Chapter Three 

 CINDERELLA 



IN South Africa today science is very much a part of everyday 

 Hfe, and South Africans are playing an increasingly important 

 role in the world of science, a number already having achieved 

 international repute in their respective fields. It is not generally 

 realised that this has taken place only comparatively recently, 

 most indeed within the last generation. 



It is not long since life in South Africa, especially in the south- 

 eastern areas, was a grim battle for existence, not only with nature 

 but also against raiding native hordes. It was the *Mau Mau' on a 

 much larger scale. At that time, and even long after conditions 

 had become more settled, virtually all scientific, work in South 

 Africa was done by visitors and later by trained persons imported 

 from other countries. As many of them were scientifically isolated 

 in South Africa, it is easy to understand that they maintained 

 constant contact not only with their homeland but also with the 

 overseas institutions from which they had come. 



In those days, outside the largest centres, there were no real 

 scientific institutions in South Africa, and the few small, local 

 collections of historic relics and curios could scarcely be termed 

 museums. Whenever anything unusual was discovered, and there 

 were many such discoveries, it was generally necessary to send it 

 overseas for expert opinion. 



It is easily understood, therefore, that there came to be accepted 

 a general belief that scientific institutions in this country, such as 

 museums, and the work done in them, were inferior to what was 

 old and established overseas. These younger 'Colonial' museums 

 served the purpose of housing local material, but even in that 

 case it was generally felt, and openly expressed, that any article 

 of great value should not remain in any such small establishment, 

 but be sent to some long-recognised overseas institution like the 



