An Account of the Cape of Good Hope

The state of the Colony in 1795. Although the author only spent a few months at the Cape on two occasions, his portrayal of society at that stage is an interesting one.

As a captain in the Eighteenth or Royal Regiment of foot, Captain Percival took part in the first British Occupation of the Cape in 1795. Under General Craig he led the attack on the fortifications of Muizenberg, and was the first officer to reach Cape Town. He remained at the Cape for two years. His book was published after the second British occupation in 1805 when there was a renewed demand for more detailed knowledge about the new colony. Theal is very harsh on the book describing it as one of the most unreliable that has ever been issued from the press, but it nevertheless provides much interesting detail of the Cape at the time of the first occupation.

C & R Baldwin. 1804. 339 pp. In the original somewhat worn full leather covers with gilt title on spine. The book has been rebacked with ex-libris markings on the inside front end paper and ex-libris paste-down sticker. The edged are browned but internally a good copy.