TRAVELS IN SOUTH AFRICA

First edition: xv, (i index to plates),582 pages, engraved frontispiece portrait of 'The Author of Travels to South Africa with wagons Etc., on the banks of the Great or Orange River', 8 plates – 1 folding, folding map – the map has been clumsily folded, attractively bound in full contemporary diced calf, page edges dyed light brown, a very good copy.

Dictionary of South African Biography, volume 3, pages 127/8: ‘Upon the death of Dr J.T. van der Kemp the London Mission Society sent Campbell to South Africa to visit and report on their mission stations. Campbell was the first missionary traveller to undertake a long journey into the interior, visiting far-flung missions. From Bethalsdorp he went to Graaff Reinet where he met the traveller W.J. Burchell. Finally after crossing the Orange River he reached Klaarwater mission station and advanced to Lattakoo and beyond, north-west of Malapeetze. When he was returning from this first journey of 4,800 kilometres, Campbell followed the South Bank of the Orange River for 960 kilometres, 480 kilometres on foot, in a region little known to Europeans. Having reached Pella he turned south via Silwerfontein where Cornelius Kok lived and where he received valuable information about Namaqualand, Damaraland and the Bushmen. He also brought back natural history and geological specimens for the L.M.S, museum.