The record-union., 1897-05-30

lation of 10000, which includes a
Sprinllling of whites, and administered
by a Resident Commissioner under the
supervision of the Governor of Natal.
There are next to be taken into ac-
count those British possessions and
other territories which have no sea-
board, being intercepted from the coast
by the political divisions which have
been already enumerated. Nothing be-
yond bare mention is required for Basu-
toland, lying in an angle of the Cape
Colony and Natal, having an area of
10000 square miles, and a population
almost wholly native) of 250,000, and
governed by Resident Commissioner
under the High Commissioner for South
Africa
THE DUTCH COMMUNITIES.
Much more important are the two
Dutch or Boer communities of the
Orange Free State and the South Afri
can Republic. or Transvaal. Leaving
out of sight the Portuguese and German
possessions on the east and west coasts
respectively, the Orange Free State is
the only region in the whole South At
rica which is not under British Govern
ment or suZerainty. In shape it is not
unlike a Rugby football, inclined from
northeast to southwest. the upper end
filling in an angle between the Trans
vaal Republic and Natal. and the lower
end resting on the Cape Colony. Its
area is $4,000 square miles, with popu-
lation of POI 900, of whom 1900 are
whites It's political independence is un-
eQuivocal, having been recognized by
Great Britain in 1854, when its inhabi
tants were declared ito all intents and
purposes a free and Independent peo-
pie. and their Government to be treated
thenceforth as a free and Independent
Government"
Due north of the Orange Free State
and of Natal and Zululand lies the ex-
pansive territory of the Transvaal or
South African Republic, bounded by
Portuguese Africa on the east, separ-
ated by the Limpopo River from Mata-
beleland on the north, and by various
boundary from other districts admins
tered by the British South Africa Com
pany on the west. Its area is 112, 700
square miles, and the population, which
has been rapidly augmented since the
opening of the gold fields may be
roughly estimated to exceed 900, 900.
OF this number some 10000 would be
blacks. and of the remainder less than
q third might be reckoned as Beers;
While Englishmen and emigrantS from
the Cape Colony would compose the
bulk of the remainder. The independ-
ence of the Republic has undergone va
rious vicissitudes, and at present it en-
joys complete autonomy with regard to
its internal affairs. subject to modi
fed British suZerainty, which includes
the control of its foreign relations, ex-
cept those with the Orange Free State.
CHARTERED COMPANY'S AREA
Finally. there is the enormous area
bounded on the south by the Cape Col
ony on the east by the Transvaal and
the Portuguese colonies. and on the
west by the German territory and the
Portuguese West African possessions,
which completes the map of South
Africa. This region of $4,000 square
miles (or eight and half times the size
of Great Britain) is, with centain ex-
ceptions, administered under charter
by the British South Africa Company
The charter, reserves, however, the
Nyassaland region, which is under the
Commissioner for British Central Afri-
ca; and what is known as Khama's
country. adjoining the Transvaal and
Matabeleland. is also retained under
the direct supervision of the Imperial
Government. The operations of the
Chartered Company have as vet COW
cred only the merest fraction of the
territory over which their privileges