TRANSACTIONS OF SECTION FE. 465 
South of this belt lies that collection of colonies, protectorates, and Chartered 
Company’s territory which at some future, but perhaps not distant, date is 
destined to become the powerful Commonwealth of South Africa. Only the outer 
boundary of this block is of an international character: this boundary commences 
on the Atlantic coast at the mouth of the Orange River, and is described in the 
Anglo-German Agreement of July J], 1890. An accurate survey has been made 
of the German Bechuanaland boundary; and Captain Close, in 1898, with the 
Anglo-German Boundary Commission, triangulated the Nyasa-Tanganyika plateau 
and made an excellent survey and map of the boundary. The boundary of the 
Congo Free State has not been surveyed ; but as it follows in Jarge part a water- 
parting and a river bed, there is only small chance of disputes. The eastern bound- 
ary of this vast area commences at the parallel of 26° 30’ 8. lat. The Delagoa 
Bay Arbitration line, the boundary common to Portugal and the Transvaal 
Colony, was surveyed by a Portuguese Commission in 1890-91. From the 
Limpopo River to 18° S, lat. the boundary was surveyed by Major Leverson with 
the Anglo-Portuguese Boundary Commission in 1892, and this survey he continued 
in subsequent years to the Mazoe River. 
In 1893 Mr. Sawerthal, with a Portuguese Commissioner, continued this 
boundary demarcation to the Zambezi River, and Dr. Rubin’s triangulation party 
has surveyed the portion of the Loangwa River that forms the boundary here. 
From the Loangwa River to the British Central Africa Protectorate boundary 
the line is now being surveyed by Captain O’Shee, R.E. The British Central 
Africa and Portuguese boundary was surveyed by a Joint Commission in 1899, 
Finally the King of Italy’s Arbitration Award Line will help to fix the boundary 
of the Barotse kingdom. 
The vast area contained within the ring-fence just described is being rapidly 
traversed from south to north by a geodetic survey under the direction of the 
energetic Astronomer Royal, Sir David Gill. A complete topographical survey 
should now be undertaken. 
The interior boundaries being but local matters we pass on to areas, 
The area of Cape Colony is nearly five times the area of England and Wales, 
The area of Orange River Colony is a little larger than Nngland. 
The area of Natal is considerably larger than Scotland. 
The area of Basutoland is nearly twice the area of Wales. 
The area of the Transvaal with Swaziland is much larger than the combined 
area of ingland and Wales and Scotland. 
The area of British Bechuanaland, with the Tati district, is nearly twice as 
large as the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. 
The area of Rhodesia is nearly four times the area of the United Kingdom, 
The area of British Central Africa is equal to the area of Scotland and Wales. 
The total area of this South African Commonwealth is 1,196,459 square miles. 
Mineral areas, gold, copper, iron, coal; areas suited to ranching and stock- 
breeding, to the growing of cotton and tobacco, tea and sugar, corn and other 
cereals, were referred to by the author; and the prime necessities of the country 
were suggested to be: afforestation, irrigation, means of communication, and the 
execution of a good national topographical survey. 
3. A new Rainfall Map of Africa. 
By A. J. Hersertson and P. C, Warre. 
The authors have revised the map used ten years ago for Bartholomew's 
* Atlas of Meteorology,’ and have been able to amend it in details, They discussed 
the. general laws of rainfall distribution in Africa. They also pointed out how 
by local investigations into the distribution of rainfall’ round any special type of 
land form under specified wind conditions the general map may be interpreted for 
local as well as general conditions. 
1905. HH 
