Besides the Orange River, the Tugela River was also the geographical boundary between East Africa and the Cape Colony. The Tugela River flowed from within Lesotho toward the Indian Ocean.
The Tugela River was quite broad, its waters swift and turbulent. Upon it stood the Tugela Falls, renowned in later generations. The water plunged from the great escarpment of the Drakensberg Mountains, forming a cascade with a drop of 944 meters, second only to Angel Falls and ranking second in the world.
Thus, the terrain of the Tugela River basin was exceedingly precipitous, providing excellent support for East Africa's national defense.
North of the Tugela River, construction of New Hamburg Port had already been completed. Its scale was rapidly approaching that of the two ports to the north and south, Maputo and Port Durban, making it one of the three most prosperous cities in the region.
An observation vessel from Britain's Natal Colony wandered outside New Hamburg Port, watching this emerging harbor that was both familiar and strange. An East African warship followed closely behind it on alert, guarding against any tricks the British might attempt.
But the British were no fools either. As a dual-use military and civilian port, New Hamburg Port possessed formidable defenses. Aside from the naval base, the mobile gun emplacements at the harbor entrance alone could achieve the feat of one man guarding the pass against ten thousand.
"Judging from the outside alone, this new port has a structure much like Port Durban's. Both have narrow mouths and broad interiors, like trumpets, making them highly suitable for use as naval bases. Why had our people failed to take it seriously back then, only to hand such an advantage to the Germans?"
"Mr. Wilke, that question is easy to answer. We had Port Durban, whose natural