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Important description of the interior of South Africa with hand coloured plates of the native peoples

LE VAILLANT, François.
Voyage de M. Le Vaillant dans l'intérieur de l'Afrique, par le Cap de Bonne-Espérance, dans les années 1780, 81, 82, 83, 84 & 85.

With engraved frontispiece of a camp in the Namaquois region, two folding plates with a view on Cape of Good Hope and of another camp at Pampoen-kraal, and 9 full-page plates of native people (a male and female Hottentot, le Hottentot Gonaquoi, Narina jeune Gonaquoise, a male and female kaffir, a female Hottentot, and a male and female giraffe, numbered I-VIII, VIII), all 9 <B><I>coloured by hand</I></B>. Nice woodcut head-pieces.<BR>

With engraved frontispiece of a camp in the Namaquois region, two folding plates with a view on Cape of Good Hope and of another camp at Pampoen-kraal, and 9 full-page plates of native people (a male and female Hottentot, le Hottentot Gonaquoi, Narina jeune Gonaquoise, a male and female kaffir, a female Hottentot, and a male and female giraffe, numbered I-VIII, VIII), all 9 <B><I>coloured by hand</I></B>. Nice woodcut head-pieces.<BR>

With engraved frontispiece of a camp in the Namaquois region, two folding plates with a view on Cape of Good Hope and of another camp at Pampoen-kraal, and 9 full-page plates of native people (a male and female Hottentot, le Hottentot Gonaquoi, Narina jeune Gonaquoise, a male and female kaffir, a female Hottentot, and a male and female giraffe, numbered I-VIII, VIII), all 9 <B><I>coloured by hand</I></B>. Nice woodcut head-pieces.<BR>

With engraved frontispiece of a camp in the Namaquois region, two folding plates with a view on Cape of Good Hope and of another camp at Pampoen-kraal, and 9 full-page plates of native people (a male and female Hottentot, le Hottentot Gonaquoi, Narina jeune Gonaquoise, a male and female kaffir, a female Hottentot, and a male and female giraffe, numbered I-VIII, VIII), all 9 <B><I>coloured by hand</I></B>. Nice woodcut head-pieces.<BR>

With engraved frontispiece of a camp in the Namaquois region, two folding plates with a view on Cape of Good Hope and of another camp at Pampoen-kraal, and 9 full-page plates of native people (a male and female Hottentot, le Hottentot Gonaquoi, Narina jeune Gonaquoise, a male and female kaffir, a female Hottentot, and a male and female giraffe, numbered I-VIII, VIII), all 9 <B><I>coloured by hand</I></B>. Nice woodcut head-pieces.<BR>



Paris, Leroy, 1790. 2 vols. 8vo. Contemporary three quarter calf, spine richly gilt, with red morocco title label and green morocco volume label. With engraved frontispiece of a camp in the Namaquois region, two folding plates with a view on Cape of Good Hope and of another camp at Pampoen-kraal, and 9 full-page plates of native people (a male and female Hottentot, le Hottentot Gonaquoi, Narina jeune Gonaquoise, a male and female kaffir, a female Hottentot, and a male and female giraffe, numbered I-VIII, VIII), all 9 coloured by hand. Nice woodcut head-pieces.
XXIV, 383; 403 pp.

First edition in octavo of a interesting account of the voyages into the interior of South Africa by François Le Vaillant (1753-1826). Mendelssohn only mentions an edition in 4to of the same year as the first edition (XVI, 400 pp.). The work was edited and for a good deal composed by Casimir Varon (1761-1796).
Le Vaillant was born in Paramaribo the capital of Dutch Guyana (Surinam), where his father was consul. After being educated in Holland and Paris where he studied natural history, he decided to travel into the interior of Africa in order to further his opportunities of gaining information by observing the specimens in their native countries. He sailed from Texel in December 1780 and after a passage of three months cast anchor in Table Bay. From there he sailed to Saldanha Bay where he stayed for some time with the planter Slaber before returning to Cape town. In Cape town he began his preparations for the journey into the interior, and while these were being made he took several excursions into the districts surrounding Cape town, extending his knowledge of the country and its natural history. His first journey started in December 1783, and the route taken was via 'Hottentot Holland' to Swellendam and Muscle Bay. Later he arrived at Alfoa Bay (Plettenberg). He returned to the colony via the 'Sneeuw bergen' passing through the Camdeboo country and crossing the Karroo. The narrative is characterized by the intelligent and interesting manner in which it is written, although the rhapsodies on the Hottentots must have sounded strange to colonial ears and his love passages with the fair 'Narina' (see plate IV) and his evident admiration for many of the other native women are remarkable for the time (Mendelssohn).  Among the plates is that of 'A Hottentot woman', showing the peculiar confirmation sometimes found in females of this race (plate VII). This plate was afterwards suppressed and in other editions it was replaced by another one.
The book is dedicated to Mr. Boers, the Dutch fiscal at Cape-town who had helped him in many ways. An English translation appeared in the same year in 8vo (London, for G.G.J. & J. Robinson, 1790).

Fine copy.
Mendelssohn 1, p. 889 (only 4to ed. of 1790); cf. Cox I, p. 389-90.

Related Subjects: Africa  Bindings  Dutch  French  South Africa  Travel & Voyages 

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