Twenty-Five Years in a Waggon in South Africa: Sport and Travel in South AfricaAnderson, Andrew A.
History
Twenty-Five Years in a Waggon in South Africa: Sport and Travel in South Africa
Anderson, Andrew A.
Africa, Southern -- Description and travel; Anderson, Andrew A. -- Travel -- Africa, Southern
The only rivers of consequence beside the Sabia and the Buzi in this
portion of Umzela's country are the Umkoni, Umswelise, Umtschomie,
Gerongosi, the source of which rises not far from the Buzi, runs east,
and enters the Indian Ocean, about twenty miles south of Sofala. The
Lusuti rises with several branches about thirty miles to the north of
Umzela's kraal, and joins the Buzi sixty miles from its mouth. There is
also the Haroni and its tributary the Lusiti, and the small river Donde
that flows into the Sofala harbour. South of the Mandanda region are
the districts of Sheshonga, Indobolini, Mashelbe, and Makalingi. To the
east is the Manklin district, that takes the coast-line from Maramone
Bay, down south to Cape Lady Grey, off which are the islands of
Bazaruta, Benguela, Sigin, and a small group at Cape St. Sebastian. To
the north of Maramone Bay, some thirty miles, are the two great islands
of Chuluwan. All the coast-line is flat, infested with the tsetse-fly,
and most unhealthy. The Mandowa tribe occupy the hill district and
country inland from Sofala, and it is under the rule of Umzela, and is
in charge of Imbasugwar, one of his chief men.
Manukuza, father of Umzela, is a Zulu from Zululand, who fled from
Chaka, the great Zulu king. His followers are called Mongonis, and all
the tribes under him, viz. Basigo, Kulu, Mandanda, Cholee, and
Mandower, are called Tonges. Deloms, a chief of Umzela, is over the
district of Mazibbe, and Sondaba, an Indian, over Sheshongi, which is on
the south side of the Sabia. The country is flat and marshy, and full
of game. Rhinoceros, elephants, koodoos, giraffes, wildebeest, wild
hogs, and nearly all the antelope tribe, and zebras. Date and other
palms, bananas, jute, and wild cotton, beside many native fruits abound.
A very poisonous plant grows on the flats, from which the natives
extract, from the seed, poison to put on their assagais and arrows.
[This poison is the strongest known. An eminent toxicologist, who in
distilling became inoculated with it through a slight scratch. He was
nearly dying for six weeks, and said he had no idea that any poison
could be so strong; it would kill a man in three minutes, and an
elephant in one hour and a half. The flesh of animals killed by it is
not poisonous. It loses its strength by evaporation in about a year.]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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