Eastern Frontier of the Colony of the Cape of Good Hope,

In the mid 1800s, dramatic changes were taking place along the Eastern frontier border as settlers continued to move into the area and as conflicts broke out between settlers and the Xhosa nation. These conflicts  created the need for good maps of the region: "The best map of the area at the time was Arrowsmith’s 1847 map of the Eastern Frontier of which a few editions exist" (Elri Liebenberg).

This uncommonly available map provides great detail of roads, farms, springs, fords. location of 'native tribes'. was originally based on sketches communicated by the Surveyor-General, Colonel Charles Michell, during the Sixth Frontier War (1834-35). Significant changes and successive conflicts on the Frontier necessitated new editions of the map in 1848, 1851 (a new engraving) and 1853. 

The map was printed from a steelplate on two pages of heavy paper joined in middle. The imprint is dark and the paper mildly age-toned. Altogether this map is in near fine condition.  

This map is an essential element in the set of 19th century maps of the Eastern Cape frontier.

References: Elri Liebenberg, Providing a tolerably correct map of South Africa: the cartography of Henry Hall,  International Symposium on “Old Worlds-New Worlds”: The History of Colonial Cartography 1750-1950, p. 19 

Tooley pp.20 -21