This part of central s. Africa may be considered as an extensive plateau or table laud, from 3,000 to 4,000 ft. above the sea-level, with an outer fringe or border of basaltic rocks, cutting through which the Zambesi river forms one of the most striking scenes in the physical geography of the universe—namely, the Victoria falls of Living stone, or Mosiotunya, or " Smoke sounds there," of the natives. Here, a few m. to the e. of where the Chobe joins the Zambesi, the latter—a stream of 1000 yards in width'— plunges down into a chasm more than 100 ft. deep, forming an immense crack in the basaltic rock at right angles to its course, and is curled along in a narrow channel some 30 m. in the same direction. Within a distance of 220 m. above the falls the river has 72 cataracts and rapids.
The Cubango (the Okavango of Andersson', draining a large district of the Benguela highlands, was supposed to run into the Zambesi; but according to Pinto it passes through lake N'gami, and emerging as the Botletle, ends iti the Makarikari, an enormous basin into which many rivers run and are evaporated. In its lower course the Zambesi varies in width from 500 yards to 2 m. and more, in the rainy seasons. From the Por tuguese town of Tete downward it is navigable, although with difficulty in the dry season; and it passes through one or two narrow rocky gorges in the Lupata mountains, which form ugly rapids, except when the river is in full flood. About 80 m. from the mouth it receives from the n. the watery of the Shire, which runs out of lake Nyassa, the Maravi of old geographers, an extensive sheet of water above 300 in. long, and 50 m. across at its widest part, extending between lat. 11° and 14° 30' s.; and it enters the low country about 50 m. from the ocean, where it divides into many branches, forming a large delta, of a very unhealthy character. The most northern stream is called the Kwaka, or Kilimane, or Quilimane river; and the most southern and deepest channel, the Luabo. At the Kilimane, or Quilimane, about 18 m. from the sea, is the residence of the Portuguese governor of the region; but there are various other entrances used by slavers and contrabandists, which are not very accurately laid down in our charts; and it is both difficult and dangerous to enter the river without a competent pilot.
The Victoria falls are estimated to be 2,500 ft. above the sea-level Tete is considered to be 400 ft.; and the rapids of lake Nyassa, where the Shire issues from it, are 152 ft. above the same; while lake Shirwa, a smaller lake, s.e. of Nyassa, is 2,000 feet.
The natives inhabiting the coast region drained by the Zambesi must be considered of the pure negro type; while the Makololo, who were found in the central and upper country, belonged to the Betjuana family. According to maj. Pinto this tribe has now ceased to have a separate existence. In the reign of the third king of a of con querors, the Luinas, the former masters of the country, again came into possession, and early in 1878 the remaining Makololos were put to death. On the upper Zambesi, between the Cuando and Cubango, maj. Pinto discovered the Mucassequares, a tribe of Ethiopian origin, of a yelloWisli-white color. The Zulu tribe of Amatabele, under Mosilakatze, who inhabit the high region dividing the Limpopo from the Zambesi basin, have overrun and conquered nearly all the tribes s. of them. The slave-trade is actively carried on in the countries nominally claimed by the Portuguese; unsuccessful attempts were made a few years ago to plant an episcopate and civilize the natives, through the. influence of missionaries.
All the usual tropical productions are found, bid, owing to the disturbed state of the native tribes, are but little cultivated. The animal kingdom is very similar to that of the adjacent regions of s. Africa; and an immense quantity of ivory is exported both from the w. and e. coasts. The prevalence of the tsetse (q.v.) makes traveling difficult in the interior. Extensive coal-fields exist, and gold is found in the neighborhood of Tete and Senna.—See the Travels of Livingstone; T. Baines's Explorations; Andersson's Okavango; To the Victoria Falls of the Zambesi, by Ed. Mohr (London, 1876); and Pro ceedings of the Geographical Society (1879).