Online Encyclopedia

Search over 40,000 articles from the original, classic Encyclopedia Britannica, 11th Edition.

LIMPOPO, or CROCODILE

Online Encyclopedia
Originally appearing in Volume V16, Page 701 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.
» Make a correction to this article.
» Add information or comments to this article.
Spread the word: del.icio.us del.icio.us it!

See also:

LIMPOPO, or See also:CROCODILE , a See also:river of S.E. See also:Africa over woo m. in length, next to the See also:Zambezi the largest river of Africa entering the See also:Indian Ocean. Its See also:head streams rise on the See also:northern slopes of the Witwatersrand less than 300 m. due W. of the See also:sea, but the river makes a See also:great semicircular sweep across the high See also:plateau first N.W., then N.E. and finally S.E. It is joined See also:early in its course by the Marico and Notwani, streams which rise along the westward continuation of the Witwatersrand, the See also:ridge forming the See also:water-parting between the See also:Vaal and the Limpopo basins. For a great See also:part of its course the Limpopo forms the See also:north-See also:west and north frontiers of the See also:Transvaal. Its See also:banks are well wooded and See also:present many picturesque views. In descending the escarpment of the plateau the river passes through rocky ravines, piercing the See also:Zoutpansberg near the north-See also:east corner of the Transvaal at the Toli Azime Falls. In the See also:low See also:country it receives its See also:chief affluent, the Olifants river (450 M. See also:long), which, rising in the high veld of the Transvaal east of the See also:sources of the Limpopo, takes a more' See also:direct N.E. coarse than the See also:main stream. The Limpopo enters the ocean in 25° 15' S. The mouth, about r000 ft. wide, is obstructed by See also:sand-banks. In the See also:rainy See also:season the Limpopo loses a See also:good See also:deal of its water in the swampy region along its See also:lower course. High-water level is 24 ft. above low-water level, when the See also:depth in the shallowest part does not exceed 3 ft.

The river is navigable all the See also:

year See also:round by shallow-See also:draught vessels from its mouth forabout See also:loo m., to a spot known as Gungunyana's See also:Ford. In See also:flood See also:time there is water communication See also:south with the river See also:Komati (q.v.). At this season stretches of the Limpopo above Gungunyana's Ford are navigable. The river valley is generally unhealthy. The See also:basin of the Limpopo includes the northern part of the Transvaal, the eastern portion of See also:Bechuanaland, See also:southern Matabeleland and a large See also:area of Portuguese territory north of Delagoa See also:Bay. Its chief tributary, the Olifants, has been mentioned. Of its many other affluents, the Macloutsie, the Shashi and the Tuli are the most distant north-west feeders. In this direction the Matoppos and other hills of Matabeleland See also:separate the .Limpopo basin from the valley of the Zambezi. A little above the Tuli confluence is See also:Rhodes's See also:Drift, the usual See also:crossing-See also:place from the northern Transvaal into Matabeleland. Among the streams which, flowing north through the Transvaal, join the Limpopo is the See also:Nylstroom, so named by Boers trekking from the south In the belief that they had reached the river See also:Nile. In the See also:coast region the river has one considerable affluent from the north, the Chengane, which is navigable for some distance. The Limpopo is a river of many names.

In its upper course called the Crocodile that name is also applied to the whole river, which figures on old Portuguese maps as the Oori(or Oira) and Bembe. Though claiming the territory through which it ran the Portuguese made no See also:

attempt to trace the river. This was first done by See also:Captain J. F. See also:Elton, who in 187o travelling from the See also:Tati goldfields sought to open a road to the sea via the Limpopo. He voyaged down the river from the Shashi confluence to the Toli Azime Falls, which he discovered, following the stream thence on See also:foot to the low country. The lower course of the river had been explored 1868–1869 by another See also:British traveller—St See also:Vincent Whitshed See also:Erskine. It was first navigated by a sea-going See also:craft in 1884, when G, A. Chaddock of the British See also:mercantile service succeeded in crossing the See also:bar, while its lower course was accurately surveyed by Portuguese See also:officers in 1845–1896. At the junction of the Lotsani, one of the Bechuanaland affiuents, iwith the Limpopo, are ruins of the See also:period of the Zimbabwes.

End of Article: LIMPOPO, or CROCODILE

Additional information and Comments

There are no comments yet for this article.
» Add information or comments to this article.
Please link directly to this article:
Highlight the code below, right click, and select "copy." Then paste it into your website, email, or other HTML.
Site content, images, and layout Copyright © 2006 - Net Industries, worldwide.
Do not copy, download, transfer, or otherwise replicate the site content in whole or in part.

Links to articles and home page are always encouraged.

[back]
LIMOUSIN (or LIMOSIN), LEONARD (c. 1505-c. 1577) 		[next]
LINACRE (or LYNAKER), THOMAS (c. 146o-1524)

Site © 2006 - Net Industries