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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