The Conquest of the Desert 



Niagara by the Governments of the Dominion 

 and the United States. With a few light sus- 

 pension bridges these wonderful cataracts could 

 be made easily accessible to all tourists ; while 

 with the stupendous power of the falls we may 

 hope to see at no distant date the development 

 of a vast system of irrigation works and agricul- 

 tural industries, and the establishment of an 

 electric railway, running from the cataracts to 

 Kakamas, and thence via Upington to connect 

 with the main line at Prieska. 



In closing the sketch of our tour, let us turn 

 for a moment to the pages of William Paterson 

 and listen to his account of the baptism of the 

 Orange River. On 17th August 1779, the brave 

 traveller, Colonel Gordon, with his daring little 

 band Jacobus Van Reenen, Pienaar, and 

 Paterson reached the Great River . . . 

 " which appeared at once to be a new creation 

 to us, after having passed nine days in crossing 

 an arid and sultry desert, where no living animal 

 was to be seen and during which our cattle had 

 but twice tasted the luxury of a drop of water. 

 ... In the evening we launched Colonel 

 Gordon's boat, and hoisted the Dutch colours. 

 Colonel Gordon proposed first to drink the 

 State's health, and then that of the Prince of 



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