Travels and adventures in Southern Africa

Second edition of 'one of the best (books) ever written upon South Africa' ... ' his powers of observation were keen, his mind was free from prejudice, and his style of writing was clear (Theal, South African Books & Pamphlets, p 303).

Uncut pages; beautifully rebound in half leather with marbled paper boards.

Mendelssohn's South African Bibliography, 2:493-4. 'This... Cape Town merchant ... travelled throughout the greater part of the Cape Colony and a considerable part of Bechuanaland ... his account is recognised as the most important description of this part of the continent published in the early part of the nineteenth century. The third division of the work comprises a review of the condition "of the Dutch and British inhabitants, of the agricultural, commercial, and financial circumstances of the country and of its adaptation for further colonisation."'

Second Edition: 2 volumes, 450 + 430 uncut pages;Volume 1, aquatint frontispiece, a view of Cape Town; Volume 2: folding aquatint frontispiece view of Table Mountain from the Parade; folding map with Thompson’s route; folding plans of Graaff Reinet and Cape Town; 22 plates; 17 engraved vignettes.

Recently & beautifully half-bound in green (Russell Oasis) leather with suitably matching greenish non-pareil marbled paper boards. Fitted hand-made paper endpapers. Labelled spines with embellished spine panels and a cats tooth roll along all leather edges. Contents crisp. The frontispiece of Table Mountain has a small ink stain at top centre; Plan of Graaff Reinet has a light water stain as do vignettes in pp 23 & 52 in V1; the map has a diagonal tear in the Indian Ocean that has been professionally restored. An attractive set.