Page:Africa by Élisée Reclus, Volume 4.djvu/275

 spot is shown the "Wonder-boom," with its enormous wide-spreading branches. Thus Potchefstroom's "Wonder Spring" is thrown into the shade by Pretoria's "Wonder Tree."

West of the capital, the little town of Rustenburg, and that of Zeerust in the province of Marico, the "Garden of the Transvaal," are also situated on upper affluents of the Limpopo: A similar position is ocoupied by Nylstroom, eo called because its Boer founder supposed he had here discovered the sources of the Nile. The rivulet which joins the Limpopo above the great falls still retains the name of "Nile," which recalls the lofty ambition of the Boer voortrekkers, or pioneers, who in their crass ignorance fancied themselves on the high road to the Promised Land. Between this river and the Olifant lies the mining town of Ersteling

(Eersteling), near which are extensive gold reefs and the famous Ijzerberg, or "Iron Mountain." Then follows Marabas Town, beyond which, towards the north, the white population diminishes rapidly. Beyond the ruined station of Zoutpansberg, founded in the year 1834 near some productive salt-pans, there are no inhabitants of European origin except the missionaries and a few traders.

The district where the river penetrates into the region infested by the tsetse fly is scarcely even explored. Here the only human habitations are a few native camping-grounds occurring at long intervals on the routes crossing the stream. The Limpopo flows through almost unknown solitudes throughout the whole section of its course, which forms the northern frontier of the republic and which sweeps round to the east of the border range. The white population does not descend from the elevated plateaux, which are here carved into elongated