The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1901-07-29
MlSlNFORMED TOURISTS.

Dutch of the tapC Colony, many OF whom are
nearly related by blood to the rough frontiers.
men of the Northern Trans,aal?
MlSlNFORMED TOURISTS
] always think that the ordinary tourist In
South Africa, who, after six weeks rush
through the country by rail and coach, comes
home and writes book, gets another false idea
of the country. lie visits Cape Town, Kimberly
and Johannesburg, in none Of which places does
he meet perhaps, any one who was not born in
Europe; he nothing but English newspapers
and hears nothing but English or German spoken.
Of the Boers he secs nothing at all, unless he
goes into the markets, where he will find some
OF them in charge of the produce wagons with
their long teams Of oxen, and he comes home
again impressed with the idea that the English
language is superseding the Dutch, and thinking
that before long the Dutch element in South
Africa will he swamped by the English These
conclusions are altogether wrong. Throughout
South Africa the people who live in the towns
such as Kimberly, Cape Town and Johannesburg
are English, Scotch, Germans and Jews. The
Dutch throughout the country live out on their
FARMS and are not seen at all by many tourists.
In the whole of the MalmeSburv district, close to
Cape Town, one OF the principal agricultural
centers of the Colony there is not one single
English or Scottish farmer. and in the eastern
districts the poorer farmers of British descent
seem to prefer to speak Dutch rather than Eng
lsh.
In 1876 7 Travelled through the Colony from
Port Elizabeth to GRAF Rcinet by wagon, in
company with several transport riders, all of
them the Of farmers in the eastern province,
and all ot them English Scotch by blood.
They could all speak English perfectly we'll, but
amongst themselves they never used any language
but Dutch, and their children may possibly not
learn English at all. The South African Dutch,
too, are one of the most prolific races in the
world, and very large families Of from twelve to
sixteen children not uncommon; 50 that
feel convinced that in South Africa the Dutch
element will never become swampcd, it has
been in America. However, the South African
of the future will have no cause to be ashamed
of his ancestry, whether they be English. Scotch.
Dutch French iIugucnot. myself have al
ways got well with the Beers, and English
men and Dutchmen are really so much alike in
thought and feeling that feel sure that all that
Is required to make them work harmoniouslv to.
gcthcr is better knowledge Of ono another than
at present prevails.
NOT 4 RACE OF BRUTES
There good and bad amongst all nations,
hut il is as unreasonable to say that the Boers
| arc a nation of inhuman brutes because one of
| them may have committed n brutal crime (and
| this has been often done), as to take Mr.. Deem.
| ing or Jack the Ripper as fair specimen of an
Englishman. The greater part of the Bocrs
| know have been kind masters to their servants
though they are severe with them if they offend.
| They treat the natives, do all colonists as an
| inferior race, not equals and there can he
| no doubt that they are perfectly right in doing
|