The biggest waterfall, rivers in Africa

2024 Author: Harold Hamphrey | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:06

In 1813, David Livingston was born in Scotland, the future scientist, explorer, missionary and preacher. Already a mature man, in 1841 Livingston received missionary work in a number of African provinces. Following his tasks, the brave traveler traveled the length and breadth of the African continent, and in 1855 he went on another missionary trip along the Zambezi River. Two weeks later, Livingston's boat approached some unimaginably noisy, rumbling place, where clouds of water vapor rose to the sky, and the previously calm waters of the river, as if enraged, were carried away into the distance, and somewhere ahead, already invisible, with a terrible roar fell down somewhere. It was the largest waterfall seen by the traveler in his entire life. He made a lasting impression!

David Linvingston became the first European to see the great African waterfall Mozi-a-Tunya, or Thundering Smoke. Looking closely, the traveler was able to appreciate the full power of the natural phenomenon. The waterfall spread to the sides for a distance of about one and a half kilometers, and the height of the water fall was at least 120 meters.

The Scot was the discoverer of this miracle of nature,he exercised his right to be a pioneer and named the falls after the queen of England he revered. So another natural phenomenon appeared on geographical maps - Victoria Falls. To this day, Victoria, as the largest waterfall, is the main attraction of the African continent, hundreds of thousands of tourists visit this miracle of nature. In 1905, a railway was laid to the place of the pilgrimage, and the attraction received the status of especially visited places. Directly at the edge of the cliff, somehow a small depression formed in the rocky bottom of the river, about two meters deep and 50 meters across. The water in this depression is only slightly seething, unlike the rest of the cliff, which thunders down millions of tons of boiling water.

This natural depression was immediately chosen by tourists and individual daredevils, feeling relatively safe, swam to the very edge and photographed the streams of water falling down. The attendants of Victoria categorically objected to such extreme entertainment, but without much success, since the curious could not be kept, and it was impossible to enclose the natural pool. There have been several cases when a careless tourist fell down, but even the death of someone's attempt does not stop the rest. Africa's largest waterfall is not without casu alties.

At the Victoria Falls there is a monument to Livingston, it is carved from a single stone in full growth. And a little further away is an island,named after the missionary. Once upon a time, ritual ceremonies took place on it, sorcerers, magicians and shamans gathered. Currently, the island is quiet and is a resting place for visitors. But on the Bridge of Danger, built relatively recently for tourists and hanging over the waterfall, it is quite noisy due to the piercing squeal of the fairer sex, blocking even the sound of water, although the largest waterfall in the world would not mind taking a break from the noise.

For the most daring, a special path has been laid in the forest above the waterfall, passing along which a person feels alone with the elements. True, women do not go there. And, finally, there is a special squadron of several hang gliders and a helicopter, on which tourists are lifted into the air to view Victoria from a bird's eye view. However, flying on a hang-glider is somewhat unnerving for the passenger, and he is not up to inspection, but in the cockpit of a helicopter - just right, you can safely look around and see and appreciate the largest waterfall on the Zambezi River in all details.