NATAL 



-1072 



NATCHEZ 



NASTURTIUMS 



two upper and grow on long, fringed claws. 

 The leaves are almost round, and as they grow 

 close together, even overlapping one another a 

 little, they form a dainty green retreat for the 

 flowers. The 

 plant has a pun- 

 gent juice and the 

 flowers and leaves 

 are sometimes 

 used in making 

 salads, while the 

 green seed pods 

 are pickled in 

 vinegar and 

 eaten as a substi- 

 tute for capers 

 (see CAPER). 



The nasturtium 

 thrives best in a 

 light, rich soil, with an abundance of light and 

 sunshine. In temperate climates the seed is 

 sown early in April. 



NATAL, natahl', a colonial possession of 

 Great Britain, one of the four original provinces 

 of the Union of South Africa (which see). It 

 is situated on the southeastern coast of Africa, 

 northeast of Cape Colony and south of the 

 Transvaal, with the Drakensberg Mountains on 

 its western border. The Buffalo and Tugela 

 rivers were formerly the northeastern boundary, 

 but by the annexation of Zululand in 1897 and 

 the districts of Vryheid, Utrecht and part of 

 Wakkerstroom in 1903, the territory has been 

 extended to the borders of Portuguese East 

 Africa and Swaziland; the total area is esti- 

 mated at 35,019 square miles, nearly three- 

 fourths the area of England. The climate is 

 healthful and the soil is fertile, producing vig- 

 orous vegetation, and timber trees grow in 

 abundance. Grain and vegetables of all de- 

 scriptions, sugar cane, tobacco and a variety 

 of tropical fruits have been extensively culti- 

 vated, but the principal crop everywhere is 

 maize, two crops being produced annually. 



The settlement of Natal by the whites has 

 tended to exterminate most of the larger ani- 

 mals native to the country, but the hippopota- 

 mus still frequents the streams, and leopards, 

 hyenas, tiger cats and panthers are numerous 

 in the forests and jungles. The products of 

 rich gold fields, extensive coal mines and large 

 sugar cane districts, with wool, form the chief 

 exports, the last named being by far the largest. 

 The longest tunnel in South Africa has been 

 bored in this district, and the colony has over 

 1,050 miles of railway and good telephone and 



telegraph facilities. The only good port and 

 the largest town is Durban, or Port Natal. The 

 population in 1911 was estimated at 1,194,043, 

 of whom about four-fifths \\viv natives of 

 South Africa, mainly Zulu-Kaffirs; the Euro- 

 peans number between 75,000 and 100,000, and 

 the East Indians and other Asiatics about 

 133,000. 



Vasco da Gama landed at Port Natal in 

 1497 on Christmas Day, sometimes called the 

 "Feast of the Nativity," hence the name "Na- 

 tal." The Boers of Cape Colony, who emi- 

 grated to escape British rule, organized the 

 Republic of Natal in 1839, but in 1843 the 

 British annexed the country to Cape Colony, 

 and it was erected into a separate colony in 

 1856. It suffered severely in the South African 

 War (see SOUTH AFRICAN WAR). Since 1910 

 Natal has been under an administrator who is 

 appointed by the Governor-General in Council 

 and indirectly represents the king. The city of 

 Pietermaritzburg is the capital. j.s.c. 



Consult Russell's Natal: The Land and Its 

 Story. 



NATCHEZ, Miss., the county seat of Adams 

 County and a noted shipping point for cotton, 

 many thousands of bales being shipped from 

 this point annually. It is on the southwestern 

 border of the state and on the Mississippi River 

 about 100 miles southwest of Jackson, the state 

 capital. Railway service is provided by the 

 Yazoo & Mississippi Valley, the Natchez & 

 Southern, the Saint Louis, Iron Mountain & 

 Southern and the Mississippi Central railways, 

 and there is steamer communication with all 

 Mississippi River ports. In 1910 the population 

 was 11,791. The area is three square miles. 

 Natchez is built for the most part on a bluff 

 which rises about 150 feet above the river, and 

 from this elevation a magnificent view is had 

 of the surrounding fertile country. Here also 

 are the elegant residences and public buildings, 

 the lower narrow strip along the river front, 

 being largely used for shipping. 



The county courthouse, the city administra- 

 tion buildings and Institute Hall are note- 

 worthy buildings. Natchez has the Fisk Li- 

 brary, Agnes Z. Carpenter Public Library, 

 Natchez Institute and Jefferson Military Col- 

 lege. Features of interest are Memorial Park; 

 the old estate of Monmouth, the home of Gen- 

 eral Quitman; The Briars, the girlhood home of 

 Varina Howell, who was the wife of Jefferson 

 Davis; Somerset and Oakland, the possessions 

 of the Chotard family; and a national ceme- 

 tery just outside the city limits. The industrial 



