Item #81233 Travels in South Africa. Undertaken at the Request of the Missionary Society. John Campbell.

Travels in South Africa. Undertaken at the Request of the Missionary Society

1815. Hardcover. frontis (portrait), folding map, 8 plates (1 folding), xvi, 582p. Later 3/4 leather (marbled boards with large brown leather backstrip and large corners). 21cm. No half-title present. Map uncolored. Front and back covers detached. Trimmed when rebound leaving adequate but narrow margins. Title page discolored in upper right corner. All edges colored yellow (probably when rebound). An important and reasonably balanced account. Theal, an influential (and racially biased) white South African historian, wrote rather dismissively of this book: "This book contains some information on general subjects, as well as a complete account of the missions of the London society. But the author's simplicity and credulity were so great that little reliance can be placed on anything that he describes which did not come under his own eyes. It is difficult to make out his Dutch, Korana and Setshuana proper names, as his ear was not good at catching sounds. There is a kindly tone throughout ... which compensates for many defects." [Theal's Catalogue of Books and Pamphlets relating to Africa]. Fair. Item #81233

Price: $250.00

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