TRAVELS IN THE INTERIOR OF SOUTH AFRICA

James Chapman's TRAVELS IN THE INTERIOR OF SOUTH AFRICA, Comprising Fifteen Years' Hunting and Trading; With Journeys Across the Continent From Natal to Walvisch Bay, and Visits to Lake Ngami and the Victoria Falls

Facsimile reprint of the 1868 Bell & Daldy, London, First Edition: 2 volumes: bound by hand in half-leather, marbled end papers. A handsome set, as-new and unread, and ready for your reading pleasure and collection. Because the bindings of these volumes were created by hand, they are not perfect, nor should they be expected to be. No folding maps in these facsimile reproduction volumes.

The original first editions are very, very rare, so this 2-volume facsimile reprint is the next best thing. No set of the first editions is for sale anywhere that I can find.

Mendelsson (Sidney) South African Bibliography vol. 1 page 321 -322: Starting from Natal, Mr Chapman traversed the eastern portion of the Orange Free State by three distinct routes, and pursuing his travels through the Western Transvaal and Bechuanaland, penetrated up to the almost unknown regions of Matableland. He also visited Walvisch Bay and Lake Ngami, and journeyed through the country of the Namaquas and Damaras.' Few South African books give better descriptions of the sport of the country and the habits and customs of the native races inhabiting the vast areas traversed, and throughout the volumes there are copious notes on the flora and fauna of the countries visited, amplified by the contents of a valuable index enriched with extracts from the works of able writers.

Kennedy(R.F.) Africana Repository, page 40, 'Baines then joined Chapman's expedition through South West Africa to the Victoria Falls….This expedition up to August 1862 Baines described in his "Explorations in South-West Africa" (London 1864)….Chapman was very angry with Baines because Baines published first and had acquired fame by exhibiting his pictures of the Victoria Falls. In a preface to Chapman's book acknowledgement is made to Charles Bell "for drawings and sketches used in illustrating these volumes". Some of the illustrations are undoubtedly after Bell, who was not a member of the expedition; some of the pictures are by Baines, but without acknowledgement. It was a pity they quarrelled because they had been friends from their first meeting in Potchefstroom in 1850.'