PREFACE 



This book has been written for the purpose of 

 calling attention to that wonderful region en- 

 titled the Kalahari Desert or " Great Thirst 

 Land." The desert may be roughly divided 

 into two great divisions — the north and the 

 south. The northern portion is at present 

 under the jurisdiction of the Imperial Govern- 

 ment, while the southern portion falls within 

 the territory of the Union of South Africa. It 

 is this latter portion and the surrounding 

 country which I am about to describe. This is 

 the most arid portion of the desert, and one of 

 the driest places in the British Empire. 



The Conquest of the Desert opens up a vast 

 country eminently suited to colonisation, while 

 it offers to the youth of the Empire a healthful, 

 profitable and fascinating life in a " Land of 

 Eternal Sunshine." 



Some of the sketches in this volume have 

 appeared in The Union Agricultural Journal, 

 in newspapers and periodicals, and are now 

 collected for publication in a more convenient 



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