CHAPTER II 



TO THE ISLANDS OF THE ORANGE 



How few can tell any more than the mere name 

 of this mighty river ! How little the farmer 

 dreams that her verdant valley-bed holds the 

 richest land in Africa ! How strange that no 

 railroad builder forestalls that chainless rush 

 of the human tide which ere long must sweep 

 westward by her splendid, shortest pathway 

 to the sea. 



The best place from which to view the 

 Islands of the Orange is at Upington, the 

 capital of Gordonia. It is quite out of the 

 world, being 120 miles from the nearest rail- 

 way, and that only a branch line to Prieska. 

 Its history is lost in antiquity. The story 

 runs that years ago it was honoured by a visit 

 from the Cape Attorney-General, Sir Thomas 

 Upington, and the Prime Minister, Sir Gordon 

 Sprigg. And these two genial knights left — 

 not their spurs on the table as in the old Border 

 tale — but their names on the map to com- 

 memorate their visit. We are glad Sir Gordon 



11 



