To the Islands of the Orange 



dark red colour, and these vermilion ridges, 

 wind-blown into crests and curves, are a wonder- 

 ful and unforgettable feature of the landscape. 

 Transport over such country, where the road 

 seeks out the easiest path over such mountains 

 of sand, is extremely difficult. In many places 

 it is quite impossible to believe a waggon cap- 

 able of being dragged over the sand, unless it 

 is actually witnessed. The surveyed farms are 

 occupied chiefly by Europeans. The coloured 

 people of the district do not differ materially 

 from those found in other districts, though the 

 racial characteristics of the Bushman and 

 Hottentot are more marked in the general type 

 than elsewhere. Few, if any, pure specimens 

 of these aboriginal races now exist ; though the 

 desert-dwellers resemble them, 1 and still live in a 

 state of semi-savagery. The coloured people 

 are the " hewers of wood and drawers of 

 water." 







In addition to the Europeans and coloured 

 folk there exists a race which is met with in no 

 other part of the country, and which merits 

 special mention. The persons belonging to this 

 class are locally known as " Bastards." The 

 early European pioneers married coloured 



15 



