208 APPENDIX. 
The banks of the Omganie River are described ds very 
beautiful, from its romantic rock scenery. It is about one 
hundred and fifty yards wide at one mile and a half from 
its mouth, which is situate in about lat. 29° 50’, and long. 
30° 55’. It offers every possible advantage as a future set- 
tlement for a civilized population, having abundance of lime- 
stone, and chalk, fine timber, a rich soil, the most luxuriant 
pasturage in the world, the capability of irrigation, if re- 
quired, for thousands of acres, and a land-locked harbour, 
within six miles. Bananas grow spontaneously in this 
highly-favoured region. 
The serpentine Omtongala, the Fisher’s River of the 
charts, bounds the rich and delightful district of Natal. It 
is second only in size to the St. Lucia and Mapoota Rivers, 
and it rises in a breach of the Ingale or Snowy Mountains, 
about two hundred and fifty miles from the coast, where it 
disembogues in about lat. 29° 20’, and long. 31° 25’, being 
fed along its lengthened course by innumerable tributaries. 
Its extreme breadth is from one mile to a mile and a half, 
and its first ford, six miles from the mouth, is two hundred 
yards across. A large salt-pan exists near its source, but 
very difficult of access, and lower down is a warm-bath, 
sufficiently hot at times to boil an egg. 
The climate of this division is salubrious eer the 
year, suffering no great extremes: rains generally arrive 
with the westerly wind, but seldom last more than three or 
four days together, when the east wind springing up clears 
the atmosphere: the east and westerly winds are the most 
prevailing. | 
The planting season commences in July, and the coun- 
try corn continues to ripen from the month of January to 
that of May, so that there is a constant harvest during 
those months. | 
