Bunbury, Charles J. F.Journal of a Residence at the Cape of Good Hope (1848)Journal of a Residence

Journal of a Residence at the Cape of Good Hope with Excursions into the Interior, and notes on the Natural History, and the Native Tribes. Hard cover, well preserved in new brown imitation leather with title in gilt on spine, new end papers, pp. xii + 297 + (2). Previous owners's signature and rubber stamp on title page, bottom third of title page detatched from spine, approx square 2.5cm loss to inside top area of last two leafs. Text pages clean, binding new.

"Mr (afterwards Sir Charles) Bunbury, accompanied his friend, Sir George Napier, the Governor of the Cape Colony, on his voyage to Africa in 1837, and remained there for fourteen months, during which time he busied himself with botanical research, travelling over a considerable part of South Africa. In the course of his journeys he had ample opportunity of observing the political state of the country, and refers to a necessity for a firm and consistent policy. The author also accompanied Sir G. Napier on his tour to the Eastern Province; he describes Port Elizabeth (1838) as 'an ugly-built place', but he considered Uitenhage 'one of the most agreeable places in the colony'.

He refers to the Great Trek of the Boers which was still proceeding, and enters into their reasons for this step, remarking on the dislike of the Cape Dutch for the English; he was of opinion that their residence at the Cape entirely modified their original Dutch characteristics, especially with regards to cleanliness and industry, while their prejudices were fostered by such papers as the Zuid Afrikaan." (Mendelssohn, 1910; p.222).