH JUNGLE
By WILLIAM b. CURTIS.

By WILLIAM q. CURTIS.
Written for The Star and the Chicago Record
Herald.
! There are now more than 5000 miles
of railway in South Africa, running north
ward from Cape Town through the
Transvaal into Rhodesia, as the British
possessions in Central Africa have been
called, in honor Of the late Cecil Rhodes.
The northern termini at present are Sal
isbury. the capital Of South Rhodesia. and
Kalamo, the capital of Northwest Rho
desia. It is now possible to go from
London to either Of those places In twen-
ty-one or twenty-five days. An express
train meets the steamer at Cape Town
| and carries passengers to Kimberley 647
miles, in thirty-one hours. Johannesburg
C057 miles, in forty-seven hours. Pretoria
Q.0O2 miles, in fifty hours. Bulawayo
0,352 miles, in seventy hours. Victoria
Falls in ninety-two hours. and Salisbury
u.66S miles, in ninety-two hours, and
Kalamo u.74s niles in hundred hours.
Cape Colony. Orange River Colony and
the Transvaal are pretty we'll gridironed
with branches from this grand trunk
line, and South Africa is quite as we'll
supplied with railways as any country
outside Of Europe and the United States.
nearly the entire system, which had it's
| beginning in two short private lines at
the southwestern extremity of Cape Col
Ony and the continent, built in 1863. to
WELLINGTON. fifty eight miles. and to Wynn
| berg. six miles. In 1873 these two germs
| became government property. and Wig
orous policy Of internal improvements
was then adopted, and has been continued
| until now the tracks reach the Zambesi
| river and are being gradually pushed
nf
Egypt.
North From Salisbury.
A route has been surveyed from Sails
bury, the northern terminus of the sys-
tenn. northward about $50 miles to Lake
Nyassa. That is a large body of water
about 300 miles long and from forty to
hundred miles wide. 1t has already sew
eral steamboats, furnishing transportation
facilities for the towns on its shores. and
they will be made to connect with the
railway. At the upper end of the lake Is
a gap of about 10 miles to Lake Tan
ganyika. which IL also to be built as
part of the system. and passengers will
be carried On boats to rjiji. There the
with the line that the Germansfare build
ing from the ports of Oar Els Salaam and
Bagamoyo on the Indian ocean to Ujiji
via Tabora. the capital and chief city of
ISIIldI TdSI AIFlcd. fTOIn dDOTd Iue
line will run northward to Lake Victoria
Nyanza which lies partly In German East
Africa and partly in British East Africa
and the Uganda protectorate. That is as
far as the survey has been carried north
ward but reconnaissance has been con-
tinued up the valley Of the Nile through
Uganda into the Sudan to meet the
Egyptian railway at Khartum.
The telegraph wire now extends all this
distance and messages can be sent direct
from Cape Town to Cairo.
Railway From Mombasa.
There is also railroad from Mombasa
into the interior of British East Africa
! as far as Fort Florence. q new town on
Lake Victoria Nyanza, covering distance
Of 5s4 miles, and the journey Is made in
about thirty-six hours with sleeping and
dining cars said to be quite comfortable.
Lake Victoria Nyanza is the greatest
body of water in Africa and is about the
size Of Lake Huron. 1t Is the real source
of the Nile Just as Lake Tanganyika is
the source Of the Kongo.
Mombasa is becoming quite an import
ant commercial city and it is visited by
four lines Of steamers-British German.
Austrian and French-from Bombay and
| Rangoon, and through steamers come
! from Marseille and Trieste. 1t is said to
be a very comfortable passage down the
"
est for tourists. and the East African
company has provided q hotel at Lake
| Victoria NyanZa that is quite attractive.
There is also club there for the benefit
of Englishmen and others who go in to
shoot big game
The province of Uganda is now recog
nized as an independent kingdom under a
British protectorate, with native ruler
called "kabaka-" The present kabaka
| his highness Daudi Chua being a minor
| ia ronroRontAd nv regency of three native
| chiefs and European adviser. There is
| native assembly which passes laws
| raises revenue and votes a budget. and
| native courts having jurisdiction over the
| people. There is also a court Of appeals.
| which is partly native and partly British
A good many foreigners are going in to
develop the wonderful natural resources
of the country. Gold. copper and iron are
| found in large quantities, and the rubber
trade is developing very rapidly.
| The missionaries, both Catholic and
Protestant. have been remarkably sue
| cessful, and In the Uganda protectorate
at present, in native population of
1000 900 there are more than 1000
churches and about 10000 converts
The journey from Mombasa to Lake
| Victoria Nyanza shows some very at
tractive scenery following the base of
| high range of mountains and Offering
view of several high peaks, including Mt.
| Kenlo, which is 1890 feet, Mt Aberdeen.
1900 feet. and Mt. Elson. 14.03O feet
Through the Jungle.
Adventuresome people, who do not mind
| roughing it. can follow a trail northward
| about 200 miles to Gondocoro. the head of
navigation on the Nile and there take a
| steamer to khartum khich is said to be
a delightful journey. The forests are
filled with wild beasts and sometimes
! passengers may see lions and tigers from
| the car windows. A party Of friends who
made the trip last fall saw three lions
standing calmly on hillock watching
the train with evident curiosity as it
! pa ssed by and story is told of one OF
the station agents who wired to the next
town asking that the next train bring to
his place squad of soldiers with rifles
! to raise a siege that was being conduct
ed against him by a huge lion which had