The Cataracts of King George 



Consequently, the writer of the article in the 

 latest edition of the Encyclopaedia Britannica 

 (Eleventh Edition) is in error when he states 

 that Campbell discovered the Great Falls on the 

 Orange River. 



The second traveller, who missed by a few 

 miles the discovery of these illusive falls, was 

 the Rev. Robert Moffat, the eminent missionary, 

 who entered South Africa in the year 1816, 

 and finally left it in 1870. From Capetown he 

 journeyed northwards to Namaqualand, where 

 he spent over a year at the kraal of the famous 

 robber chief Afrikaner. In September 1818, 

 he started out on a journey to Griquatown, in 

 the hope of finding a suitable site for a mission 

 station. He crossed the Great River twice. 

 How close he came to the falls is best told in 

 his own words. 1 



" The Orange River here presents the appear- 

 ance of a plain, miles in breadth, entirely covered 

 with mimosa-trees, among which the many 

 branches of the river run, and then tumble over 

 the precipices, raising clouds of mist, when there 

 is any volume of water. As it was arranged 

 that we should not start before sunset, I 

 wandered at noon towards the river ; and 



1 " Missionary Labours and Scenes in Southern Africa," 

 by Robert Moffat, p. 151. 



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