224 DI-:VELOPMENT OF THE COASTAL BELT OF SOUTH AFRICA. 



of tropical Africa for the development of South African indus- 

 tries. Every effort should, therefore, be made to reduce the 

 cost of, and make transport easy to the South African towns. In 

 this connection the author would suggest that immediate steps 

 .should be taken to consider the question of connecting the threat 

 Central African river systems with the South African coast. It 

 seems probable that the cheapest and mos^t practicable method 

 would be to connect the Zambesi River, above the Victoria Falls, 

 with the Limpopo River, via the Chobe River, and a canal cut 

 through the centre of the Okavango swamp, then along the 

 Botleitle River, and to follow a contour line around the Makari- 

 kari depression, thence across the watershed to join the head of 

 the Shansi River. Owing to the fiat nature of the country, it 

 seems probable that it would be feasible to construct a canal from 

 the Zambesi above the Falls, to the south-eastern edge of the 

 Makarikari depression without a lock. It could also be used 

 as an irrigation canal, to irrigate any portion of the Makarikari 

 depression below the contour which may be suitable for irrigation. 

 No doubt very large supplies of water could be obtained by 

 storing the flood waters of the Zambesi, Okavango, etc. The 

 canal through the centre of the Okavango swamp, together with 

 the branch canals, would have the effect of draining the swamp, 

 and turning it into a comparatively healthy fertile country, which 

 could also be irrigated from the same canals by means of 

 pumping.' 



From all the information the author has been able to gather, 

 the lowest part of the water-shed between the Makarikari 

 depression and the Shansi River is from 3,200 to 3,500 feet above 

 sea level, and the distance down the Limpopo to the sea is about 

 550 miles ; so there would be a fall of slightly over six feet 

 per mile, which would require a lock 20 fee't deep every three 

 miles. This is not very excessive, and there are plenty of 

 canals in Europe steeper. 



If the weirs across the upper, portion of the Limpopo were 

 built a little higher than' necessary for navigation purposes, a 

 considerable amount of water would be stored up, equalising the 

 flow, and so making it available for power pur}X)ses. The 

 value of the water power would go a long way towards paying 

 the interest on the cost of the necessary constructional works. 

 Such a canal system would tap a very large area of the fertile 

 portion of tropical Africa, including the Upper Zambesi, Kafue. 

 Upper Congo, Lake Tanganyika, the Okavango, etc. Thanks 

 to the low water-sheds separating these different river systems in 

 various places, there would be no difficulty in connecting them 

 up by means of cross-canals, to fonii one great water system, 

 collecting, by its vast network of rivers and canals, the rich 

 l)roducts of tropical Africa. These products would be delivered 

 at a point on the coast, outside the tropics, within a short distance 

 by water of the coastal ports of South Africa, so giving industrial 

 South Africa an immense advantage over Europe. 



