ON AN INVESTIGATION OF THE BATOKA GORGE. 295 
of the basalts ; and these pebbles, along with others of red sandstone and 
conglomerate, became very numerous and larger in size in the beds of the 
Gwemansi and three or four other streams east of the Ungwesi, showing 
that in this quarter we were approaching still nearer to the edge of the 
basalts. But in the last twostreams which we crossed before reaching 
Wankie’s Drift, the Iburumansi and the Bwani, I saw none of these 
extraneous pebbles. 
At Wankie’s we were ferried by the natives to the south bank of the 
river in a small ‘dug-out’ canoe. Here, although basalt is still the 
country rock, the Zambesi has again expanded into a wide placid stream, 
dotted with islands, in an open valley ; and I afterwards found that the 
deep trench-like Batoka Gorge terminates rather suddenly about ten 
miles above this place. 
It had been arranged that Mr. H. F. Greer,! the British South Africa 
Company’s otticer who holds charge in the district south of the Zambesi, 
should meet us at the Wankie’s crossing, and we found him awaiting our 
arrival. On the following day Mr. Sykes and Colonel Rhodes struck 
southward along the Deka valley to reach the railway at Wankie Coal 
Mine, 35 miles distant, while Mr. Greer and myself took a westerly 
course parallel to the Zambesi (see sketch map). The subsequent journey 
was facilitated by the use of horses, which was impracticable in the 
rough and generally trackless country north of the river. On July 21 
we camped in the deep valley of the Matetsi River, four or five miles 
above its junction with the Zambesi ; and next day we explored this valley 
down to its confluence with the main river. It is a little above this 
place that the Batoka Gorge terminates and the Zambesi can expand 
again in a comparatively open valley. 
After another long day’s journey westward we again turned north, 
and succeeded in reaching the Batoka Gorge and descending into it at a 
point some 20 miles east of the nearest place at which it was entered 
from the north bank. The cafion proved here to be over 700 feet in 
depth, with characteristics essentially similar to those farther eastward, 
and entirely in the same basaltic rocks. From this place we travelled 
rapidly south-westward over the broken plateau to Mr. Greer’s head- 
quarters near Matetsi Station on the railway, which was reached on 
July 26, “i 
Not having succeeded in obtaining any evidence as to the strati- 
graphical position of the basalts, I desired to go southward to near the 
head-waters of the Deka River, where previous information had led me 
to expect that their base would be found ; and Mr. Greer having most 
kindly undertaken to escort me to this place, we started out from 
Matetsi again on July 28. We followed a devious route in order to take 
advantage of the open trails, gathering on the way much information 
regarding the upper drainage system of the Matetsi basin, and after 
travelling about 70 miles reached Mr. Giese’s ranch, near the site of the 
old hunter’s post known as Deka, after dark on July 31. I was dis- 
appointed next day to find here no trace of the termination of the 
basalts, which must extend southward beneath the surface deposits of 
' While this is passing through the press, the sad news has been received that 
Mr. Greer died at Wankie on February 3 last, cut down before reaching his prime by 
the dreaded black-water fever. After our comradeship on the veld and the enjoy- 
ment of his friendship, my appreciation of the high qualities of Mr. Greer was such 
that this news brings an inexpressible sense of personal loss, 
