A COMPENDIUM OF KAFIR LAWS AND CUSTOMS - INTERESTING ASSOCIATION COPY - SIR GEORGE GREY

The first edition of this important work. In the original brown cloth with chipped spine label. Marbled endpapers and edges. 168pages and three folding charts. Quoting Mendelssohn : This volume, the results of the author's efforts to form a compilation of facts concerning the native races, is regarded as one of the best in the subject, and contains many valuable papers by the Rev. H. H. Dugmore, and Messrs. Warner, Brownlee, and Ayliff. The geography, government, laws, and customs of the natives are fully described.

This copy has this interesting inscription on the title page: "Malcolm MacGregor , from Sir George Grey. Dec. 19th. 1861." In a similar and possibly the same hand, the verso of the front free endpaper is also inscribed: "Malcolm MacGregor, from Sir George Grey, Auckland. New Zealand. Dec. 19th. 1861." As far as I can ascertain, both inscriptions seen to be in the hand of Sir George Grey himself, making this an interesting association copy, as Grey was heavily involved in Native affairs (see below).

Sir George Grey, (14 April 1812 - 19 September 1898) was a British soldier, explorer, Governor of South Australia, twice Governor of New Zealand, Governor of Cape Colony (South Africa), the 11th Premier of New Zealand and a writer. He was Governor of the Cape Colony from 5 December 1854 to 15 August 1861. He founded Grey College, Bloemfontein in 1855 and Grey High School in Port Elizabeth in 1856. In 1859 he laid the foundation stone of the New Somerset Hospital in Cape Town. When he left the Cape in 1861, he presented the National Library of South Africa with a remarkable personal collection of medieval and Renaissance manuscripts and rare books. Grey dealt firmly with the natives, endeavouring to "protect" them from white settlement while simultaneously using reservations to coercively demilitarise them, using natives, in his own words, "as real though unavowed hostages for the tranquillity of their kindred and connections." On more than one occasion, Grey acted as arbitrator between the government of the Orange Free State and the natives, eventually drawing the conclusion that a federated South Africa would be a good thing for everyone. The Orange Free State would have been willing to join the federation, and it is probable that the Transvaal would also have agreed. However, Grey was 50 years before his time: the colonial office would not agree to his proposals. He was indeed back in New Zealand in December 1961 when this book was inscribed.

Condition: A very good copy. There is a small defect in the cloth towards the top of the spine. Otherwise the book is clean and tightly bound. Now offered with a very competitive reserve price.