pre-1900 : 1900 and later

Date of Publication	Title of resource	Author/s	S rating*
1820	Burchell and La Trobe - Book Reviews	The Quarterly Review	9
1822	Travels in the Interior of South Africa	William J Burchell	6
1833	The Penny Farthing (UK Weekly Magazine  article about Hottentots)	Various	9
1836	Narrative of a Journey to the Zoolu Country, in South Africa	Captain Allen F Gardiner	8
1844	A Narrative of a Visit to the Mauritius and South Africa	James Backhouse	8
1848	Journal Residence Cape of Good Hope, SOUTH AFRICA	Charles Bunbury	9
1850	A Hunter's Life in South Africa	R Gordon Cumming	9
1852	Wild Sports of Southern Africa	Capt William C Harris	9
1853	The Kafir, the Hottentot, and the frontier farmer	Archdeacon Merriman	7
1855, 56 & 58	A Hunter's Life in South Africa	R Gordon Cumming	9
1864	Zulu Land, life among the Zulu-Kafirs	Rev Lewis Grout	9
1872	How I found Livingstone: Travels, Adventures and Discoveries in Central Africa	Henry M Stanley	8
1872	Library of Travel Exploration and Adventure, S Africa	Bayard Taylor	10
1872-73	Harpers Magazine - complete magazine Volume XLVI....December 1872 to May 1873	Various	9
1873	Life in the Diamond Fields Slavery and Torture	Albert E Coleman	7
1873	Illustrated Library of Travel Exploration and Adventure	Bayard Taylor	7
1879	Through the Dark Continent	Henry M Stanley	7
1881	On Temperate South Africa - Royal Geographical Society (by Bartle Frere the Governor of the Cape)	Bartle Frere	9
1887	The White Chief of the Caffres	Major-Gen A W Drayson	10
1890	Narrative of an Explorer in Tropical South Africa	Sir Francis Galton	7
1890	In Darkest Africa (Two Volumes)	Henry M Stanley	7
1891	Rambles in South Africa	Rev Dr Campbell	5
1896	Reminiscences of Kafir Life and History	Hon Chas Brownlee	7
1969	Gleanings in Africa (reprint of 1806 edition)	Various letters	8

*(S Rating) Scarcity Rating (includes scarcity, relevance and content) - with 10 being the most desirable and 1 easiest to acquire. Those highlighted in the deeper shades of red are highly sought after works.

Burchell and Latrobe - Book Review
1820

The 43 page rebound review has been removed from a larger review book and rebound in soft blue covers. The review covers several books including Burchell's "Hints on Emigration to the Cape"; Latrobe's "Journal of a visit to South Africa"; and Richard Fisher's "The Importance of the Cape of of Good Hope".

Conflicting views are aired, some bordering on outrageous others openly racist.

For example, the review states: "How many hundreds or thousands of years previously to the arrival of these Europeans the poor Hottentots remained dumb, Mr Fisher does not condescend to inform us; but as he obligingly instructs us that "the garrulity of the magpie, the solemn hooting of the owl, the chattering of the daw, and the cackling of the goose," are "sounds of a language" in which all these features have a prodigious advantage over the Hottentot, who could neither speak nor cackle, hoot nor chatter, it is manifest in what rank of the animal creation he means to place them."

The views of Burchell and Latrobe are far more understanding and balanced as they relate to the Hottentot.

The Review also makes this stunning admission on land ownership and the manner in which land had been stolen from the Hottentots (p 221): "By degrees the agents who carried on a barter with the simple nation, found their advantage in breeding cattle themselves; and finally, by means of spirits and tobacco, they contrived not only to juggle the Hottentots out of the whole of their flocks but to compel them to take care of them. The (Dutch East India) Company, placing no value on the land, particularly such parts as lay behind the mountains, dealt it out to those graziers with a liberal hand; tracts of about 5000 acres each were granted in perpetual leasehold, on an annual payment of 24 rix-dollars or about five pounds sterling, something less than a farthing an acre. The person desirous of obtaining one of these loan-farms, as they were called, having pitched upon an unoccupied spot, erected a baaken, or land mark on the most convenient spot from which, as from a centre, all the lands that fell within the periphery of a circle whose radius was half an hour's walk, or one mile and a half, was considered as comprized in the grant.... Thus removed from the seat of authority, and placed where no one was near enough to see, much less control his actions, the Vee-boor lorded it over the kraal of Hottentots with the undisputed power of a feudal chief, from whose tyranny they had no appeal."   

The Balson Holdings Family Trust holds a copy of this text in excellent condition rebound in soft blue covers.

Travels in the interior of South Africa - William J Burchell 1822/24 - 1967 Reprint

This is a limited/numbered reprint, No. 408 of 1000.

Contains frontispiece portrait of Burchell, plus 18 colour plates by Burchell and numerous b/w line drawings throughout. Fold-out map of the Extra-tropical part of Southern Africa. Both volumes are in perfect condition.

The original book is extremely rare and even the 1967 reprint of these two volumes is worth upwards of US$1,000. This is the better of the two facsimile reprints of Burchell's work held by the Balson Holdings Family Trust.

An extract of his book relating to the state of Klaarwater in 1811 can be seen at this link

Mendelssohn, vol. 1, p. 224, comments on the original publication, "The most valuable and accurate work on South Africa published up to the first quarter of the nineteenth century, and embracing a description of a large part of the Cape Colony and Bechuanaland at this period."

The key part of the large fold out map of Burchell's travels, the Klaarwater (or later Griquatown) region, can be seen in detail by clicking on the thumbnail on the right. 

The Balson Holdings Family Trust holds copies of these two reprint books in perfect condition (1953 and 1967 reprints).

The Penny Farthing - Weekly UK Magazine
(23rd February 1833)

Eight pages, clear and sharp with beautiful detail.

The Magazine contains:

ENGRAVINGS (see below): PRINCIPAL FRONT OF NOTRE DAME CATHEDRAL VIEW OF EHRENBREITSTEIN FROM THE RHINE FROM AN ORIGINAL DRAWING OF AN OLD HOTTENTOT HERDSMAN PORTRAIT OF HANDEL

ARTICLES: NOTRE DAME THE ORPHANS THE CASTLE OF EHRENBREITSTEIN THE HOTTENTOTS NEWSPAPERS HANDEL

The Penny Magazine, published every Saturday, was aimed at the working class. It was part of the Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge's program for liberal reform. for its reader, however, it was a source of information on subjects of general interest: everyday things like tea and coffee, well-known places in England, a series on animals and birds of Britain, descriptions of present-day manufacturing, even an American alaman and a serial of a personal account of an immigrant's problems. Poetry was published, too, and there are several illustrations in each issue.

The article about the Hottentots in the magazine draws largely from Barrow's , Le Vaillant's and Dr Philips' books 

Here is an extract, a poem in the article about the plight of the Hottentot people:

Mild, melancholy and sedate he stands,
Tending another's flock upon the fields,
His father's once, where now the whiteman builds
His home, and issues forth his proud commands.
His dark eye flashes not; his listless hands
Lean on the shephard's staff; no more he wields
The Libyan bow - bit to the oppressor yields
Submissively his freedom and his lands.
Has he no courage? - once he had - but lo!
Hard servitude hath worn him to the bone.
No enterprise? - alas! the brand, the blow,
Have humbled him to dust - ev'n hope is gone,
"He's a hard hearted hound - not worth his food" -
His master cries - "he has no gratitude!" 

The Balson Holdings Family Trust holds a copy of this magazine  in the excellent condition.

The article on the Hottentots

Narrative of a Journey to the Zoolu Country, in South Africa - Captain Allen F. Gardiner
(First Edition - 1836)

8vo; modern quarter bound synthetic leather, with gilt-on-black cloth title labels on spine; new endpapers; pp. iv + 412; 26 plates, including some coloured; 2 folding maps. Pastedowns a little rippled; moderate foxing throughout, which is more severe in a number of plates; most tissue-guards either absent or fragmented; one of the maps is partially torn along the folds. The flyleaf has a near-contemporary ownership inscription of "Henry Owen", a relative of Rev. Francis Owen, whom Gardiner persuaded to serve as a missionary to the Zulus, and who was present at the time of Retief's murder.

There is an interesting description of the country, and it would appear that the military system and the deep-rooted belief in witchcraft prevailing among the inhabitants were great stumbling blocks to the conversion of the natives to religion or civilisation, and no great results were achieved by the missionaries, a fact corroborated by many other authors. … The volume contains some coloured portraits of Dingaan, many illustrations, two maps, the regulations of the town of Durban, and the treaty with the King of Zululand.

The Balson Holdings Family Trust holds a copy of this book in the excellent condition described above (value over US$500).

A Narrative of a Visit to the Mauritius and South Africa - James Backhouse
(First Edition - 1844)

648 + lvi pages appendix, frontispiece View of Table Bay - an etching from a drawing by Thomas Bowler is shown below.

The book (re-covered) contains two folding maps - the large folding map at the end has Backhouse's journeys indicated in it and 16 etched plates and 28 woodcuts in the text, full calf, black title label on the spine, marbled edges and endpapers, light foxing on the title page, otherwise the contents are bright, overall a very good copy.

The book is in the form of a diary and the author seems to have traversed every part of South Africa where there was a mission station or a missionary. In this way he appears to have met every prominent man connected with mission work in South Africa at this time. From June 1838 to December 1840 the author was constantly travelling, visiting almost every inhabited town and district, carefully noting every point of interest in the country and its inhabitants. There is a good description of Kaffraria and of the Basutos, Griquas and Bechuana countries. There is also a narrative of a journey to Great Namaqualand.

The Balson Holdings Family Trust holds a copy of this book in the excellent condition described above (value over US$500).

Journal Residence of Cape of Good Hope, South Africa - Charles Bunbury
First Edition (1848)

297 pages and four black and white plates. Substantial wear on the spine but the book is sound and complete. The book has been inscribed by William Winthrop who was the United States Consul at Malta in the 1860s. The second book held is also in poor condition with the covers separated - it was once owned by the Boston Library - see image right. 

Charles Bunbury accompanied his friend, Sir George Napier, the Governor of the Cape Colony, on his voyage to Africa in 1837, and remained there for fourteen months, during which time he busied himself with botanical research, travelling over a considerable part of South Africa. In the course of his journeys he had ample opportunity of observing the political state of the country, and refers to the necessity for a firm and consistent policy. He refers to the Great Trek of the Boers which was still proceeding, and enters into the reasons for this step."

A fascinating view of contemporary South Africa through the eyes of a British traveller. As well as discussing Cape Town and its history, his journey into the country takes him to Port Elizabeth and Graham's Town, which he covers in travel notes, as well as in his botanical studies. The book also includes separate chapters on botany, including mention of the wealth of plant species on top of Table Mountain. A couple of species are reproduced in the engraved plates. This is a rare volume on South Africa, its history and contemporary politics and conflict.

Some of the plates in this rare first edition book

The Balson Holdings Family Trust holds two copies of this book in poor condition as described above
(value over US$500).

A Hunter's Life in South Africa -
R Gordon Cumming (1850 Second Edition)

Roualeyn George Gordon-Cumming, (1820- 1866), Scottish traveller and sportsman, known famously as the "Lion Hunter". From his early years he was distinguished by his passion for sport, and chased lion, elephant, hippopotamus, giraffe, rhinocerous and other South African wild game. Cumming was famous for hunting in his kilt; he had earlier served in Madras Light Cavalry and had vast experience hunting throughout India as well as in the American West and in Scotland. He came to South Africa chiefly because of its opportunities for sport and travel, in 1843, and he served in the Cape Rifleman. During his stay in the East he had laid the foundation of his collection of hunting trophies and specimens of natural history. In 1843 he joined the Cape Mounted Rifles, but for the sake of absolute freedom sold out at the end of the year and with an ox wagon and a few native followers set out for the interior. He hunted chiefly in Bechuanaland and the valley of the Limpopo River, regions then swarming with big game.

This extremely rare two volume books on Cumming's adventures in 1844 - 1845, shown right, diarises his hunting trips through Central South Africa. There is a chapter (7) dedicated to the Griqua at Philippolis and Rhama. More at this link.

A very nice set of one of the great early classics of African hunting and adventure. He traveled widely and shot enormous numbers of Big Game, eventually procuring enough impressive trophies to open his own "South African Museum" in London. These books are vividly written, as they were based on Cumming's daily journals, written up every evening; and they capture the excitement, dangers and uncertainties of travel, hunting and military campaigns. He was among the first Europeans to explore some areas of southern Africa, and this remains one of the most important description of its inhabitants in the years before colonialism.

Cumming starts as follows, "As the reader who purposes to follow me through the five adventurous years I spent in the untrodden wilds of Southern Africa might like to know something of my previous career, I shall briefly state that the early portion of my life was spent in the county of Moray, where a love of natural history and of sport early engendered itself, and become stronger and more deeply rooted with my years. Salmon-fishing and roe-stalking were my favourite amusements; and, during these early wanderings by wood and stream, the strong love and most attractive forms became with me an all-absorbing feeling, and my greatest possible enjoyment was to pass whole days and many a summer night in solitude, where, undisturbed, I might contemplate the silent grandeur of the forest and the ever-varying beauty of the scenes around. Long before I proceeded to Eton I took pride in the goodly array of hunting trophies which hung around my room......"

Interestingly Cumming still refers to the "Griquas" at Philippolis as being called "Bastards" under Adam Kok while he referred to them as being known as Griquas under Waterboer at Griquatown. He is very clear on this - stating that they were once united but had now split into the two groups and named accordingly.

Cumming met and stayed with the famous missionaries Robert Moffat (at Kuruman) and Dr David Livingstone (at  Mabotsa) - Livingstone had earlier married Moffat's eldest daughter in 1844.

Livingstone, in Chapter 7 of his book "Missionary Travels" refers to his meeting with Cumming in the heart of Africa:

JANUARY 28TH. Passing on to Letloche, about twenty miles beyond the Bamangwato, we found a fine supply of water. This is a point of so much interest in that country that the first question we ask of passers by is, “Have you had water?” the first inquiry a native puts to a fellow-countryman is, “Where is the rain?” and, though they are by no means an untruthful nation, the answer generally is, “I don’t know — there is none — we are killed with hunger and by the sun.” If news is asked for, they commence with, “There is no news: I heard some lies only,” and then tell all they know.

This spot was Mr. Gordon Cumming’s furthest station north. Our house at Kolobeng having been quite in the hunting-country, rhinoceros and buffaloes several times rushed past, and I was able to shoot the latter twice from our own door. We were favored by visits from this famous hunter during each of the five years of his warfare with wild animals. Many English gentlemen following the same pursuits paid their guides and assistants so punctually that in making arrangements for them we had to be careful that four did not go where two only were wanted: they knew so well that an Englishman would pay that they depended implicitly on his word of honor, and not only would they go and hunt for five or six months in the north, enduring all the hardships of that trying mode of life, with little else but meat of game to subsist on, but they willingly went seven hundred or eight hundred miles to Graham’s Town, receiving for wages only a musket worth fifteen shillings.

No one ever deceived them except one man; and as I believed that he was afflicted with a slight degree of the insanity of greediness, I upheld the honor of the English name by paying his debts. As the guides of Mr. Cumming were furnished through my influence, and usually got some strict charges as to their behavior before parting, looking upon me in the light of a father, they always came to give me an account of their service, and told most of those hunting adventures which have since been given to the world, before we had the pleasure of hearing our friend relate them himself by our own fireside. I had thus a tolerably good opportunity of testing their accuracy, and I have no hesitation in saying that for those who love that sort of thing Mr. Cumming’s book conveys a truthful idea of South African hunting. Some things in it require explanation, but the numbers of animals said to have been met with and killed are by no means improbable, considering the amount of large game then in the country. Two other gentlemen hunting in the same region destroyed in one season no fewer than seventy-eight rhinoceroses alone. Sportsmen, however, would not now find an equal number, for as guns are introduced among the tribes all these fine animals melt away like snow in spring. In the more remote districts, where fire-arms have not yet been introduced, with the single exception of the rhinoceros, the game is to be found in numbers much greater than Mr. Cumming ever saw. The tsetse is, however, an insuperable barrier to hunting with horses there, and Europeans can do nothing on foot. The step of the elephant when charging the hunter, though apparently not quick, is so long that the pace equals the speed of a good horse at a canter. A young sportsman, no matter how great among pheasants, foxes, and hounds, would do well to pause before resolving to brave fever for the excitement of risking such a terrific charge; the scream or trumpeting of this enormous brute when infuriated is more like what the shriek of a French steam-whistle would be to a man standing on the dangerous part of a rail-road than any other earthly sound: a horse unused to it will sometimes stand shivering instead of taking his rider out of danger. It has happened often that the poor animal’s legs do their duty so badly that he falls and causes his rider to be trodden into a mummy; or, losing his presence of mind, the rider may allow the horse to dash under a tree and crack his cranium against a branch. As one charge from an elephant has made embryo Nimrods bid a final adieu to the chase, incipient Gordon Cummings might try their nerves by standing on railways till the engines were within a few yards of them. Hunting elephants on foot would be not less dangerous,21 unless the Ceylon mode of killing them by one shot could be followed: it has never been tried in Africa.

The books interesting pedigree

This set of two books is extremely rare and cannot be found for sale on the Internet

The Balson Holdings Family Trust holds a copy of this first edition book (as well as the later editions) in very good condition.

The Kafir, the Hottentot, and the frontier farmer - Archdeacon Merriman
(First Edition - 1853)

Ppii + 216, black and white and 3 coloured illustrations, folding map, mustard blind-stamped cloth with gilt lettering.

The book, Merriman's 1850 diary, was published by the Bishop of Cape Town after Merriman's death.

It records in diary form the background to the Kat River rebellion by the Hottentots.

Merriman describes the Griquas of Griquatown and Philippolis on page 84 as being unable "to keep a shop; not from any deficiency or mathematical or inability to keep the books , but from the impossibility which they find in preventing their countrymen from getting into debt, or making them pay debts when they have contracted them. In fact, there is an universal prevelance of social dishonesty among them, and almost as universal a prevelance of the questionable quality of a "good nature", so called, that they cannot say "no" to a begging idler or fellow countryman."

The Map of South Africa	A Hottentot Man	Inscription at end of book

Two copies of this rare book in excellent condition are held by the Balson Holdings Family Trust.

Wild Sports of Southern Africa - Captain William Cornwallis Harris
(Fifth Edition - 1852)

The first edition of this work was published in 1838 with the title "Narrative of an expedition into southern Africa", but it had only one illustration and a map; the second edition (John Murray, 1839) contained only 8 plates. This enlarged fifth edition is the most valuable and desirable version, as it is lavishly illustrated with 26 full-page lithographic handcoloured plates, including a folding map. One of the handcoloured plates in the book can be seen below right.

Tall royal 8vo, publisher’s original red cloth, upper cover with ornate border in blind and decorated with a central motif featuring four African animals, lower cover with border in blind, spine lettered and decorated in gilt featuring a large gilt giraffe, a.e.g.

In this book Harris reflects his total disgust in the Hottentots he came across continuously referring to them as drunk and, on page 286, summing up his feelings thus: (The boer settlers in the eastern Cape) long subjected to the pilferings of a host of Hottentot vagabonds, whose lives are passed in one perpetual round of idleness, delinquency, and brutish intoxication on the threshold of the gin-shop....

This 359 page book has been skillfully and unobtrusively recased preserving the original cloth on the spine. An uncommonly well preserved copy with none of the expected foxing and only very minor age mellowing or wear to the scarce original cloth, particularly to the bottom corners.

This is the best edition and very rare  in its original gilt decorated cloth. Harris’ study goes far beyond simple game hunting and is a valuable look into the Africa of the day. In addition to the studies of the wildlife, he also gives us through both the text and the lithographic plates a look at some of the indigenous peoples of the region. The plates themselves are highly noteworthy. The images are dynamic and capture the movements, the very nuances, of the subjects. In many cases these were among the earliest glimpses Western peoples experienced of these fascinating animals and peoples. The colour reproduction is excellent and the plates in this copy are particularly clean and bright.

The Balson Holdings Family Trust holds a copy of this book in the excellent condition described above
(value over US$1,500).

A Hunter's Life in South Africa -
R Gordon Cumming (1855, 1856 and 1858 Editions)

Extremely rare later editions

The Balson Holdings Family Trust owns copies of the extremely rare 303 page 1856 and 1858 print of Cumming's adventures in 1844 - 1845, shown right, diarises his hunting trips through Central South Africa. There is a chapter (7) dedicated to the Griqua at Philippolis and Rhama. More at this link. The editions with an identical cover to that seen right (1856 frontispiece at this link) has hand coloured images in the front of the book - like those shown below from the earlier 1855 edition.

This more common 1855 edition (New York) has the same images (see below) and text but is larger in size and had beautiful coloured edges to the pages when initially printed. These are now faded but can still be seen.

Considering all these books are in very good condition. Although cloth bound the books above have the look of leather because of the dark chocolate covers, the deckled finish and deeply embossed front and back; The spine is engraved with gold gilt titles and lion attacking two men; There are eight time period full page woodcut illustrations of hunting scenes (see below). There is some wear, has corner, edge and spine rubs, front and back cloth tears at meeting of spine and boards (even still the original boards are holding very well). Binding is good and still pretty firm, strengthened inside hinges with flexible cloth adhesive repair. Pages are mostly clean but has normal foxing for a book of its age, all pages are account for and are fully attached, although the front two have a short partial tear.

Perhaps the greatest value of this book is Cumming's lengthy and detailed descriptions including that of grasslands literally swarming with springbok, kudu, gemsbok and wildebeest. His book is blamed as being the trigger for a raft of white hunters who followed - wanting to experience the awesome sight of massive herds of buck. He also describes in great detail the structure and make up of the typical "beehive" shaped Griqua house and its portability... 

Image right: The more common 1855 edition of the book

Interestingly Cumming still refers to the "Griquas" at Philippolis as being called "Bastards" under Adam Kok while he referred to them as being known as Griquas under Waterboer at Griquatown. He is very clear on this - stating that they were once united but had now split into the two groups and named accordingly.

Cumming met and stayed with the famous missionaries Robert Moffat (at Kuruman) and Dr David Livingstone (at  Mabotsa) - Livingstone had earlier married Moffat's eldest daughter in 1844.

This early edition of the book is extremely rare and cannot be found for sale on the Internet

The Balson Holdings Family Trust holds a copy of these books (as well as the more common 1856 edition and rare 1850 first edition) in very good condition.

Zulu Land, life among the Zulu-Kafirs - Rev Lewis Grout
- First Edition - 1864

Zulu-Land or Life among the Zulu-Kafirs of Natal and Zulu-land, South Africa is a thorough and comprehensive book written by Rev. Lewis Grout, a missionary for fifteen years among the Zulus from 1847-1862. The author obtained an intimate knowledge of the history, customs and social like of the natives, and the laws and government of the country.

Lewis Grout, ordained and married on the same day, set sail with his new bride two days later for South Africa, reaching the District of Natal in February, 1847. For the next fifteen years he labored among the Zulus, pursuing his missionary efforts and studying the native languages. He authored "Grammar of the Zulu Language" which was first published in 1859 in Natal. This work was described as one of the best of the early grammatical works on the Zulu language.

The revised version of this book is sold for over US$600. Grout also translated the Bible and other works into the Zulu language.

This fascinating book of Zulu-Kafirs and their homeland begins with the authors first experience in Africa and the necessity of learning quickly how to "outspan for the night." Chapters include:

• The Discovery and naming of "Terra de Natal" or Christmas Land
• Geographical features of Natal on the Southeastern coast of South Africa
• Origin and Relationship of the Zulu-Kafir and other Zingian Tribes
• Early Accounts of Natal ~ History of the Rulers ~ Reign of Chaka
• Boers in Natal and How the District became a British Colony
• Matrimonial Affairs in Zululand
• Zulu-Kafir Law and Government ~ Their Influence on the Native Mind
• Appearance and Pursuits of the Natives
• Zulu Language and Literature
• History of the American Zulu Mission from 1843 to 1862
• Fauna of Natal ~ Reptiles ~ Insects and Birds
• European Enterprise in Natal
• Present State of Affairs in Zululand

Some of the plates in the book

The Balson Holdings Family Trust holds  a copy of this first edition book in excellent condition - in original binding.

How I found Livingstone: Travels, Adventures and Discoveries in Central Africa
- Henry M Stanley - First Edition - 1872

Includes an Account of four Month's Residence with Dr. Livingstone,

This 736 page book with six maps is valued at about US$400. The book has been recently rebound in Three Quarter burgundy leather with marbled boards, and marbled endpapers.

It is in this book that the immortal words "Dr Livingstone, I presume" reflect Stanley's introduction to Africa's greatest explorer. Stanley describes in this book how he and Livingstone went to the source of the Nile - Lake Tanganyika and re-wrote the earlier findings by Burton.

The Balson Holdings Family Trust holds two copies of this first edition book in excellent condition - one in original binding.

Library of Travel Exploration and Adventure, S Africa - Bayard Taylor
1872 first edition

Scribner, Armstrong & Co., New York, 1872. 12mo, 7.5 x 5 inches, 336 + 6 pp. publisher's advertisements + preliminaries which include a fold-out map. The book, part of a series by Taylor, cannot be found for sale on the Internet. Includes 23 illustrations. Hardcover, red-brown cloth / faux-leather, gold stamped & black lettering and illustrative bricabrac on front cover and spine. One of the first volumes of the "Illustrated Library of Travel, Exploration and Adventure." A "bound by the Riverside Press" sticker is found on the rear endpaper assuring that this is indeed the original binding, as it was printed by Houghton at Riverside Cambridge.

The discovery and settlement of South Africa, focusing on the journeys of Anderson, Livingstone, and Magyar.

Mild soiling and edgewear, bumped corners, one section toward the center starting to come loose, and likewise the spine. With a little bindery attention this could be a very nice addition to your library. A former owners name (W. or N. Johnston) is penciled on the dark-blue front free endpaper, and another's stamp is on the first blank page, "I.N. Taylor," a descendant of the book's compiler through celebrated Stanford biologist C.V. Taylor.

The book has several illustrations - some of which are shown below - of most interest is the one of a Hottentot playing a musical instrument.

The book is factually unsound in several places. For example Griquatown is referred to as "Griqua City" with a population of some 20,000 - even today the population is nowhere near that number and would have numbered well under one thousand at that time!

Two copies of this extremely rare first edition copy held by the Balson Holdings Family Trust - both are in fair condition.

Life in the Diamond Fields - Extract Harpers Magazine
Albert E Coleman (1873)

The author of this very rare 15 page report in the American publication Harpers New Monthly Magazine was a first-hand witness to brutal torture and punishment of diamond field slaves in the Orange Free State. Tolerant to this practice, he also berates, judges and compares the character and work ethic of African tribes, including the Zulu, Basutos, Hottentots, Griqua and Korana. He imparts an enlightening and shocking 19th century account which resonates with today's allegations of global corruption and exploitation in the diamond mining industry!

The report has been rebound in soft green boards as seen right.

The Balson Holdings Family Trust also holds the complete, bound and extremely rare, Harpers Volume XLVI....December 1872 to May 1873 magazines which includes this article. (See images below).

A few plates from the article can be seen below - the report includes a map of the region including Griquatown at this link. This map clearly shows the disputed boundary marked at David's Grave on the Modder River.

The Balson Holdings Family Trust holds a copy of this article and Harpers Volume XLVI - both carefully bound and in excellent condition.

Illustrated Library of Travel Exploration and Adventure (1873)
Bayard Taylor

Book in transit (July 2007)

Bayard Taylor transcribed the comments of explorers around this world

This very rare book covers Africa

Three plates and one map from the book can be seen below.

The Balson Holdings Family Trust holds a copy of this article carefully bound in excellent condition.

Through the Dark Continent - Henry M Stanley - 1879

This 500 plus page book with a large fold out map covers Stanley's second trip to Africa (in 1872). The book is in its original binding and generally in excellent condition - though the map has separated at the folds..

The Balson Holdings Family Trust holds a copy of this book in very good condition

On Temperate South Africa - Royal Geographical Society
(by Sir Henry Bartle Frere the Governor of the Cape) - 1881

A substantial paper in the Royal Geographic Society bulletin written on the urge to follow the lead indicated by Livingstone in his first journey of exploration and further explore the temperate region of South Africa.

Sir Henry Bartle Edward Frere, 1815-84, was a British colonial administrator. He served from 1850-59, as chief commissioner of Sind, distinguishing himself during the Indian Mutiny, and was governor of Bombay from 1862-67. In 1872 he negotiated a treaty with the sultan of Zanzibar for the suppression of the slave trade. Appointed governor of Cape Colony and high commissioner of British South Africa, Frere had to cope with Boer discontent in the newly annexed Transvaal, the conflict between the Griquas and the boers and with Zulu unrest in Natal. Intent on breaking the military power of the Zulus, he precipitated in 1878 the Zulu War. His action was disapproved in London, and although he was popular in the Cape he was recalled to England in 1880. Just before his recall he signed this document giving title of land to a Charles Brisley, a partner in the firm Strachan and Company.

In this lengthy article Frere calls on the Royal Geographic Society to lobby the authorities to survey the coastline of South Africa correctly as it was not up to the standards required for "modern" shipping. He also details the role of the various missionary societies in educating the various peoples of Southern Africa.

This rare original copy of the January 1881 edition of the Royal Geographic Society's monthly record is held by the Balson Holdings Family Trust.

White Chief of the Caffres (Zulus), Major General Alfred W Drayson
- 1887

An extremely rare and hard to find 315 page book by Major-General Alfred W. Drayson, author of "Sporting Scenes Amongst the Kaffirs of South Africa." A young boy, Julius Peterson, was shipwrecked on the south-east coast of Africa near the Umzimvubu river  south of Natal which flows through the region later occupied by the Griquas. Drayson and other shipwrecked white people encountered the Caffres (Pondo or Amapondo natives - an off-shoot of the Zulus to the north).

As a young 10 year old boy he survived a Caffre attack shortly after the ship wreck in which all the other men were killed, and he was allowed to live and be brought up as a member of their tribe. Intriguing account of survival, bravery, becoming a chief, hunting all the wild game of Africa, fighting Zulus, being captured, narrow escapes, encounters with Bushmen and Boers. The "opera glasses" which brought things near and the gun which dispersed the Bushmen brought the young Drayson great esteem among the Pondo people long before the first whites settled what was later to become East Griqualand.

Although a story Drayson's book parallels what actually did happen in that region in the 1700s - with whites shipwrecked on the coast at Umzimvubu being taken into the local Amapondo tribe and coloured children resulting from the union of white women and their native captors. The book gives an excellent account of the region and how the harbour at Durban looked before being settled by the white man.

The book has a deep green cloth bevelled hardback with pictorial cover with bright gilt title. Spine is also decorated with Zulu warrior and bright gilt title. Tissue-guarded frontispiece and numerous wonderful illustrations throughout. This rare book is in very good to excellent condition, with clean pages, no writing, end papers have some foxing, a little wear to cover print.

This rare first edition 1887 edition of this book is held by the Balson Holdings Family Trust.

Some of the plates in the book

Narrative of an explorer in tropical South Africa  - Sir Francis Galton
(third edition 1890 - first print 1851)

The first edition of a very reliable account of an expedition to Damaraland and Ovampoland (now part of Namibia), 1850-1852. The author was fortunate in finding so experienced a traveller as C J Anderson to accompany him.

The book was published by the Minerva Library of Famous Books - with several of its other works advertised at the back.

There are some fascinating descriptions of life in Africa at this time - as can be seen in the extract copied from the book below. Galton worked mainly among the Namaquas in the arid north-western regions, and travelled to South West Africa.

The book has a map (seen below) and several illustrations - the history of Damaraland is updated in this third edition.

This is a very rare find - especially in this condition.

The Balson Holdings Family Trust holds this book in pristine condition.

In Darkest Africa (Illustrated) Two volumes  - Henry M Stanley 1890

The book covers Stanley's (a reporter) travels through north and east Africa with Zanzibar as his base. The book discusses the extraordinary trials of Stanley's party as they traversed "Darkest Africa". Of 373 souls 57 were sick and 16 died half way through his travels (pg 192 vol one)!

The impact of Stanley's African exploration can be seen by the two images below - the first taken in 1886 the second in 1890.

The book is profusely illustrated with two maps in pockets at the end of each volume.

This is a very rare find - especially in this condition.

The Balson Holdings Family Trust holds a rare matching pair of these two volumes in pristine condition.

Rambles in South Africa - Rev Dr John Kerr Campbell 1891

The book covers Campbell's travels (holiday) through much of South Africa from Durban, Natal to Post Elizabeth, Johannesburg and Cape Town. It gives n interesting insight into the lifestyle lived by the settlers and the African tribes that he met on his travels.

The book can be acquired quite easily through the Internet.

The Balson Holdings Family Trust holds a copy of this book.

Reminiscences of Kaffir Life and History - Hon Chas Brownlee 1896

This insightful book into the very early days of Natal and Nomansland (early 1800s). Chas Brownlee was in charge of Native Affairs and had an intimate understanding of the various tribes including the Kaffirs, Fingos, Griquas, Pondos and Zulu. He describes how the Zulus under the warring Chaka cleared a large tract of land of humanity, subsequently named Nomansland, where the Griquas then settled in 1861.   

This second edition of the 1896 book, written by W T Brownlee (Chas' son), was printed in 1916 and includes valuable research material not included in the first. The material covers the early history of Natal and East Griqualand, superstitions and customs among the native races, biographical sketches on some prominent Africans and addresses b Brownlee to Mission Stations.

A valuable reference work.

The Balson Holdings Family Trust holds two copies of this book as displayed below.

The 1896 first edition	The edited 1916 reprint

Gleanings in Africa - Various Letters 1806
1969 Facsimile Reprint

This rare 320 page hardcopy book  facsimile reprint is entitled "Exhibiting a Faithful and Correct View of the Manners and Customs of the Inhabitants of the Cape of Good Hope and Surrounding Country. With a full and comprehensive Account of the System of Agriculture adopted by the Colonists: Soil, Climate, Natural Productions, &c. &c. &c., interspersed with observations and reflections on the STATE OF SLAVERY in the Southern Extremity of the African Continent. In a series of letters from an English Officer during the Period in which that Colony was under the protection of the British Government. Illustrated with Engravings."

Negro Universities Press, New York, 1969. Reprinted from the rare original 1806 London edition.

An account of the Cape of Good Hope before the Batavian Republic. An anonymous British officer, the writer of this series of 39 letters, was evidently a strong opponent of slavery, and a large part of the work is devoted to both his views on the matter, and a sketch of the various forms of slavery that have existed from ancient times.

Contains ten great full-page reproductions of engravings which appeared in the original. Hardbound in brown cloth with gilt title on spine, in pristine, virtually as-new condition (see scans below). Front and rear hinges slightly darkened in gutter due to darkening of binding glue over time, this is quite minor. No dust jacket (none was issued.)

A valuable reference work.

The Balson Holdings Family Trust holds one copy of this facsimile reprint in very good condition.