ILLUSTRATED OFFICIAL HANDBOOK OF THE CAPE AND SOUTH AFRICA (1893)

'Illustrated Official Handbook of the Cape and South Africa. A Resumé of the History, Conditions, Populations, Productions, and Resources, of the several Colonies, States & Territories.'

Publisher's brown cloth binding with black titles on front panel and spine.

ix (adverts) + xvi + 568pp + 43pp (adverts). Illustrated. 

Contains numerous interesting period adverts, fold-out colour map of southern Africa as frontispiece, 24 photographic plates (all present) and numerous text illustrations.

Contents clean. Binding solid.

Copy belonged to Frikkie Botha, a South African diplomat and Africana book collector. In the early 70's he was the South African ambassador to the U.S.A. His bookplate is on the front paste down.

Chapter 15 (pages 323-356) on the Diamond Mines of South Africa. Chapters 26-29 on the South African Republic, Gold-Mining on the Witwatersrand, the Coal Fields & the Transvaal Silver Mines. Chapter 31 on the German Protectorate in Namaqua-Damaraland (South West Africa).

'The editor states that this issue "embraces some account of the past and present conditions, not only of the Cape of Good Hope, but also of the other territories of South Africa. In some degree it may be the means of familiarising the various communities, stimulating them to closer union and opening up vistas of greater possibilities in the future, when amalgamated by the bonds of a common fellowship they may form one people from the Cape to the Zambesi."' - Mendelssohn Vol.II, page 107