Travels in the Interior of Southern Africa (2-Volume Set)

About this book

A reprint of a classical work in the Cambridge Library Collection. The volumes are also available individually.

William John Burchell (1781–1863) is still admired for this outstanding two-volume geography of South Africa, published in 1822–4 and later taken on Darwin's Beagle voyage. It is based on his journal of the first year of a 4,500-mile expedition into southern Africa from 1811 to 1815, while 'botanist to the Cape Colony'. Volume 1 particularly focuses on landscapes, and flora and fauna, often giving their indigenous names, while Volume 2 is more ethnographical. Burchell emphasises at several points in his account that his observations are 'most impartial and unprejudiced', intended to present a true picture of southern Africa's 'Aboriginal Inhabitants'. He also claims that, unlike many travelogues, his contains no 'indelicacies … offensive to decency'. He returned to England with 500 scientific and ethnographical drawings, many of them used as illustrations in the book, and about 63,000 natural history specimens including 120 animal skins and 265 species of bird.

Contents

Volume 1
Preface
1. Approach to, and arrival at, the Cape of Good Hope
2. Residence in Cape Town, and rambles in the vicinity
3. A sketch of Cape Town and the colony
4. A ride through Hottentot-Holland to the warm-bath at Zwarteberg
5. Visit to Genadendal
6. Ride from Genadendal to the hot-spring in Brand Valley, and visit to Tulbagh
7. Ride from Tulbagh to the Paarl, and thence to Stellenbosch
8. Residence at Cape Town, and preparations for the journey
9. Journey from Cape Town to Tulbagh
10. From Tulbagh, through Hex-river Kloof, to the Karro Poort
11. Journey over the Karro
12. Journey through the Roggeveld to the borders of the colony
13. Journey from the borders of the Cape colony, through the country of the Bushmen, to the river Gariep
14. Journey in the country of the Koras, from the Gariep to the Asbetos mountains
15. Residence and transactions at Klaarwater
16. Excursion from Klaarwater to the confluence of the Nu-gariep , and thence to the Ky-gariep
17. Occurrences on the banks of the Ky-gariep
18. Return from the Ky-gariep to Klaarwater
19. Residence and transactions at Klaarwater, till the end of the year
20. Residence and transactions at Klaarwater, and preparations for resuming the journey into the interior
21. Arrangements for a journey back into the colony, and preparations for departure
The itinerary, and register of the weather
Remarks on the map, and geographical observations

Volume 2
1. Journey from Klaarwater, to Kaabi's Kraal
2. Transactions at Kaabi's Kraal
3. Journey from Kaabi's Kraal, to the borders of the colony
4. Journey from the borders of the colony, to the village of Graaffreynét
5. Transactions at Graaffreynét
6. Return from Graaffreynét, to the boundary of the colony
7. Return from the colony, through the country of the Bushmen, to Klaarwater
8. Transactions at Klaarwater, after the return from Graaffreynét
9. Journey in the country of the Koras, from Klaarwater to Sensaván
10. Journey from Sensaván, to the Kamhánni mountains
11. Journey in the country of the Bachapins, from the Kamhánni mountains to the river Makkwárin
12. Occurrences and observations at the river Makkwárin
13. Journey from the river Makkwárin, to the town of Litakun
14. Reception at Litakun
15. Residence in the town of Litakun, and affair of the gun
16. Transactions and occurrences during the first residence at Litakun
17. General description of the town of Litakun
18. General description of the Bachapins
The itinerary, and register of the weather
The zoological and botanical index
The general index

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