New-York tribune., 1878-03-04
TROLLOpE ON SOUTH AFRICA

NlSKEpIESENTED THE khtflhS TItEDAlbh1
HABITS.
trRom TIL. REGULAR CORRESPONDENT or THE TEIBUNE'I
LoNDox, Feb 21.-Who cares for South Africa,
and why should Mr Anthony TroA0pe write a
book aLout it Such, fear, are the questions
most people asked themselves first sight OF the
two red covered post $50. volumes Chapman
Hall Londonl which the distinguished novelist and
laidiy nguished traveller has just published
II is a country which produces Hottoutots 'or once
did, bad sherry and inferior diamonds. 1t has pro-
duccd Kafir wars also, and the Langah'alcIe case
and every now and then offers complicated poitI-
cal puzzles for solution by the English
Colonial OGicc. 1t supplied Prince Bismarck
with material for characteristic remark on the
political prudcry England has lately affected
respecting the seizure of Egypt 90 What islt that
makes annexation in North africa so much more
wicked than annexation in south Africa Could
il be because South Africa is 50 much further off
or because the opponents Of annexation ii tbose re-
elons were 50 much less poweriulY Mr.. ITollopc
tells, with apparently perfect frahkncss, the story
OF Che seizure of the IraDSvaal and the Diamond
Fields
"a sturdy Englishman had walked into the Re-
public with Gve-and-twenty policemen and Union
Jack and had taken possession of it. Would The
inhabitants of the Republic like to ask me to take
itP SO much inquiry he seems to have made. No;
the people by the voice of their Parliament, de-
chned even TO consider 80 monStr0us a proposition.
Then shall take it without being asked, SAID Slr
Theophilus. And he tookii'
Res7ectiue the Diamond Fields. Nj. Tro0po re-
mark, with excusable severity: 81 cannot myself
feel altogether content with the title to country
which we have bought from a HOtteHtOt for an
allowance Of G 900 year. with pension Of $500
to his wife and Children" Proceedings OF that kind
might excite the curiosity of political or social
lor4 tbcv in Mr. ITeudcS whose
Leaves from Il South African journal" forms
one of the most picturesque fragments in the iera-
turc OF travel. Mr. 1roOpe had simpler reason tor
his Journey. South Africa was the only important
group of English Colonies which he had not visited
and written about. He wanted to " do" that also.
Long medtatlng the journey, and at last beginning
to think he getting too Old-whch, II he had
really thought, he would not perhaps have said
be found ono morning the Confederation and
Observation-Disclosures suddenly filing the newspapers
You perceive how strong the journalistic in
stinct is in the veteran writer. Mr.. 1rolopc
has n good deal of the special correspondent
in him; how else should he have thought 1t
possible to go to and through South Africa. and
write book about them, and get IT published be-
fore all the interest in the subject had died out
He did not overrate his powers. The journey has
been made, the book written and published, and 1t
is not yet twelve months since they were resolved
Ter of three months more The last chap
sor Of the book was written IN the Bay
OF Biscay. That fact explains something.
Mr. TrollOpe is the only writer l ever
knew who can carry on his work just as regularly
and profitably at sea as on shore. He has his desk
fitted UP and sits down to ii in fine weather or in
foul, and gets steadily through thesame three hours
labor from to II in the morning which he does
every morning in Nontague-sqUare, OF every
morning Wnen he is not in the shues
following the hounds. Most men are con
tent with jotting down rough notes of what they
see day by day as they journey on. Not so Mr..
Trollope. These pages are printed as they were
written. "The things which have seen have been
described within Il few hours Of my seeing them"
That a book so written must often be inaccurate
he checrfully admits. but 1t certainly ha5-Mr.
Trollope modestly says possibly has-somcthing in
it of freshness TO atone for its inaccuracies. His
own account Is good lesson to the young
author: In writing such book man
has for a time to fill himself exclusively
with his subiect-to make every thought that he
has South African for the time, 10 give all his
ergy to the work in hand, to talk about ii, fight
about it. think about it, write about il, and dream
about IT," This book is the result. Perhaps can
not better describe it than By saying it is book to
attract Your attention TO a subject not Of itself at
tractive to you; not attractive enough to induce
you to read two volumes about it i'll these days
above all when books multiply like locusts. Inac-
curacies there may be. | have H0t thought
it useful to spend time in picking them
out. But You cannot read ten pages without
seeing that the book is substantially, essentially
cmate and true. IL isa picture Of South African life
as it presents itself to-day 10 accomplished
of the world and experienced traveller man who
knows what to see and how to it, and how to de-
scribe what he sees The political student will still
go to his bue-books. the missionary TO his reports,
and 80 on. but Mr.. TrollOpe's may be safely pro-
nounced the best existing book its subject for the
general reader. There is good map to help him,
and meagrc index, which answers but few of the
questions you ask.
Putting politics aside diamonds the things
which most people most about in South Africa.
Familiar as the story Of their discovery is, it reads
like romance at every fresh telling; and it is told
here i'll q very compact and lively manner Mr..
Norton the American gentleman who lectured on
the subject before the American Geographical So
ciety in 1s77,' wll perhaps be surprised TO hear
that Mr.. TrollOpe throws doubt ON bis tale
about the mission map Of 1850 with its " Here DC
Diamonds" legend Such 4 map would be most in
teresiing, if it could be produced, remarks Mr..
Trollope drylv. Neither does he credit Mr.. MortOn's
assertion that the natives had long used diamonds
for boring other stones or that they made peTiOdi-
cal visits 10 the Diamond Fields procure supplies.
For all practical purposes tie finding OF the dia-
mond in 1SG7 was the beginning of the affair. That
Grst stone was sold, after many doubts as to its
cenuinencss, for $500. The who found il
bought another next year from a kair witch
doctor, giving all his ilocks and herds for
it, and sold it for $4,000. This tho
famous Star of Africa, and from this time dia-
mond digging began as business IN Gnqua land.
TO- - Id nd. .frr I'm rf