Lot 353: 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° (287 x 220mm). Half-titles, errata slip in vol.I, 'Hints on Emigration' bound after prelims. in vol.I, vol.II unopened. 20 hand-coloured aquatint plates after Burchell, 5 folding, folding engraved map, numerous wood-engarved illustrations. (Without final blank 4E 4 in vol.I, offsetting of text onto plates, map expertly repaired at folds, two vertical tears to 3b 4 in vol.I, one into the text area.) Original cloth-backed boards bound in 1826 or later, paper labels to spines with titles 'Burchell's Travels in Southern Africa (rule) vol.I. [II.]', uncut (expertly rebacked with original spines laid down, discolouration to spine, surface damage to labels), 20th-century cloth slip-cases. Provenance: Halstead Place Library (bookplates with shelf marks).

FIRST EDITION, uncut and partially unopened, with the half titles. The endpapers of vol.I both have a watermarked date '1826' indicating when the present set was bound. No priority can be assigned between this and the Abbey set, with plates watermarked 1825 and 1827 and bound in original boards and the paper labels on the spines including more text (including the price: 9 guineas). Abbey Travel I,328; Gay 3001; Mendelssohn I,p.224; Tooley 116. (2)

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