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Auction #114 begins on 11 Apr 2024

Paterson (Lieutenant William)

A NARRATIVE OF FOUR JOURNEYS INTO THE COUNTRY OF THE HOTTENTOTS

Published: Printed for J. Johnson, London, 1789

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AND CAFFRARIA IN THE YEARS ONE THOUSAND SEVEN HUNDRED AND SEVENTY-SEVEN, EIGHT, AND NINE.

Illustrated with a map and seventeen copper-plates.

First edition: vi, ix-xii, 171 pages followed by iii index, (i) errata and directions of placing of the plates, 17 engraved plates (15 of botanical subjects and two of Bushmen habitations and Hottentots), folding map at the end, half green morocco with marbled paper sides and endpapers, bookplate on the front paste-down endpaper and a corresponding small stamp below the date on the title page. Corner of the first page of text has been torn away and neatly repaired, small tear in the margin of leaf 60/61, a tear through leaf 123/4 has been repaired – the front edge of this leaf is soiled and frayed, tear in the upper margin of the folding map which does not affect the printed area. The text and plates are bright with only some very faint occasional foxing.

Paterson, William (1755-1810) PATERSON, WILLIAM (1755–1810), traveller and lieutenant-governor of New South Wales, was born on 17 Aug. 1755. He entered the army at an early age, but not before he had developed a strong liking for natural history, especially botany. The interest and patronage of Lady Strathmore enabled him to gratify these tastes, and before entering upon active service he had made a series of exploring expeditions in the Hottentot country. He left England early in 1777, arrived at Capetown in May, and on 16 Oct., in company with Captain Gordon, made his first expedition, returning to Cape Town on 13 Jan. 1778. His second expedition lasted from
May to 20 Nov. 1778. His third was into the district which he called Caffraria, and claimed as hitherto unknown, and it lasted from 23 Dec. 1778 to 23 March 1779. His fourth journey occupied him from 18 June to 21 Dec. the same year. He made several fresh contributions to science, and is credited with having brought to England the first giraffe-skin ever seen there. The French traveller Le Vaillant several times refers to his researches in high terms.

Paterson published ‘A Narrative of Four Journeys into the Country of the Hottentots and Caffraria in the years 1777–8–9,’ London, 1789, 4to. A second edition and a French translation appeared in 1790. His botanical collections are in the Natural History Museum at South Kensington.

http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Paterson,_William_(1755-1810)_(DNB00)

Mendelssohn (S.) South African Bibliography, 2:143-4, 'Mr Paterson accompanied Colonel Gordon (Commander of the Troops of the Dutch East India Company in South Africa) and Jacob van Reenan in several trips to the interior. He remarked that he does not give a description of the Cape as he would be only repeating what Sparrman and Masson had already communicated in their publications. In the course of his travels the author penetrated as far as Namaqualand on the west, and the Great Fish River on the south-east. Although the principal feature of the work is the description of the botanical specimens collected and noted by Mr. Paterson, there are many interesting notes respecting the natives, with a few remarks on the Dutch Colonists.'

  • Overall Condition: Good
  • Size: 4to (295 x 225 mm)
  • Sold By: Clarke's Africana & Rare Books
  • Contact Person: Paul Mills
  • Country: South Africa
  • Email: [email protected]
  • Telephone: 021 794 0600
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  • Trade Associations: ABA - ILAB, SABDA


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