The Conquest of the Desert 



women — in fact, it is said that under a former 

 regime such a union was made a condition of 

 a grant of land. The result of these marriages 

 has been the creation of a class of person, 

 coloured, but of a very much higher moral and 

 intellectual development than is usually found. 

 In the past they owned most of the land and 

 administered their own affairs, through magis- 

 trates and field-cornets chosen from amongst 

 themselves. Several persons of the older genera- 

 tions of these Bastards are still living on their 

 own land, and are justly respected and admired 

 by their European neighbours, who, however, 

 do not fail to recognise the taint of coloured 

 blood. The younger generation have not 

 followed in the footsteps of their fathers, and 

 the type has much degenerated. The main 

 cause has probably been in the introduction of 

 liquor. The great majority of farms, formerly 

 held by them, have passed, as the price of their 

 downfall, into the hands of Europeans. 



Upington is a strangely English town. The 

 magistrate was born in England, so was the 

 mayor, so was the chief of the mounted police, 

 while the leading merchant is of English descent. 

 A handsome Dutch church stands out like a 

 beacon of light to guide the weary traveller 



16 



