Missionary Travels and Researches in South AfricaLivingstone, David
Religion
Missionary Travels and Researches in South Africa
Livingstone, David
Missions -- South Africa; South Africa -- Description and travel
The Teoughe and Tamunak'le, being essentially the same river, and
receiving their supplies from the same source (the Embarrah or Varra),
can never outrun each other. If either could, or if the Teoughe could
fill the lake--a thing which has never happened in modern times--then
this little arm would prove a convenient escapement to prevent
inundation. If the lake ever becomes lower than the bed of the Zouga, a
little of the water of the Tamunak'le might flow into it instead of down
the Zouga; we should then have the phenomenon of a river flowing two
ways; but this has never been observed to take place here, and it is
doubtful if it ever can occur in this locality. The Zouga is broad and
deep when it leaves the Tamunak'le, but becomes gradually narrower as
you descend about two hundred miles; there it flows into Kumadau, a
small lake about three or four miles broad and twelve long. The water,
which higher up begins to flow in April, does not make much progress in
filling this lake till the end of June. In September the rivers cease
to flow. When the supply has been more than usually abundant, a little
water flows beyond Kumadau, in the bed first seen by us on the 4th of
July; if the quantity were larger, it might go further in the dry rocky
bed of the Zouga, since seen still further to the east. The water
supply of this part of the river system, as will be more fully explained
further on, takes place in channels prepared for a much more copious
flow. It resembles a deserted Eastern garden, where all the embankments
and canals for irrigation can be traced, but where, the main dam and
sluices having been allowed to get out of repair, only a small portion
can be laid under water. In the case of the Zouga the channel is
perfect, but water enough to fill the whole channel never comes down;
and before it finds its way much beyond Kumadau, the upper supply ceases
to run and the rest becomes evaporated. The higher parts of its bed even
are much broader and more capacious than the lower toward Kumadau. The
water is not absorbed so much as lost in filling up an empty channel,
from which it is to be removed by the air and sun. There is, I am
convinced, no such thing in the country as a river running into sand and
becoming lost. The phenomenon, so convenient for geographers, haunted
my fancy for years; but I have failed in discovering any thing except a
most insignificant approach to it.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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