A very scarce antiquarian book!!! Cape Colony To-Day - A.R.E Burton - 1907, first edition - Cape Town Townshead & Snashall - 316p - Black & white photographs, maps, numerous statistics, folded Cape Goverment Railways Map (showing routes of Railways in South Africa, January 1907) , alphabetical index of places in the Cape, last page with map attached is loose - Original red cloth binding shows wear, slight sun damage, spine is loose, netting shows in front and back, no foxing though slight browning of pages - Rest of book is in rather good condition, clean and well bound.
This is a reference work for the prospective flood of immigrants after the end of the Boer War.
Extracts from some reviews of Mr. Burton's former work "Cape Colony for the Settler" (1903)
"The necessity for a handbook has been proved to demonstation of late; a publication of this nature will do more useful work than a staff of enquiry clerks in London, and will enable people in all countries to obtain at first hand reliable information concerning the Colony, its resources and possibilities. Mr Burton, it will be remembered, came to South Africa as a representative of the Queensland Goverment, in which capacity he rendered splended service to his employers. During the time he held that position he travelled the length and breadth if this Colony over and over again and required a mass of information." - Cape Times
From the preface:
...In comparison with the population of some other British over-seas Colonies, the white population of Cape Colony is small, nevertheless proportionally her place as a producer is not far, if at all, behind...
....In any event, for the mother of South African States, prosperity, established on the grasses of veld and vlei and the greater vegetation of woods and orchards, is guaranteed by nature, and in the peace and serenity of her rural domains her people labour in the joy of past success and the sure and certain hope of the future....
The excellent climatic conditions of the Colony tender it an ideal health resort. Like the other South African States, there is a remarkable absence of epidemic disorders, and the great improvements in sanitation that have been effected in all the large towns in recent years probably secured permanent immunity from all but the occasional minor ills to which flesh is heir at home and abroad...
For whatever imperfections may be found in this compilation we ask indulgence in connection with our attempt to say more of a great Colony than perhaps comes within the compass of a small book......
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