Originally published in 1838, this text draws upon official documents such as council resolutions and official journals, as well as statistics and local people's oral accounts, in order to explore the history of the treatment of the indigenous population of South Africa between 1649 and 1819. It was compiled, edited and translated by Scottish colonial official Donald Moodie (1794–1861), a 'liberal-minded British Colonist', who had emigrated to South Africa in 1820, originally as a farmer, and rose to the position of magistrate, and later 'Protector of the Slaves'. He was often critical of colonists' behaviour towards the indigenous tribes; he conducted interviews with the local populace during his investigations, earning himself the title of 'South Africa's pioneer oral historian'. This reissue includes only Parts 1, 3 and 5 of Moodie's investigation, as Parts 2 and 4 were never published.