HISTORICAL RESKARCH IN SOUTH AFRICA. I79 



love of the labour and of the truth, will delve into our mosl 

 precious mines of information, of which we should all be justly 

 proud. Among a country's richest treasures are its Archives, 

 and as a national asset, they are ever increasino^ in value as the 

 generations pass by. In them we are able to read the life of the 

 nation, and by them we should be able to dispel all prejudices 

 and misunderstandings. They should thus be an aid in binding 

 together the forces that go to make a strong and healthy nation. 

 Through them we obtain a view of the ideals and hopes of the 

 people of long ago. Through them we can recreate the picture 

 of bygone ages, and in imagination re-live the life, share the 

 sorrows, and engage in the social pastimes and customs of our 

 forefathers. If, then, they are of such importance, it is fit and 

 proper that they should be preserved for present and future 

 generations. In South Africa we are the proud possessors of a 

 collection of Archives which compares favourably with the 

 records of any other country. When the history of their pre- 

 servation in early days is read it- is right to say that it is a 

 matter for congratulation that they are so complete. It is cer- 

 tainly a matter of surprise, when the history of other Archives 

 is compared, to find so many of the Cape records still in exis- 

 tence, for fire, water, war, and age have caused irreparable loss 

 to the muniments of European countries. The words said of the 

 Archives of England, that " they afford the most pure and ample 

 sources of history, the best evidence of the progress of civiliza- 

 tion, of the growth of institutions, and of the manners and 

 customs of the country," can with truth be applied to the Cape 

 Archives! 



The most important sources for the early history of South 

 Africa are contained in the Cape Archives in Cape Town. Of 

 the other three Provinces of the Union, those of the Transvaal 

 dating from 1839 are centred at Pretoria, of Natal from 1845 

 at Pietermaritzburg, and of the Orange Free State at Bloemfon- 

 tein. I intend dealing specially with the Cape Archives. They 

 cover a period of more than two and a half centuries, namely, 

 from 1652 to 1910, and embrace the ofificial papers of the Cape 

 Colony. To understand the early history of the other Provinces 

 of the Union, it is necessary to make full use of them. They 

 comprise a variety of classes of records too numerous to men- 

 tion, but a broad survey of them will indicate their great value. 

 Amongst the most important series are the despatches received 

 by and sent from the Cape and Europe during such periods as 

 the days of the Dutch East India Company, the first British 

 occupation from 1795, the regime of the Batavian Republic from 

 1803, and finally the second British occupation since 1806. The 

 debates and resolutions of the two Dutch periods and the various 

 annexures to the above records are of great value to the student. 

 The reports of Commissioners cannot under any circumstances 

 be ignored. The early records of the Court of Justice up to 

 1828, of the various local Government institutions, Departmental 



