ALKJRIGINAL I'LACli XAMES. "J 2^^) 



Zinqayi { Ru. ) Zixinene Fst. (Ed.) 



Zinton.ya (].) Ziwundwane (Id.) 



Zitiiiibile (Ed J. Zwelihanzi (Edw.) 



(3r.si':RVATi()Ns. 



A glance through the Hsts impresses one with a remarkable, 

 feature. The names before us are, except in the rarest cases, 

 the names of streams, and often enough even the rare exceptions 

 are derived from the names of rivers or streams. Many names, 

 there must still be, not appearing in our lists, yet common enough 

 in Kaffirland, names referring to natural features and special 

 characterisltics. But, even so, our survey of the aboriginal place- 

 nam'es would be almost complete if we followed every river, 

 every tributary, and. every stream, from mouth to source, for the 

 tiniest stream in Kaffirland has its own name. It is not too much 

 to say that the recorded i)lace-names of Kaffirland are the names 

 of the rivers and streams of Kaffirland. The main task which 

 remains is that of collecting the little-known names given to 

 minor places, and now in danger of being for ever lost, and if 

 I may repeat what has been said elsewhere, it is in just such 

 little known names that w^e may expect to hnd the gems of 

 v^•hich we are in search. That our expectations in this direction 

 are not unduly optimistic is ])roved b}- the results attained in 

 connection with those names which we do know and ha\'^ 

 examined. 



in. — The C'lSKEiAx List. 



a Prclliiiliiarx Considerations. 



It w^ill be api^arent at a glance that tlie Ciskeian list of 

 place-names is much shorter tlian that for the Transkeian area. 

 This is due to the fact that the Bantu invasion proceeded from 

 the east, in a westerly direction, and. in consequence, the Ciskei 

 was occupied by the Bantu at a much later date. Previous to 

 that, it was peopled, though sparsely, by the Hottentots, and 

 earlier by the Bushmen, and no doubt many of the names were 

 lost by reason of the confusion on the eastern frontier, which 

 lasted over a long ])eriod of years, during which the aborigines 

 resident there were scattered and rescattered and exterminated. 



The Dutch pioneers, and the English settlers, busied them- 

 selves giving new names throughout the countryside as their con- 

 venience was suited, so that the more recent names replaced the 

 old. 



Then, again, as we have seen elsewhere, the conflict of 

 languages was responsible for much corruption. All these 

 circumstances, then, conspired to make the Ciskeian names so 

 much fewer in number that we have not worried for the jiresent 

 to classify them as in the case of the Transkeian names. 



In order to get whatever guidance was available, we have 

 included some few names from the remote north and west of the 

 Province, names that are scarcely Ciskeian in the strict sense, and 

 vet being obviously H.-B. are a guide and help in examining 

 the h\-brids and corruptions. 



