EAST LONDON, a town of South Africa 33° 3' S., 2 7 ° 55' E. Its population, including that of the suburbs, such as Cambridge, 4 miles away, included 28,195 Europeans (1933) and, in 1921, about 11,600 natives, 2,006 coloured persons and 692 Asiatics. The town is situated at the mouth of the Buffalo river, 543 miles by sea from Cape Town, 253 from Durban, and 665 by rail from Johannesburg. The first settlement was a military post on the right bank of the river. It was established to serve as a base port during the Kafir Wars of 1846 and 1847 and was then known as Port Rex. When the railway was constructed on the opposite bank, the centre of gravity moved across the river, which is now spanned by a combined road and railway bridge. The main town is now built on a plateau, 15o to 200 feet high, overlooking the river and the sea coast. It is laid out in broad, straight streets, the principal one being Oxford street. There is also a large open square about which are banks and wool warehouses.
The climate is influenced by the warm Mozambique current off the coast. The mean minimum temperature is 5 7.1 °, and the rela tive humidity about 87 per cent. The mean annual rainfall is about 3o inches, about 6o% falling from October to March, in clusive. Owing to its equable climate, its facilities for surf bath ing and to the attraction of its river, East London is one of the principal holiday resorts of the South African coast. Along the shore to the north-east of the river a fine weather esplanade has been made. There is also a park of 8o acres between the main town and the river, containing much indigenous bush, and laid out with drives, open lawns and beds of flowers.
The mouth of the river is constricted by a shifting sand bar. The river itself has been made narrower by the construction of training walls to increase the tidal scour. This, combined with dredging, has deepened the entrance, so that there is now a minimum depth of 22 to 23 feet at L.W.O.S.T. The range of spring tides is five or six feet. Vessels up to over 8,000 tons can enter the river, and ships, with a draught of up to 20 feet, can lie alongside the wharves, which extend for over a mile along the left bank. A wharf, now being constructed, will have a depth of 32 feet. The railway has been extended to the wharves so that ships can unload directly into the trucks. Five hundred yards of wharfage on the right bank of the river has a depth of 27 feet, and is connected with the railway system. The repairing facili ties include a shipway with a capacity of 1,000 tons dead weight. At present (1928) larger vessels have to anchor in the bay, and load and unload by means of lighters. Important harbour works are however being undertaken with the intention of providing a fine enclosed harbour.
East London ranks as the fourth port of South Africa. It takes a large part of the trade of the eastern part of Cape Colony, of the Transkei and native territories, of Basutoland and part of the Orange Free State. As an exporter of wool and mohair it takes first place in the country. (R. U. S.)