Geographical Journal (Journal of the Royal Geographical Society): Volume VIII, No. 5 [‎46v] (95/154)

498
RAILWAYS IN AFRICA.
Further south we corue to the Zambesi river, which should, of course, be
utilized as far as possible. But this line of communication to the interior has
many faults. The difficulties to be met with at the mouths of the Zambesi have
already been alluded to. Then the whole valley is unhealthy, and white travellers
would prefer any route which would bring them on to high land more quickly.
Moreover, the Kebrabasa rapids cause a serious break in the waterway, and, as the
river above that point is only navigable for canoes, it is doubtful if it would ever
be worth making a railway for the sole purpose of connecting these two portions
of the river.
As the population of the upper Zambesi valley is considerable, and as the
country further from its banks is said to be likely to be attractive to white men^
there can be no doubt of the advisability of connecting it with the coast. This
naturally leads us to consider the Beira route, as a possible competitor with the
Zambesi. A 60-centimetre railway is now open from Fontesvilla to Chimoio (190
kilometres), and it is probable that during the course of the next two years the
construction of the railway will be completed from the port of Beira itself as far
as the territory of the Chartered Company. This will form the first step in the
construction of a much better line of communication to the upper Zambesi regions
than that afforded by the river itself. It is true that the gauge is very narrow,
and that the first part of the line passes through very unhealthy districts; but
this line will nevertheless be a most valuable addition to the existing means of
penetrating into the interior of the continent. It is needless to say that the object
of this railway is to open up communications with Mashonaland, not for the
purposes now suggested.
South of the Zambesi the map shows us that there are no regions in tropical
Africa where the density of the native population reaches the minimum of eight
per square mile. Here, however, we come to the gold-fields, where there is
attractive force enough to draw white men in great numbers within the tropics,
and where, no doubt, some of the most important problems connected with rail
way communications will have to be solved in the immediate future. But, for
reasons of time and space, I have limited myself to the discussion of districts
within the tropics, where trade with the existing native races is the object in view.
The Beira railway dees not in reality come within the limits I have imposed on
myself, except as to its future development. Had time permitted, I should like
to have discussed the route leading directly from the Cape to Mashonaland, its
relative merits in comparison with the Beira railway, and as to where the two will
come into competition one with the other. But I must pass on at once to consider
the main trunk routes from the West Coast leading into the interior of Africa.
Passing over those regions on the West Coast where railways would only be
commenced because of the probable settlement, temporary or permanent, of white
10611 passing over, that is, the whole of the German sphere of influence—we first
come to more dense native populations near the coast towns of Benguela and St.
Paul de Loanda. The latter locality is the more hopeful of the two, according to
our map, and here we find that the Portuguese have already constructed a railway
leading inland for 191 miles to close to Ambaca. The intention of connecting this
railway with Delagoa Bay was originally announced, and I am not aware to what
extent this vast project has now been cut down, so as .to bring it within the region
of practical proposals. A further length of 35 miles is, at all events, being con
structed, and 87 more miles have been surveyed. The Portuguese appear to be
very active at present in this district, as there are several other railways already
under consideration; one from Benguela to Bihe, of which 16 miles is in operation,
another from Mossamedes to Huilla Plateau, and a third from the Congo to the