Chapter I: Front Matter

_NATURE_

CHAPTER I

PHYSICAL FEATURES

THE COAST STRIP AND THE GREAT PLATEAU 4 MOUNTAIN-RANGES 6 CLIMATE 8 THE ABSENCE OF RIVERS 9

CHAPTER II

HEALTH

TEMPERATURE 12 DRYNESS OF THE AIR 13 MALARIAL FEVERS 13

CHAPTER III

WILD ANIMALS AND THEIR FATE

ORIGINAL ABUNDANCE OF WILD CREATURES 17 THEIR EXTINCTION: THE LION, ELEPHANT, AND RHINOCEROS 18 RECENT ATTEMPTS AT PROTECTION 22

CHAPTER IV

VEGETATION

CHARACTER OF THE SOUTH AFRICAN FLORA 24 NATIVE AND IMPORTED TREES 26 CHANGES MADE BY MAN IN THE LANDSCAPE 32

CHAPTER V

PHYSICAL ASPECTS OF THE VARIOUS POLITICAL DIVISIONS OF THE COUNTRY

CAPE COLONY 33 NATAL 35 GERMAN AND PORTUGUESE AFRICA 36 THE ORANGE FREE STATE AND THE SOUTH AFRICAN REPUBLIC 38 BECHUANALAND AND THE TERRITORIES OF THE BRITISH SOUTH AFRICA COMPANY 40

CHAPTER VI

NATURE AND HISTORY

INFLUENCE OF PHYSICAL CONDITIONS ON THE SAVAGE RACES 44 SLOW PROGRESS OF EARLY EUROPEAN SETTLEMENT 45 LATER EXPLORATIONS ALONG THE INTERIOR PLATEAU 47

CHAPTER VII

ASPECTS OF SCENERY

DRYNESS AND MONOTONY OF SOUTH AFRICAN LANDSCAPE 50 STRIKING PIECES OF SCENERY: BASUTOLAND, MANICALAND 51 PECULIAR CHARM OF SOUTH AFRICA: COLOUR AND SOLITUDE 53 INFLUENCE OF SCENERY ON CHARACTER 57

PART II

_HISTORY_

CHAPTER VIII

THE NATIVES: HOTTENTOTS, BUSHMEN, AND KAFIRS

THE ABORIGINES: BUSHMEN AND HOTTENTOTS 63 THE BANTU OR KAFIR TRIBES 67

CHAPTER IX

OUT OF THE DARKNESS--ZIMBABWYE

ANCIENT WALLS IN MATABILILAND AND MASHONALAND 70 DHLODHLO: CHIPADZI'S GRAVE 71 THE GREAT ZIMBABWYE 75 THEORIES AS TO THE BUILDERS OF THE ANCIENT WALLS 78

CHAPTER X

THE KAFIRS: HISTORY AND INSTITUTIONS

THE KAFIRS BEFORE THEIR STRUGGLES WITH THE EUROPEANS 83 CAREERS OF DINGISWAYO AND TSHAKA 84 RESULTS OF THE ZULU CONQUESTS 85 KAFIR INSTITUTIONS 87 WAR, RELIGION, SORCERY 89 STAGNATION AND CRUELTY OF PRIMITIVE KAFIR LIFE 93