402 



NATAL 



the foot of the mountains are immense tracts of 

 the finest |>atiirage for rattle ami sheep. 



The climate U very healthy ; the thermometer 

 range* between 90 ami 38" K.,"lmt the heat even in 

 Miiiiiner is Beltlom oppressive. The mean animal 

 temperature at Pietcriimrit/.burg, the capital, is 

 U 71 J . The winter begins in April uml emls in 

 September. In the summer season the thunder 

 storms are verv frequent and severe in the uplands. 

 The annual rainfall over the whole colony averages 

 nearly 40 inches, the greatest fall being in summer. 



Tin' colonv has only one harlxmr worthy of the 

 name, but that is the best on the south east coast. 

 It is called Durban (q.v.) or Port Natal. The 

 Iiarbour is of great conse<}uence not only to the 

 colony, but to the empire, as it MIUM one day be an 

 important Moling station. The princi|>al rivers are 

 the Tugela, BuM'alo, I'liikcmian/.i, rmgeni, l, T m- 

 zimkulu, and M(M>i. Like the majority of African 

 rivers, they are of little use for purposes of inland 

 navigation*; but their streams are permanent and 

 often available for irrigating purposes. 



Coal is destined to play a prominent part in the 

 future of Natal, the area of the coal-measures being 

 estimated at 1400 sq. m. The coal is serviceable 

 for all ordinary purposes, the government railways 

 being worked with it. Cop|>er has been found, and 

 inr.eh is hojx'd from the iron near the coal. The 

 colony is also believed to be rich in other minerals, 

 such as asliestos, mica, and plumbago. Gold has 

 been found in the south and north. Great fore Ms 

 of tine timber abound in the mountain-passes, while 

 many tracts along the coast are well wooded. 

 The chief towns are Pietermaritzburg, 54 miles in- 

 land, the sent of government and the eliief military 

 station (pop. 1891, 17.500); Durban (2(5,612) |Vn- 

 lam and Pine Town near the coast, Harding in the 

 south, and Kicliiuoiid, Weenen, Colenso, Greytown, 

 Ladysmith, and Newcastle, up country. 



The government of Natal is, since 1893, ad- 

 ministered by a governor, assisted by a ministry, 

 a Legislative Council of eleven members, and a 

 Legislative Assembly of thirty-seven members. 

 The governor appoints ministers, and with their 

 advice the Legislative Council. The Assembly is 

 of course elective. The parliament lasts for four 

 years, unless dissolved before then. The colonists 

 were offered re-pon.-iMc govern nieut in 1883 

 with guarantees for native protection, but they 

 refused the offer. A narrow majority in the 

 council passed in 1891 a bill providing responsible 

 government ; and this measure was finally sanc- 

 tioned by the imperial authorities in 1893. 

 About 1865 Natal was plunged into ecclesiastical 

 warfare. Bishop Colenso (q.v.), the then head of 

 the diocese, was declared heterodox by a party in 

 the church, and unsuccessful efforts were mode in 

 South Africa and England to depose him. A rival 

 church was, however, established on the voluntary 

 system, entitled the Church of Kngland in South 

 Africa, whose head I .ears the title of Itishop of 

 Maritzburg. The Presbyterian (Scottish and 

 Dutch), Koman Catholic, and other churches are 

 well represented ; many stations of the \\Csle\au, 

 American, Norwegian, and Berlin Missions exist; 

 and the order of the TrappisU do good work near 

 Pine Town. Schools are multiplying fast. 



The chief iiosses through the I >ragensl>erg are 

 Van Reenen s, Oliver's Hock, Bezuidcnhimt, De 

 Beer's, and Laing's Nek. Most of the rivers have 

 been substantially bridged, and a very energetic 

 policy of public works is Ix-ing pursued by the 

 government. A railway runs through the colony, 

 and will shortly connect the coast and the I 

 State anil Transvaal. The government lines, 300 

 miles long, are also laid north and south of Durban 

 for short distances along the coast. Durban and 

 Mnritzburg were connected by the railway in 1880. 



Natal's chief exjwrts are wool, sugar, ivory, an4 

 hides. The wool e\|K.rted to Great Britain in 1X89 

 was valued at i'T.V.'.ls-J, and weighed 29,48!I.71U Ib. 

 The clips of three seasons from Natal and Overlu-ig 

 were us follows : in Issii ST. ti.x.'iiKi l, : ,| r s ; in 1887- 

 88, 76,000 Iwles ; and in 1888-89, 78,500 bales. The 

 total value of e.\|.rts in l.ssil was fl,ii.Vi.:tls. 

 These comprise, in addition to those named, cotton. 

 collet', arrowroot, fcathcis. molasses, rum, horns, 

 maize, and skins. In 1856 the exports amounted 

 to 56,562 ; in that year the value of the im- 

 |MirlH was 102,512. In IKS') the imports reached 

 4,527,015. In 1894 the e.\|x.rt- were Cl, 197, 611, 

 the imports '_'.. 'ill!.. V.Hi ; and that year the revenue 

 (mainly from railway receipts and customs) was 

 1,011,017, the expenditure 1,082,373. In 1887 

 the revenue was only 43,780. The nrosperity 

 of Natal is largely attributable to gold di- 

 eries in the Transvaal. The bulk of the Natal 

 trade is with the mother-country, although a con- 

 siderable business is done with Australia, India, 

 and North and South America. Certain kinds of 

 grape thrive well in Natal, and the wine industry 

 is now engaging the attention of the colonists. 

 In 1876 the population numbered 32(>,957 (211,490 

 whites); in 1889, 531,158, divided as follows: 

 37,390 whites, 34,480 Indian coolies, and 459,288 

 natives. The natives (MISSCS* horses, cattle, sheep, 

 Vc. They arc a line race physically, gifted with 

 high intelligence, of frank and courteous liearing, 

 and very easy to govern. I'pwanls of 2,000,000 

 acres of land 'have been set apart as location- for 

 the natives, and over 6,000,000 acres have been 

 acquired bv grant or purchase by Kurojicans, the 

 balance of laud being retained for allotment to new 

 settlers. 



The common law in the colony is that prevailing 

 in Holland during the lUth ami 17th centuries, 

 modified by statute law in the same way practically 

 as obtains in all the South African stall's. The 

 chief difference lictween Knglish and Unman Dutch 

 law rests in the laws of marriage and inheiitance, 

 but the difference is now by statute largely optional. 

 The coolies are subject to the laws regulating 

 Europeans, as well as to special laws controlling 

 Indian immigration. The natives are with few- 

 civilised and exempted exceptions subject in civil 

 matters to native law, winch is quite different 

 from colonial law. The Supreme Court consists 

 of the chief-justice and two puisne justices ; and 

 there are stipendiary magistrates and adminis- 

 trators of native law in all impoi taut centres. 



Eland (q.v.) and hart. ANTKt.ol'ES) are 



the only lug game left, and these have lieen made 

 royal (game. There are stringent laws for the 

 protection of deer and game-birds. Alligators are 

 met with in a few of the central and northern 

 rivera. Snakes, both colubrine and \i|.ciim>, are 

 in plentiful distribution throughout the colony. 

 Many of the snakes are innocuous, and fatal bites 

 from the poisonous species are rare. The python, 

 which attains a large size, is to be found in the 

 seacoast forests, and in the reeds by the- livei -sides. 

 The hippo|H.tamns is still to lie met with at the 

 mouths of some of the northern rivers. 



See The A minis of Natal ( 1889 ), by John Bird ; Natal 

 Aliiiiiiuir ; Annual Blue Book; Our Colony of Natal, 

 l.y Walter Peace ; The Natal Swmr Induitry, by W. 

 V. I'ninphcll : timth Africa and Hme to rtach It and 

 i;,,i.lm ffouth Africa, by the writer of thi article; 

 South Africa, Pott, and J'reteni. ( 1K77), by John Noble; 

 Nntn on Natal, by Sir John Robinson, F.RC.S. ; 

 Brooks'* Natal (18C9). by the late l)r Maim; JMV,,,,,I 

 n,:/init>ieei of A'atal.by Justice Cadiz; Code of ffatire 

 Law, Civil and fenal, by W. Y. Campbea 



\:ilal, a seaport of Brazil, capital of the state 

 of Kio Grande do Norte, stain's at the mouth 

 of the river of that name. It exports principally 



