These are the stories told by travellers, miners, a cleric, engineers, a transport rider, geologists, surveyors and a quirky magistrate - describing some incredibly harsh conditions of life and labour, the hazards of travel, the locals and their foibles, the conflicts, as well as some lighter moments of the half-century that followed.

This is a compendium of reports, accounts and travelogues, first published in hard-to-come-by sources, about the second half of the nineteenth century in the North-Western parts of the Cape. Contributions are by missionaries (like Robert Moffat the younger), geologists like Wyley, engineers like Bain, and travellers like Scully, amongst many more. Each piece is introduced and put in context by compiler/editor Arne Schaefer as well as provided with footnotes by him. A useful and extended Glossary, aimed at non-South Africans, will help the reader cope with terminology. Schaefer has also translated some of the contributions from German and Dutch, as well as giving an overview of the Korana wars which bedevilled the region during some of that time. Two excellent maps by Anne Westoby and delightful illustrations by cartoonist Tony Grogan enrich this entertaining little volume. ( )

Although history is not really my subject, I enjoyed the 260 pages worth of Life & Travels in the Northwest. It opened my eyes to the possibility that history could also be interesting (school history having put me to sleep on several occasions). Especially the chapter entitled "A Young Minister in Namaqualand" by W J Conradie, was the one I enjoyed the most. It was originally written in Dutch and translated by Arne Schaefer.
This collection of contributions by various writers sheds a lot of light on the mining industry and highlights the plight and hardships of the men and woman of the era. An added bonus are the two folding maps and the 30 pen sketches by the well-known Cape Town artist, Tony Grogan.
On the whole, a good book to have on your shelves if you are interested in the region and its history, as these different writings by miners, engineers, geologists, a cleric and a magistrate - among others - have never before been compiled in one volume. ( )