Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1919-09-18
THE VICTORIA FALLS
Railroads bring Sightseer Near to
African Ntagnru

African Niagara
while Niagara Falls will continue to
hold thcir own as mecca for honey
mooners and other travellers they must
hcnceforth submit to comparison with
another natural wonder, the Victoria
Falls of the Ianbesi. as Africa becomes
frequented by tourists" saws a bulletin
from the National Geographic Society.
From being place of mystery, so fear
er that Livingston, who discovered the
Falls in 1850 had great difficulty in per-
suading his followers to accompany him.
the Falls now are visible from a rail-
way that crosses the river half mile
below them, and they lie under the pro-
posed route of the Cape to Cairo aerial
service which is to be established this
autumn"
Louis Livingston Seaman, in a com
munication to The Society. describes
visit TO Victoria Falls and contrasts them
with Niagara. as follows:
"Our approach was made by rail from
the Indian Ocean at Beira, near the
mouth of the Zambesi that hotbed Of
micro-organsm described by James Bryce
as the most deadly in Afrca). and across
the narrow belt of swamp and jungle
forming the coast; thence up the gradual
slope to the volcanic plateau that forms
the real continent of Africa.
by morning an altitude OF nearly 6,WOO
rect was reached, ana a transition from
the excessive neat ana moisture or the
iowiands was experienced that was most
grateful and exhiarating.
Tnis section sun apounds with ante
lope. elephants, lions and other large
game, which find excellent cover in the
tall elephant grass or the dence Forests
ana Jungies. Wnile IN the river hlppos sui
gamool ana nounder IN ungainiy nerds
amid the noating ISLANDS or rank veg
citation or Nile reeds and papyrus.
win the attitude, however, came
anotheT anu less Brateiui chaHee' Inc
1orests were no longer IN evidence out
III their s'eau were vast ario' pIru'ess
Piaihs' Win Pdrcieo ana huIsr! veg
etatioh whose ahaefhic anu stunned CROWN
pears witness 10 'he scarcity OF moisture
.hat so severely a"ects hnooeSia anu
the great s'retches Vi Velut Lar AWAY
10 tne lrahsVaa'
Eariy III 'he morning OF tne tnlrd
oag we were suddenly awakened ny the
euaro anu 'rea'e" 10 scehe ol oeauty
never 10 De forgotten. some III mics
distant hVe enormous coiumns OF Vapor
were shooting thelr roseate-tinted shafts
rant roar OF the faiis toid US tne MO-
s'oa- uhea-'he smoke 'hat souhds-"as
no lohser mystery
Eacn moment Increased tne beauty
anu V'''ohess Oh the scene. win the
hrst rays Oh the rising sun came picture
Vi co'or o. "ohorous ioVehhess'
oe'ca'e tirts Oh Vioiet' CRIMSON anu
oefsi plaseu through the mounting spray
DIS 1t sho. hisher anu hlgher' ultimately
disappearing as virgin CLOUDS IN heaven
WINE 'he e'er-increasihs .huhuers Oh the
""teiS ie". al auoeu soieHiiity 10 the
view
naruiy couio we wait 10 reach our
ues'''"'io"' ~ great WIS oui eHthusiasH'
nu' our hopes were oooHea 10 mofnehtarS
"is"ppoiii'nie"'' oNiy 10 pe more IMAM
ie"'i~eu ai'er S'uuy Oh the ENVIRON
,"e"'' ior' MISUNDERSTANDING their magni-
."'e. .ie nrst we" Oh |ictoria faiis Is
ueeiueu'9 disappointing
A''houeh nearly mile IN width ana
nv iee' III he'eht 'ne grandeur OF ther
p,oior''o"s IL eclipsed ny the sudden
u's"ppe"rahce Vi the river as IL puhges
'nto marrow rocky nssure extending
oioss i's eht're "'oth' only at single
central point Is tnere preach IN this
assure through "n'cn the rails can De
sec" anu apprec'ateu III theH iuii pro-
por'ons' where the coVerging wasars
rush hnaolS 70 the ZigZag canyon below.