16 J. A. Liebman.—Mashonaland and LJuly 29, 
MASHONALAND AND MATABELELAND.—FACTS AND 
FIGURES. 
By J, Al barren 
A REPLY TO Mr. SCHUNKE. 
(READ 29TH JULY, 1891.) 
Tue South African Philosophical Society was, I believe, estab- 
lished for the purpose of fostering original research. Now, I shall 
be the first to admit that the paper read by Herr Schunke at the 
last meeting of this Society was original; how much there was in 
it of research, I shall leave to others to judge. The remarks 
which Iam about to make are not original in the sense I just used 
the word, but they do lay claim to some amount of research, in so 
far as the study of competent authorities is concerned. 
Herr Schunke’s paper is one bristling with errors and I cannot 
do better than review the various statements taking them seriatim 
and pointing out the discrepancies between the lecturer’s statement 
and actual fact. | 
Speaking of the Mashonaland plateau the lecturer says: “ Kast 
and west it falls precipitously to the sea.” Now this is precisely 
the very thing that South-East Africa does not do. From Umtassa 
to Sarmento on the Pungwe there is a distance of 136 miles. Umtassa 
is 2,000 feet above the sea level, and Massikessi, twenty-six miles 
distant, is 1,800 feet. From there to Sarmento is 110 miles. 
Sarmento is about 110 feet above sea level. In other words the 
country rises 1,700 feet in 110 miles or 17 feet per mile. The Camp 
Ground Road from Cape Town to Rondebosch which rises 20 feet 
to the mile is actually steeper than this country ‘which falls 
precipitously to the sea.” It is, I must confess, difficult to see where 
this precipitousness comes in. 
The next statement I have to deal with is the following one: 
“Of Mashonaland and Matabeleland not one half exceeds the 
altitude of 3,000 feet above sea level”; and that ‘“ the country 
situated below the level of 38,000 feet is absolutely unfitted for 
