Reading travelstories is usually a pleasant passtime. In this book Colenso relates his visit to Natal, South Africa, in the year 1855. Shortly before that he was made the new bisschop of Natal.  

In his diary he tells of the people he meets, his travels, churchservices. He visits Englishmen and Boer. He travels on horseback from Durban to Pinetown to Maritzburg. After a few days his writing becomes a bit boring.

At the beginning of his journey Colenso wants to shake hands with a ‘Kaffir’, but people advise him otherwise, because it would disrupt the good relationships between the races. Colenso has his own thoughts about this advice, he finds it odd. Colenso lived from 1814-1883, part of his life he spent in South Africa. He died in Durban.

He was provocative in his ideas and writings. He pleaded for polygamous marriages.  He wrote on theological topics. He did a good job for the Zulu-language. With William Ngidi he wrote of Zulu-grammar. In 1861 he published his Zulu-English dictionary. He fought for the rights of the local people.

John Williams Colenso – Ten weeks in Natal. A journal of a first tour of visitation among the colonists and Zulu Kafirs of Natal – oorspronkelijk uitgave 1855 (reprint door Bibliolife) <