The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-10-29
BLACK AND WHITE IN AFRICA.
vast PrepOnderance of Natives in
Southern Colonies.


From the London Mail
Very curious misconceptions are preva-
lent as to the relative proportions of the
black and white population of Africa,
south and Central 1t is, of course. not
possible to give with any accuracy the
numbers of natives in those portions of
the center of the vast continent which
have not come under British control. either
direct or indirect. These provinces re-
main practically in the state in which Ldy-
lhgstone and other explorers found them
ia south Africa, however, and in what
IS known as British Central Africa, figures
are ootainable which are approximately
ieIap4e, although ii must always be borne
IN mlnd that the white population of a
colupdfatlVef~ young and more or less I'M
settled continent is necessarily unstable.
and inclined to shift from one center to
another.
In every case throughout South Africa
the black population outnumbers the white
TO a greater or lesser extent; in some in
stances the disproporuon is stupendous,
Africa.
The center of interest in the present
Juncture is naturally the Transvaal. where
there are $4,000 natives and $50. 900 whites
Inc natives are mostly confined to the
northern portions of the republic. the
Aoutpansberg, Spelonken and Letaba dis
trlcts, and here they live and thrive in
their thousands. The Witwatersand nina
labor is largely supplied from these dis
trlcts, and tie Transvaal government has
us native commissioners scattered
throughout the country.
Ihere Is not very much chance of any
serious danger to the Transvaal from the
natives within its borders. Small sporadic
TTTnVs G1F1cr a4rrt,N IL
Magatos men and the tribes under NJ pefu:
but generally speaking. the Transvaal ma
tiYes are too downtrodden, bullied and cow
ed TO offer armed interference.
On the other hand, the Swazies consti-
tute a serious menace, inasmuch as they
bitterly resented the handing over of their
country to the Boer authorities, and have
over and over again pleaded for direct
British control. The Swazes are an off
shoot of the Zulus, and a valiant fighting
race. If they attack the Beers or come
over to the Transvaal border 1t will be
serious and not easily quelled affair.
In the Cape Colony there are 100000 ma
tives and 100000 whites. Between these
two, it must be remembered there are sew
eral thousands of Malays and Cape
Boys the latter of whom are practically
half-castes, and the former to all intents
and purposes whites. The Malays form an
integral reliable and considerable portion
of the population of Cape Town and it's
suburbs. They are all Mahometans, and
have their own mosques and hadjies, or
priests Most law-abiding, thrifty and
honest, they make excellent and desirable
citizens. They are, moreover, among the
most loyal of Her Majestys subjects.
In Basutoland, which lies on the borders
of the Orange Free State, there are $50, 900
natives and barely 800 whites. The natives
are excellent agriculturists, and, next to
r11arn fIaa hne~A ,s,,,
any of the black races of the sub-conti-
nent
The most recent portion of South Africa
to come under the British sway is Rhode
STA, which embraces the combined pro-
VinCes of Matabeland, MashonaIand Man
zealand, and a portion of what was for
merly Llnch-WO's country. Naturally,
being as yet barely colonized, the dlspro-
portion of races is enormous. In Rhodesia
there are over a million natives and less
than 5000 whites. At the same time 1t
may safely be taken for granted that it Is
to this portion of the continent that the
tide of emigration will set during the next
few years.
In British Central Africa there are $780,
900 natives and 500 whites. This huge tract
of country, although under British innu-
ence will take many years to colonize,
and is and bound to remain for a long
while a BLACK mans country"
Bechuanaland, which is now formally
annexed to the Cape Colony, and includes
the vast tract of land at one time known
as Khama's Country, numbers 10000 ma
tives and 1000 whites. The latter are
mainly farmers, transport riders, store
keepers, and that section of the police
formerly called the B. B. P, or Bechuana-
land Border Police, a very fine body of
men, to all intents and purposes a semi
military corps of mounted infantry.
Natal contains within its borders no
fewer than $4,000 natives, almost all Zu-
lus Natal is reckoned as including Zulu
land proper, and $1,000 white folk. There
are thus twelve natives to every white in
habitant. The Zulus are a fine, healthy,
outstanding race, and when not contain
mated by European influence, customs
and vices (for the Zulu is very imitative)
they are reliable, trustworthy, honorable
and In short, a tribe of natures noble
men. Unfortunately, they easily deteri-
crate, but when isolated In their own 10
cations they keep up all the traditions of
a fearless independence. They are loyal
to England
BY a curious concentration of events.
which is not without its bearing upon the
manner in which the Beers treat natives,
according to their immemorial custom, the
Orange Free State presents the nearest
approach to equality between the two
races Here there are 100000 natives and
So 900 whites, or about two and a half to
one. There is a lesson in this which may
bear evil fruit in the near future.
The total white population of the whole
of South Africa is approximately $4,000
of which 432 0O0 may be classed as Dutch
and 9SSOOO as English in sympathy, at
any rate, if not by birth.