t the central chain is
known as the Cedarberg, Groote Zwarteberg (highest point 6988 ft.),
Groote river, Winterhoek (with Cockscomb mountain 5773 ft. high) and
Zuurberg ranges. The Zuurberg, owing to the north-east trend of the
shore, becomes, east of Port Elizabeth, a coast range, and the central
chain is represented by a more northerly line of hills, with a dozen
different names, which are a south-easterly spur of the Sneeuwberg. In
this range the Great Winter Berg attains a height of 7800 ft.

The coast chain is represented west to east by the Olifants mountains
(with Great Winterhoek, 6618 ft. high), Drakenstein, Zonder Einde,
Langeberg (highest point 5614 ft.), Attaquas, Uiteniquas and various
other ranges. In consequence of the north-east trend of the coast,
already noted, several of these ranges end in the sea in bold bluffs.
From the coast plain rise many short ranges of considerable elevation,
and on the east side of False Bay parallel to Table Bay range is a
mountain chain with heights of 4000 and 5000 ft. East of the Kei river
the whole of the country within Cape Colony, save the narrow seaboard,
is mountainous. The southern part is largely occupied with spurs of the
Stormberg; the northern portion, Griqualand East and Pondoland, with the
flanks of the Drakensberg. Several peaks exceed 7000 ft. in height.
Zwart Berg, near the Basuto-Natal frontier, rises 7615 ft. above the
sea. Mount Currie, farther south, is 7296 ft. high. The Witte Bergen
(over 5000 ft. high) are an inner spur of the Drakensberg running
through the Herschel district.

That part of the inner tableland of South Africa which is in the colony
has an average elevation of 3000 ft., being higher in the eastern than
in the western districts. It consists of wide rolling treeless plains
scarred by the beds of many rivers, often dry for a great part of the
year. The tableland is broken by the Orange river, which traverses its
whole length. North of the river the plateau slopes northward to a level
sometimes as low as 2000 ft. The country is of an even more desolate
character than south of the Orange (see BECHUANALAND). Rising from the
plains are chains of isolated flat-topped hills such as the Karree
Bergen, the Asbestos mountains and Kuruman hills, comparatively
unimportant ranges.

Although the mountains present bold and picturesque outlines on their
outward faces, the general aspect of the country north of the
coast-lands, except in its south-ea