Excerpt from The Destiny of Walfish Bay

Ten months ago the author of these sketches made a rapid tour through German South-West Africa to Walfish Bay just before accompanying the fifty farmers to Europe. He had long wished to see that western country for two reasons. In the first place, his studies in Dry-Farming had led him to believe that there was a great future both for the Agriculturist and for the Stockman in these little known regions. Secondly, the development of the Western Transvaal, the Western Free State, the Cape North-West, Gordonia, Bechuanaland, and Southern Rhodesia meant that a Port must be found for the shipment of farm produce to the European markets. That Port, he was convinced, must be Walfish Bay.

The Governor of German South-West Africa hearing that the writer wished to pursue agricultural investigations on these Western Dry Lands, sent him a cordial invitation to travel throughout the Protectorate. Thus it happened that although the writer made his journey and pursued his studies as a private individual, at his own cost, he was afforded many facilities and was received with much courtesy by the German authorities. It is hardly necessary to add that the peaceful condition of the Country at that moment did not seem to presage in any way the gigantic conflict in which our Empire is now engaged. Naturally, some of the opinions set forth will have to be revised in the light of the present war, but the author believes it best to leave his expressions unaltered lest the freshness of his modest Diary be sacrificed by a more prosaic review.

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