The universal geography : earth and its inhabitants

THE ORANGE EIVER. 87house than from the colour of its waters. The Seuku, or chief eastern headstream,is regarded as its true upper course, although exceeded in length by theVaal. It has its source in an upland valley on the southern slope of the Cathkin,and flows at first in a south-westerly direction between the JIaluti and Drakenberghighlands. In this part of its course it roUs down a dark stream, whenceits local name of the " Black River." After its junction with the Senkunyaue,or Little Scnku, it is again swollen by the Malitsunyane, which descends fromthe western uplands, and which at one point plimges from a vertical height of600 feet into a tremendous mountain gorge.After escaping from these romantic Maluti highlands, the Orange mingles itswaters with the imited stream of the Caledon and the Kornet- spruit, whichnearly double its volume, and both of which flow from the grassy Potong uplandsthrough broad beds of sparkling mica sands. Below the confluence, the Orange,which from this point flows mainly in a north-westerly and westerly course, isjoined by a few streams or rather wadys from the Cape highlands, the chief ofFig. 27.—TiTE Oeaxge Falls.Scale 1 : 270,000.which is the Hartebeest, whose upper course rising in the Sneeuw-bergen, isknown as the Zak or Zeku. But aU these contributions scarcely sufiice to repairthe loss caused by evaporation.The only important affluent of the Jliddle Orange is the Yaal, or " Gray,"one of whose upper branches, the Namagari, has its source, lilce the Caledon, onthe Potong plateau. But its farthest headstream takes its rise on the uplandswhich skirt the seaboard of the Indian Ocean to the south of Louren^o Marques.Were the question to be decided by the length of their several courses, of all theseafllucnts the Yaal woidd have to be regarded as the true mainstream. But itsvalley to a great extent traverses arid plains or dried-up lacustrine bedsbelonging to a former geological epoch ; hence it sends down very little water,usually reaching the confluence in an almost exhausted state. But like theother rivers of this basin it is subject to sudden freshets, several of which occurbetween the end of November and the middle of April, and while they last theYaal is transformed to a formidable watercourse. Both the Orange, Caledon,and Yaal may generally be forded ; but during the floods they can bo crossed