Lot 352: BURCHELL, William John (1781-1863). Travels in the Interior of Southern Africa. A. & R.

BURCHELL, William John (1781-1863). Travels in the Interior of Southern Africa. A. & R. Spottiswoode for Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme & Brown, 1822-1824.

2 volumes, 4° (271 x 210mm). Errata slip in vol.I, 'Hints on Emigration' bound at end of vol.I. 20 HAND-COLOURED AQUATINT PLATES after Burchell, 5 folding, folding engraved map, numerous wood-engraved illustrations. (Lacking half-titles, without final blank 4E 4 in vol.I, offsetting to title of vol.II, 5 plates and the folding map in vol.I, map also with small tears at folds, the second folding plate in vol.II almost detached, text leaf ZZ4 in vol.II with 30mm. tear to upper blank margin.) Contemporary purple morocco gilt, covers elaborately panelled in gilt, gilt turn ins, gilt edges (neatly rebacked to style). Provenance: Ruth Burchell (author's presentation inscription in each volume 'To his Niece Ruth Burchell with the Authors kind love').

AUTHOR'S PRESENTATION COPY OF THE FIRST EDITION of 'the most valuable and accurate work on South Africa published up to the first quarter of the nineteenth century' (Mendelssohn). Burchell set out from Cape Town in June 1811 on his travels in Africa, and covered four thousand five hundred miles in the interior, returning to the Cape in April 1815 with natural history specimens and five hundred drawings. A small selection of the latter were engraved to illustrate the present work. Abbey Travel I,328; Gay 3001; Mendelssohn I,p.224; Tooley 116. (2)

No VAT on hammer price or buyer's premium