AN EXPEDITION OF DISCOVERY INTO THE INTERIOR OF AFRICA through the Countries of the NAMAQUAS, BOSCHMANS, and HILL DAMARAS (1838)

'An Expedition of Discovery into the Interior of Africa, through the hitherto undescribed countries of the Great Namaquas, Boschmans, and Hill Damaras. Performed under the auspices of Her Majesty's Government and the Royal Geographic Society.'

Publisher's original blind-stamped blue straight-grained cloth with gilt titles on spine.

Internally clean with mildly oxidised plates, which is common for this title. The original endpapers are intact. Top end of spine missing on volume I. Some splitting of the cloth on the spine of volume II.

Library bookplate of Thomas Scott (1800-1855) on front paste down. Scott was a surveyor and landowner who settled in Earlston, Tasmania. VERY old and VERY early Pretoria bookseller's ticket on front paste downs for "C. Basson & Co."

Vol.I: xxiii + 302pp with engraved frontispiece, folding map, 3 engravings in text, and 2 engraved plates (plates and frontispiece still have their original tissue guards).

Vol.II: viii + 306pp with engraved frontispiece, 3 engravings in text, 4 engraved plates (all four plates have their original tissue guards), followed by 6 pages of the publisher's catalogue.

ALL illustrations and plates present.

'Sir James Alexander fully intended carrying out his intention of exploring part of Eastern Africa, but as he was forestalled by Dr. A. Smith he decided to pursue his investigations in the West. With this view he proceeded to Namaqualand and Damaraland, which countries were little known at this time. Leaving Cape Town in 1836, he traversed these regions in an ox wagon, and went through a large part of the country now known as German West Africa, arriving at Walvisch Bay almost exhausted with the difficulties of travel and want of water. He draws attention to the education of the natives by the missions, through the medium of the Dutch language, which he considers a mistake, and states that the Damaras have no religious belief. He had a good deal of hunting throughout his journey, and was successful in providing food for his large party. He succeeded in obtaining a good collection of zoological and other specimens, many of which were at that time unknown to the scientific world. The volume contains an account of the social condition of the Namaquas, Boschmans, and Damaras, several illustrations, a map of the route of the author's expedition, and the Appendix includes a note upon the Cape Colony.' - Mendelssohn Vol.I, page 20