THE PORTUGUESE IN SOUTH AFRICA (1896)

In issuing this volume the author consulted the important documents which the Right Honourable C. J. Rhodes caused to be copied at Lisbon for his own use. Includes a description of the native races between the River Zambesi & the Cape of Good Hope during the 16th century and later. With sketch map in frontispiece showing the British South Africa Chartered Company's Territory, South African Republic and Portuguese South Africa.

Chapters:

I. Earliest inhabitants of South Africa: Bushmen and Hottentots;

II. Description of the Bantu Tribes of South Africa;

III. Asiatic settlements and Portuguese conquests in South Africa;

IV. Transactions of the Portuguese South of the Zambesi from the death of Francisco D'Almeida to the Failure of Francisco Barreto's Expedition;

V. Events in South-Eastern Africa from the failure of Barreto's Expedition to the appearance of the Dutch in the Eastern Seas;

VI. Appearance of the French, English, and Dutch in the Eastern Seas;

VII. Principal events in Portuguese South Africa from the early years of the Seventeenth to the middle of the Nineteenth Century;

VIII. Revival of activity in Portuguese South Africa during the last half of the Nineteenth Century.

"A detailed account of the Portuguese navigators and their experiences with the inhabitants." (Mendelssohn II.482)

"A very few years ago, when I prepared my large History, the expression 'South Africa' meant Africa south of the Limpopo. Mainly through the ability of one man - the Right Honourable Cecil John Rhodes - that expression to-day means Africa south of the Zambesi. The event which I took as an initial point - the arrival of Van Riebeek in Table Valley in April 1652 - has thus come to be incorrect for that purpose, the true starting-point now being the arrival of Da Nhaya in Sofala in September 1505. I have therefore written this volume, in order to rectify the beginning of my work.

As Bantu tribes that were not encountered by the Dutch, and that differed in several respects from those south of the Limpopo, came into contact with the Portuguese, it was necessary to enlarge and recast the chapters in my other volumes descriptive of the South African natives. I need not give my authorities for what I have now written concerning these people, for I think I can say with truth that no one else has ever made such a study of this subject as I have.

The Portuguese in South Africa are not entitled to the same amount of space in a history as the Dutch, for they did nothing to colonise the country. I think that in this little volume I have given them their just proportion. In another respect also I have treated them differently, for I expended many years of time in research among Dutch archives, and I have obtained the greater part of my information upon the Portuguese by the comparatively trifling labour of reading and comparing their printed histories. I should not have been justified, however, in issuing this volume if I had not been able to consult the important documents which the Right Honourable C. J. Rhodes caused to be copied at Lisbon for his own use.

With this explanation I commit the volume to the good will of those who are interested in South African affairs."

(From the Preface by the Author, Capetown, January, 1896)

Original publisher's brown tobacco cloth. Gilt title to the spine and front board; Text in English; Collation complete - [1], Frontispiece map, Title page, [vi], 324 pages including the Sources and Index, sketch maps; Ex-library copy. Library label to the front paste down. The binding is strong, firm and tight and isn’t really splitting anywhere. Spine and boards bumped to the extremities, corners little bumped, minor rubbing. Hinges and joints whole and secure. Front and rear paste down and endpapers with asome age tanning. Pages/text block very bright and clear, no marks or foxing throughout, only little yellowing. Minimal traces of wear on the edges of the paperback, the fore edge is slightly deckled. A sound copy.

IMPORTANT informations regarding shipping: Shipping to South Africa possible via national post ($40) or Fedex/DHL Express service ($120-150). Shipping to EU & UK via registered Airmail trackable parcel ($30-50). Shipping to US via DHL/Fedex ($120-180). For other countries please ask.