Chap. XXVII. CONFORMATION OF COUNTRY. 543 



to the south, and all those to which we are about to come, take 

 an easterly direction. We were thus at the apex of the ridge, 

 and found that, as water boiled at 202', our altitude above the 

 level of the sea was over 5000 feet. Here the granite crops out 

 again in great rounded masses which change the dip of the gneiss 

 and mica schist rocks from the westward to the eastward. In 

 crossing the western ridge, I mentioned the clay-shale or keele 

 formation, a section of which we have in the valley of the 

 Quango : the strata there lie nearly horizontal, but on this ridge 

 the granite seems to have been the active agent of elevation, for 

 the rocks, both on its east and west, abut against it. Both 

 eastern and western ridges are known to be comparatively 

 salubrious, and in this respect, as well as in the general aspect 

 of the coimtry, they resemble that most healthy of all healthy 

 climates, the interior of South Africa, near and adjacent to the 

 Desert. This ridge has neither fountain nor marsh upon it, 

 and east of the Kalomo we look upon treeless undulating plains 

 covered with short grass. From a point somewhat near to 

 the great falls, this ridge or oblong mound trends away to the 

 JST.E., and there treeless elevated plains again appear. Then 

 again the ridge is said to bend away from the falls to the 

 S.E., the Mashona country, or rather then mountains, appearing, 

 according to Mr. Moffat, about four days east of Matlokotloko, the 

 present residence of Mosilikatse. In reference to this ridge 

 he makes the interesting remark, " I observed a number of the 

 Angora goat, most of them being white ; and then long soft hair 

 covering then entire bodies to the ground made them look like 

 animals moving along without feet." * 



It is impossible to say how much farther to the N. these 

 subtending ridges may stretch. There is reason to believe that, 

 though the same general form of country obtains, they are 

 not flanked by abrupt hills between the latitude 12° S. and the 

 equator. The inquiry is worthy the attention of travellers. 

 As they are known to be favourable to health, the Makololo, 

 who have been nearly all cut off by fevers in the valley, declar- 

 ing that here they never had a headache, they may even be 

 recommended as a sanatorium for those whose enterprise leads 



* Moffat's ' Visit to Mosilikatse,'— Royal Geog. Soc- Journal, vol. xxvi. p. 96. 



