50 MOZAMBIQUE 



elusive evidence that the soil is extraordinarily 

 fertile. The land is dotted about with isolated 

 trees, chiefly ukanya and mafurreira, an indication 

 that no serious flooding takes place. Evidence of 

 the bountifulness of the land is also to be found in 

 the numbers of the people settled upon it. A poor 

 soil cannot support a dense population, and no one 

 is more skilful in discriminating than the African. 

 When he has a choice he will leave, maybe, miles 

 of country deserted, and one can always then 

 suspect something to be wrong even when the 

 signs of infertility are not particularly manifest. 

 Between Magude and Sabie, three tributaries of 

 the Incomati are crossed — the Munetsi, the Nzeli, 

 and the Sabie. 



After leaving the alluvial plain extensive tracts 

 of broken forest country extend right away to the 

 poort. The soil is dry and sandy, of small value 

 for agriculture proper ; but it is clad with verdure, 

 and as pastoral land this broken forest low veld 

 is perfect. 



Farther up, the Inhoca and Moamba forests 

 are crossed. Low forests such as these, in country 

 inhabited by cultivating tribes, generally postulate, 

 if not inferior soils, inhospitable surroundings ; 

 otherwise, offering as they do no obstacle to the 

 axe, they would have been cleared away by 

 natives for their gardens. Transport is already to 



