THE COLONY OF NATAL

An account of the characteristics and capabilities of this British Dependency Published under the authority of the Government Immigration Board, for the guidance and information of emigrants.

First edition: v, 229 pages, colour folding map of the Colony of Natal as frontispiece with uncancelled library stamp on the back, tables, graphs, foxing on preliminary and end pages, original brown cloth, blind decoration on both covers, rebacked with matching cloth and gilt titling, a good copy.

Mendelssohn (Sidney) South African Bibliography volume 1 page 975 – 976: This compilation, one of the earliest standard works on the Colony, was produced under the following circumstances. In the year 1858, "the Government Immigration Board of Natal proposed to give three prizes for the three best essays on practical matters relating to the character of the Colony as a field for emigrants ; reserving to the Colonial Government the right to use the material thus furnished in compiling a book for publication.. The two essayists chosen were Mr. (afterwards Sir) John Robinson, and Mr. Arbuthnot, of the Umzinto. They were awarded prizes of equal value, and the Lieutenant-Governor requested Dr. Mann " to prepare a kind of guide-book to the resources and capabilities of the Colony from the subject material of these prize essays and from other sources," the present volume being the result.