TRAVELS IN SOUTH AFRICA

First edition: xv, [1],582 pages, frontispiece portrait, 8 plates – 1 folding, folding map – the map and folding plate have been clumsily folded and are frayed at the fore edges, rebound in half brown leather with matching marbled boards and end papers, red title label gilt on the spine, a good copy.

Signature of J Theophilus Hahn on the title page.

Johannes Theophilus Hahn (Ebenhaeser, Cape Colony, 24 December 1842 – Johannesburg, Transvaal, 22 January 1905) was a merchant and agent in South West Africa (SWA), linguistic expert on the Khoekhoe language, one of seven languages in which he was fluent. There is a detailed biographical sketch in the Biographical Database of Southern African Science as follows:
https://www.s2a3.org.za/bio/Biograph_final.php?serial=1182

Dictionary of South African Biography, volume 3, pages 127-8: ‘Upon the death of Dr J.T. van der Kemp the London Mission Society sent Campbell to South Africa to visit and report on their mission stations. Campbell was the first missionary traveller to undertake a long journey into the interior, visiting far-flung missions. From Bethalsdorp he went to Graaff Reinet where he met the traveller W.J. Burchell. Finally after crossing the Orange River he reached Klaarwater mission station and advanced to Lattakoo and beyond, north-west of Malapeetze. When he was returning from this first journey of 4,800 kilometres, Campbell followed the South Bank of the Orange River for 960 kilometres, 480 kilometres on foot, in a region little known to Europeans. Having reached Pella he turned south via Silwerfontein where Cornelius Kok lived and where he received valuable information about Namaqualand, Damaraland and the Bushmen. He also brought back natural history and geological specimens for the L.M.S, museum.