AREA..-217,000 square miles.

POPULATION.-265,000. About half, white settlers, of British and Dutch origin; Dutch farmers called Boers. The other half consists of Hottentots and Kaffres and the descendants of a union of these races with the Dutch, the Negroes, and the Malays.

DIVISIONS.-There are two great Provinces, Eastern and Western, and these are each sub-divided in eleven Districts.

The principal towns in the Western Province are:-CAPE TOWN, the capital, population 30,000, on the S. side of Table Bay and the N. foot of Table Mountain. The view of the town from the bay is very striking. Behind rise the perpendicular sides of Table Mountain, while on either side are the barren crags, called the Lion's Head and the Devil's Peak. The town is regularly built, and the principal avenues are lined with rows of oak, poplar, and pine trees. There are some handsome public buildings, and the town is protected by forts, &c. The See of a Bishop of the Colonial Church.

Other towns :-Simon's Town, Swellendam, Stellenbosch, Paarl, and George Town.

The principal towns in the Eastern Province are:-GRAHAM'S TOWN, 480 miles E. of Cape Town, in the district of Albany. It is the second town in the Colony. Contains various and handsome public buildings, and is a place of great trade. Population about 7,000. The See of a Bishop of the Colonial Church.

Other towns:-Port Elizabeth, the principal port of the Province, Graaf Reynet, Bathurst, and Uitenhage. PHYSICAL FEATURES.-A maritime belt 20 miles wide, borders both shores. The whole of the remainder consists of elevated plains one above the other, from S. to N. like terraces, bordered by three ranges of mountains running E. and W. The maritime belts are rich and fertile; the first terrace contains much fertile land; the secondsize of Ireland-is arid and barren; the N. as far as known is desert. Climate temperate. Chief defect, unsteadiness and irregularity of rain, which either falls in torrents or is entirely absent for long periods. Alternations of temperature great and sudden, but the air is healthy.

HISTORY, &C.-Messrs. Fitzherbert and Shillinge, commanders

of East India ships, laid claim to it in the name of England in 1620; but it was not then colonized. In 1650 the Dutch planted there 100 men and 100 women taken from the almshouses of Amsterdam. On the revocation of the Edict of Nantes, 1685, these numbers were greatly increased by French Protestant refugees. In 1795, the English took it and kept it for eight years, when at the Peace of Amiens it was ceded to the Dutch, but re-retaken by the English in 1806. In 1842, the Cape farmers resisted the troops, but were worsted. In 1845, the Boers again revolted; but soon were completely subdued. The inhabitants are liable to be involved in frequent wars with the native tribes. GOVERNMENT.-Under a Governor and a representative constitution.

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IX.-BRITISH

KAFFRARIA.

SITUATION.-S.E. Africa, N.E. of Cape Colony.
AREA.-12,000 square miles.

POPULATION.-70,000. Only about one-sixth are British; the rest are Kaffres. Natives highly intelligent, active, and enterprising, and exhibit great resolution and courage. Capital, King William's Town, on the Buffalo River, at the mouth of which is East London, the port of the district.

PHYSICAL FEATURES.-A lovely open country between the rivers Buffalo and Kei, while the scenery of the Amatolo mountains is the most magnificent in S. Africa. Climate healthy. Rains more regular than in Cape Colony. HISTORY, &C.-Ceded in 1806.

GOVERNMENT.-A Dependency of Cape Colony.

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X.-NATAL.

NAME. Called Natal by the Portuguese, from having been discovered by them on Christmas Day, 1498.

SITUATION.-S.E. Africa, N. of Kaffraria, 1,000 miles (sailing distance) from Cape Town.

AREA.-20,000 square miles.

POPULATION.-153,000, chiefly Zulus (a tribe of Kaffres), who, in their savage state, are most fierce; civilized they are mild and peaceably disposed. Chief town, Pietermaritzburg, situated on a terrace, about 50 miles from the coast. The only port of the colony is D'Urban.

PHYSICAL FEATURES.-Mountainous on the N.W., from which the surface descends into a succession of terraces towards the coast, which is bordered by a low mangrove belt. Climate healthy and favourable to Europeans. Soil rich and fertile.

HISTORY, &C.-This important colony owes its origin to some Dutch farmers, who emigrated from Cape Colony in 1836, and obtained this territory from the Chief of the Zulu tribes. In 1839 they proclaimed themselves an independent Republic. The British Government refused to acknowledge their independence, and in 1842 compelled them to submit. The colony was finally established in 1845.

GOVERNMENT.-A Dependency of Cape Colony under a Lieutenant-Governor. The See of a Bishop.

NAME. It was discovered on May 20th (Ascension Day), 1501, and hence its name.

SITUATION.-900 miles S. W. of Cape Palmas (Upper Guinea), 800 miles from St. Helena, midway between Africa and Brazil.

AREA.-34 square miles.

POPULATION.-500. None native. George Town, the capital, consists of a fort, military quarters, and a few detached residences.

PHYSICAL FEATURES.-Surface elevated and rugged; sea coast high, rocky, and forbidding. Composed wholly of volcanic rocks. Sky clear; climate healthy. The only good anchorage is on the N.W. side, called Sandy Bay. Here is the Sailors' Post Office," a crevice in the rock near the landing place.

HISTORY, &C.-Discovered in 1501. Taken possession of by England in 1815. A naval station and stores' dépôt for the squadron employed in the suppression of the slave trade as well as for other ships. Most important on account of its central position. GOVERNMENT.-A Crown Colony.

NAME.-Discovered by a Portuguese navigator on May 21st, 1502, and called St. Helena after the Saint to whom the day is dedicated.

SITUATION. 700 miles S. E. of Ascension, and 1,200 S. W. of Cape Negro, Africa. Lat. 16° S.; Long. 6° W.

AREA.-47 square miles.

POPULATION.-7,000; about one-third European, the remainder various. Capital, James Town.

PHYSICAL FEATURES.-At a distance it looks like a lofty pyramidal mass; but on a nearer approach it seems to be surrounded by lofty precipices, rendering access impossible. Principal opening St. James' Bay on the N.W. Surface very rugged, and presents a number of fantastic peaks. The two most remarkable called "Lot" and "Lot's Wife." Climate healthy.

HISTORY, &C.-Discovered in 1502. Taken possession of in the name of King Charles II. in 1668. Taken by the Dutch in 1672; recovered the next year. After the Great Fire of London many ruined persons settled at St. Helena. From 1787 to 1815 the East India Company used it as the principal dépôt for their recruits, sometimes as many as 12,000 have been under training there. Here Napoleon was exiled after his defeat at Waterloo, and here, too, he died in 1821.

GOVERNMENT. A Crown Colony. See of a Bishop, whose diocese includes Ascension and Tristan d'Acunha Group, together with the charge of the English residents on the E. coast of South America.