Barkly West, South Africa Tourism

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which was claimed by the Griqua, a Hottentot tribe, and the Tswana, a Bantu people, both of whom lived in the area, and by the Boers of the Orange Free State and the Transvaal and the British.

Finally the British authorities assigned the territory to the Griqua; but in 1870 they bought it back and established a new colony, Griqualand West, of which Klipdrift became the capital. The town was given its present name in 1873 in honor of Sir Henry Barkley, Governor of the Cape.

Between June and September the Barkly West police station issues permits for diamond-prospecting - though the prospectors are more likely to find semi-precious stones (tiger's eyes) than diamonds. On Saturday mornings in particular the town still has a little of the atmosphere of the old diamond-mining days, and diamond dealers come to negotiate with the treasure-seekers for the purchase of their week's booty.