i8d 



KNOWLEDGE & SCIENTIFIC NEWS. 



[July, 1905. 



The ZaLiTibezi OLiid its 

 S ight s. 



\o longer can it be said that the \'ictoria Falls are 

 inaccessible, for now luxurious corridor trains are run- 

 ning made up of sleeping, 

 dining and buffet cars, 

 fitted up with library, 

 writing room, bath rooms, 

 observation platforms, and 

 other accessories, perform- 

 ing the journey from Cape 

 Town in three-and-a-half 

 days, or from Beira in two- 

 and-a-half days. 



At a point some two 

 miles before the end of the 

 journey is reached, a fine 

 view is obtained of the 

 broad level valley of the 

 Zambezi river, with the 

 deep and precipitous (irand 

 Canon, zig-zagging like 

 the path of a lightning 

 flash for over forty miles 

 through the hard basalt; 

 while beyond is seen a 

 f;limpse of the calm broad 

 river gliding peacefully to- 

 wards the great chasm, 

 whose presence, though 

 hidden by the dark green 

 foliage of the adjacent 



Rain forest, is clearly marked by a wall of whirling 

 spray. 



Long before reaching the falls columns of spray can 

 be seen rising like clouds far into the air, and when, at 

 intermediate stations, the train comes to a standstill 

 the car rccci\es a dull distant roar of sound. 



\ /■ Z AT Im B E rvZ 



the (jrund Canon. 

 Hill stay is just \lsihlc under llu- cross. 



A glance at the accompanying plan (I'ig. i) is 

 necessary to enable the geography of the river to be 

 clearly understood. The milc-widc expanse of cahn 

 water, broken by numerous islands, is terminated 

 suddenly by a long, narrow chasm stretching at right 

 angles across the river; in wild, tumultuous foam of 

 dazzling whiteness, this mass of water is hurled down 

 some 260 to 380 feet with the roar of thunder into the 

 dark depths, the very earth trembling from the 

 incessant blows. The air drawn down by this 

 irresistible volume of falling water, catches up the 

 broken spray and whirls it in drenching gusts far 

 above to form the cloud-like columns, which ha\e been 

 computed (by theodolite) during the rainy season as 

 rising to a height of three thousand feet. From out 

 the chasm there is no exit, except at a point about two- 

 thirds of the distance across the river, where the 

 opposite wall of basalt has been broken through in a 

 narrow gorge, (lathered at this spot and contracted 

 to less than 100 feet in width, the river here enters the 

 Boiling I'ot, so called, not because of its turbulence, 

 but, on the contrary, from its placid swirling surface, 

 that is broken only by counlless air bubbles which rise 

 from the depths of the main current. At the lower end 

 or lip of the Boiling I'ot the waters emerge in the 

 form of a huge mill-race, which dashes itself against 

 the precipitous wall of the canon, h.ilf going to form 

 the whirlpf)ol at the foot of I'alni Kl()f)f, while the re- 

 mainder, flowing at right angles to its former direction, 

 rages between these stupendous cliffs for over forty 

 miles. 



When the river is low, small craft, if carefully 

 handled, can approach to within a hundred yards of the 

 lip of the falls at poins where the current is not swift. 



