17^ HISTORICAL RESEARCH IN SOUTH AFRICA. 



lay the foundation of a sound national life, and be inspired with 

 high and noble aims for building up a nation able to take its 

 place among the first nations of the world. To do this the past 

 must be studied carefully in its political, social, economic, com- 

 mercial and religious aspects. The scholar must be able to 

 understand from his history the evolution of society and how 

 political, economic, and social events have helped to build it up. 

 The facts must be carefully ascertained, and both sides of the 

 question studied, for then ignorance, from which so often pre- 

 judices arise, will be dispelled. But it is also necessary to study 

 the contemporary history of the outside world. To-day, to obtain 

 a full appreciation of the causes leading up to present occur- 

 rences in South Africa,' we must follow events in Europe. To 

 illustrate this point further, let us take a few simple examples from 

 Eighteenth Century South African History. Those who have 

 studied the question of the introduction of paper money into 

 the Colony in 1782, and its subsequent effect upon the economic 

 position of the country for the two generations following, will 

 know that the War between England and Holland was the cause. 

 This country, dependent upon the Fatherland for specie, was cut 

 off from communication for some considerable time, and the 

 Colonial treasury became empty. To relieve the distress, paper 

 money was circulated and secured solely on the good faith of 

 the Government. Several French regiments stationed here at 

 the time, and the augmentation of Company's Soldiers, resulted 

 in a good spending medium. Everything flourished, people 

 bought and sold houses at high prices, built or rebuilt beautiful 

 dwellings, which they furnished lavishly, kept large retinues of 

 slaves, and drove in costly carriages drawn by splendidly 

 harnessed horses. In short, they lived in high style. But the 

 crash came, as it was bound to, when, some years later, the 

 French troops were removed and the ordinary garrison reduced 

 to a minimum. Again, the far-distant American War of 

 Independence and the French Revolution became a reality to the 

 people in South Africa when the troubles at Graaff-Reinet and 

 Swellendam arose in 1795. As a last illustration, the final 

 cession of the Cape to Great Britain in 181 4 depende'd upon the 

 events which were then most prominent in Europe. 



Let us now turn our attention to the methods of obtaining 

 information and the sources to which we can apply. Our his- 

 torical information depends upon two factors, namely, the 

 material and the investigator. It is on these two points that I 

 intend chiefly to dwell in this paper. In working out the present, 

 we must know what has -gone before. Each generation sees 

 an advance in one way or anbther, and it is often by reviewing 

 the past that we are able to steer our course in a safer direction. 

 The essence of the good things of the past can be a great help 

 in shaping the present. Now, we have the material at our hand 

 to realise all this if only we could find the diggers who, for the 



