POPULATION OF NATAL. 
305 
York, Verulam, Weenen, Byrne, and Pine- 
town, &c. The soil is rich and well adapted 
for the combined cultivation of wheat, potatoes, 
coffee, indigo, sugar, and arrowroot; all of 
which flourish in this genial climate. 
The present population of this colony may 
be numbered at about 6000 Europeans, of whom 
perhaps 1000 are Dutch; and from 100,000 to 
120,000 Kaffirs. It is abundantly watered, 
a stream flowing through every four or five 
miles of country. These are never dry, except 
a few of the smaller ones in the winter months 
of May, June, and July. During this season, 
there is scarcely any rain, the temperature is 
delightfully cool and pleasant, but not, like 
the districts of Kaffirland, frosty, except on 
the hills and mountain tops beyond Maritz- 
burg, where not only frost, but snow lies for 
several days together. 
To present a brief, but true and most in- 
telligent, account of the more modern circum- 
stances which led to the first establishment of 
this colony and the neighbouring districts, we 
condense our information mainly from the au- 
thority of the Eecorder of Natal, whose intimate 
and accurate acquaintance with all the circum- 
stances well qualify him to afford it. 
The first combination of causes which induced 
the Dutch farmers of the Old Cape Colony to 
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