Incwadi Yami; or, twenty years' personal experience in South Africa

"Incwadi Yami; or, Twenty Years’ Personal Experience in South Africa" by J.W. Matthews is a late 1800s historical record that follows the author's two decades as a doctor in colonial South Africa. It tells about his time practicing medicine and being a district surgeon in Natal, South Africa, and shows what life was like then, including local traditions and how society and politics worked. The story shares Matthews's experiences with different groups of people, like the native Zulu and European settlers. The book starts with Matthews traveling to South Africa in 1864 to be the Surgeon Superintendent on a ship called "Tugela". He remembers what it was like on the ship, how exciting it was to arrive in Natal, and his first thoughts about the land and its people. After he settles in Verulam and starts working as the district surgeon, he talks about the health problems in the area and how settlers and locals interacted.