CHAPTER XV. 

 THE ZOUTPANSBERG. 



When I first went to Zoutpansberg in 1857-8, I 

 was mueh impressed with the possibilities of cotton 

 growing. A kind of wild cotton grew profusely all 

 about that country, and of this the natives made 

 coarse rugs and blankets, bags, rope, baskets, etc., 

 There were also valuable wild fruits, the "Manilla " 

 a large tree bearing a fruit like a greengage which 

 the natives eat and from which they make quan- 

 tities of a very intoxicating kind of beer ; another 

 very handsome large evergreen tree bears 

 immense quantities of berries, shaped like big 

 acorns. This they name the " Mafura " or fat tree 

 and crush the fruit to procure a vegetable butter, 

 which they use to anoint their bodies; they also 

 grease reims, skins, etc. with it. Wild pisang 

 (bananas) grow on the hillsides. The pea-nut 

 flourishes everywhere, and when once planted it is 

 impossible to get all the seed out of the ground 

 when reaping, and it makes a u volunteer crop " for 

 some years. Coffee grows fairly well in the 

 Spelonken ; tea would do excellently on the eastern 

 mountain slopes towards Delagoa Bay ; rice is grown 

 by natives nearer the coast, and tropical and 

 temperate-zone fruits flourish. Maize and "Sorghum" 

 (kaffir corn) and tobacco are the main summer crops. 

 Wheat, barley, rye, oats, (the winter crops) grow 

 under irrigation. The Zoutpansberg is a beautiful 

 mountainous grassy country. 



Unfortunately, the district has gone back instead 

 of advancing in prosperity, in population, and in 



