Antiquarian Auctions

Auction #114 begins on 11 Apr 2024

John Barrow [James Callander]

A chart of the Knysna

An arm to the sea seven leagues westward of Plettenberg Bay

Published: Cadell & Davies, London, 1804

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A tastefully coloured example of this chart of the Knysna lagoon at the end of the 18th century. Partly as a result of this survey, Knysna became an active harbour.

The lagoon was surveyed and the chart was drawn in 1798 by James Callander, engraved in London by Samuel Neele and published in John Barrow's Travels into the Interior of Southern Afica in 1804 and again in 1806. This is an historically important chart of The Knysna (then the name of only the river).

"The first permanent settlement in the area occurred in 1770 when the loan farm Melkhoutkraal (see images), which surrounded large parts of the lagoon was allocated to a local farmer by the authorities in the Cape. When George Rex a timber merchant from Cape Town arrived in the area in 1804 he found that transporting timber by ox wagon was an almost impossible task. He then suggested to the authorities that it might be an idea to transport the timber by sea and commissioned his friend George Callander, to investigate the possibility of shipping timber from Outeniqualand by sea using the Knysna lagoon. As his farm Melkhoutkraal bordered on the lagoon, he provided the land for the jetties to be built. Up to this point in the history of the lagoon no large ships had attempted to enter the Knysna lagoon through the two sandstone heads that guarded its entrance so no one knew whether it would be possible to export timber by sea.

The first ship to attempt entry was the 188-ton Royal Navy brig “Emu”, which did so on the 11th February 1817. The attempt was unsuccessful as she ran aground on a submerged rock and had to be beached on a sandbank just inside the mouth of the lagoon. A few months later in May of 1817, the “ Podargus” was sent to rescue the crew and salvage the cargo of the Emu. It became the first ship to successfully enter the lagoon paving the way for the advancement of the timber industry in the area. As a result the timber industry flourished." http://www.turtlesa.com/knysnalagoon.html

On his chart, Callander provides instructions on safe entry between 'the heads' and in the lagoon; he also includes a ship on the chart, and so it seems that ships may well have been using the lagoon as a harbour at that time (i.e. before 1817). There are also annotations on the chart relating, for example, to the beautiful forests, transport of wood in the river. The chart shows the exact location of George Rex'sMelk Wood Kraal "the most beautiful estate in the whole colony".

The chart displaysthe route of the wagon road past the estate, through today's town, towards the drift upstream of the current bridge.

This historically importan, hand-coloured chart is in fine condition.It has has wide margins and frames beautifully; a must for anyone who loves Knysna - a wonderful gift!

References:

Not in Tooley'sCollectors' Guide to Maps of Africanor Norwich'sMaps of Africa.

  • Overall Condition: Near fine
  • Size: 28.0 x 19.1cm
  • Sold By: Roger Stewart Antiquarian
  • Contact Person: Dr. Roger Stewart
  • Country: South Africa
  • Email: [email protected]
  • Telephone: +27836541081
  • Preferred Payment Methods: LOCAL: EFT; INTERNATIONAL: PAYPAL (add 5%) or Bank Transfer; no credit cards
  • Trade Associations: IMCOS


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