Antiquarian Auctions

Auction #114 begins on 11 Apr 2024

Burchell, William J.

Travels in the Interior of Southern Africa- 2 Volume SET. Plus Hints on emigration to the Cape of Good Hope

Published: Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, Brown and Green, Paternoster-Row, London, 1822 and 1824

Edition: First Editions

Lot closed

Sold for: Register or Sign In to find out

Bids: 1

Visits: 126

Have a similar item to sell? Contact Us with the details.

How it works

Register

Two Volumes., quarto, later red half morocco spine ruled and lettered in gilt, tooled in blind, t.e.g., marbled boards; pp. viii + (iv) + Errata Leaf + 582 + (iv) and (vi) + 648, with halftitles, 20 fine hand-coloured aquatint plates, numerous woodcut vignettes and folding linen-backed map; very slight browning, occasional minor spotting or offsetting, faint small library circular stamp on title, otherwise a fine set in handsome bindings.

First edition. The account of Burchell's expedition into the interior of Southern Africa, on which he trekked across the Karroo, through Roggeveldt to the Orange River and thence traversed the Bosjeman districts spending a total of 4 years exploring the region with only a handful of hottentots for companions. In the preface he states that his collections comprised 63,000 natural history specimens, 500 drawings and a mass of astronomical, meteorological and other observations and notes. Of the natural history specimens, the majority were donated to the Natural History Museum on his return.

The plates which illustrate the work, many of them folding panoramic views which extend up to two feet in width, are of particular interest, many being examples of them then practically unknown process of scenographic projection, by which the impression was produced by means of a revolving cylinder. In addition all the plates were coloured by Burchell himself. The work deals with his explorations specifically between 1811-1812, a third volume having been projected but never published. Burchell also travelled extensively in South America but never published an account of his explorations there. Nevertheless, his collections from that continent were said to be at least eight or nine times larger than his African collection.

Of the above work only 750 copies of Volume I and 500 of Volume II were ever published and it has now become one of the rarest of all Southern African exploration narratives. Also included in this copy is a 4-page article by Burchell entitled Hints on emeigration to the Cape of Good Hope, a reply to a criticism in the Qaurterly Review of an earlier pamphlet published under the same title.

Very good set.

  • Jacket Condition: As Published
  • Binding Condition: Very Good
  • Overall Condition: Very Good
  • Size: 29 X 22.5cm Weight 4.3kgs
  • Sold By: Quathlamba Winds Books
  • Contact Person: Ian & Yvonne Halford
  • Country: United Kingdom
  • Email: [email protected]
  • Telephone: 01743 361772
  • Preferred Payment Methods: Paypal-Cheques-Direct Transfer to UK Bank.
  • Trade Associations: SABDA


© 2024 Paul Mills trading as AntiquarianAuctions.com. All rights reserved. Use of this website is regulated by our website Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.