Discovery in the African Cu/diii'-nt. 205 



lat. 29. 1*2., and Ion. 31. 31, and is frciiueutly subject to 

 great floods. 



Tlie O.Mi.EL.AAS, or King's River, is said to have seven feet 

 water on the bar at low water, and it disembogues itself in 

 about lat. 29., Ion. 31.40. 



The Omslatoos is open at its estuary, and has a fine 

 sheltered basin itside its mouth ; is about 18 miles in advance 

 of the Omlelaas. 



Between the 0:mslatoos and the St. Lucia, several streams 

 enter the ocean, but as the country has hardly been trodden 

 by European feet, little is really known respecting them. 



The St. Lucia or Omvaloozie, which latter is its native 

 name, is a stream of large magnitude, deriving its chief sup- 

 plies from three great sources originating in the inner range, 

 or Ingale Mountains, and called respectively the Valoozie Im- 

 tlopie, or White Valoozie, Valoozie I nnami,, or Black Valoozie, 

 and the Valoozie itself. From the secondary ridge a number 

 of considerable streams pour their waters into the principal 

 river, and having all united into one common channel, 15 

 miles from the sea, where it takes the name of Omvaloozie, it 

 discharges itself in lat. 27. 45., and Ion. 32. 32. The prin- 

 <-ipal branch, the Black Valoozie, is described by Messrs. 

 Cowie and Green at 63 miles from the sea, where they passed 

 it on their road to Delagoa, as deep and above 100 yards wide, 

 dangerous to cross from the number of quick-sands and the 

 alligators, with which it swarms ; its banks are swampy, 

 covered with rushes, and overgrown by the wild fig-tree, of 

 very large dimensions, some measuring six feet in diameter. 



The climate and appearance of this division is very different 

 from that of Natal : towards the sea are extensive plains, 

 sandy and swampy, above which the country is mountainous 

 and generally bare of v;ood, although there are some few fine 

 forests of timber trees. The heat of the summer is almost 

 insupportable. Metallic ores are said to be abundant, and it 

 has also been asserted by several visitors that silver is to be 

 found here, but that a superstitious dread on the part of the 

 natives prevents the old mines, or rather the excavations, from 

 being re-opened. 



The whole of this division is rife with human existence, the 

 Zulos having selected it as their country, and pitched their 

 chief kraal or capital, called Noba.mbf,, on the heights above 

 the Zimtlanga, a stream which falls into the White Valoozie. 

 To give an account of this nation, by far the most extraordi- 

 nary and interesting of those who inhabit the African Continent 

 in modern times, of their amazing conquests which have ex- 

 tended over an area of 100,000 square miles, their manners, 

 policy, government, and other matter essential to the descrip:. 



