Edwards (John) REMINISCENCES OF THE EARLY LIFE AND MISSIONARY LABOURS OF THE REV. JOHN EDWARDS

Second Edition: xii, 242 pages, frontispiece portrait, starting to wear at the front hinge on the title page, top edge of the front free end paper has been cut out, pictorial green cloth with bevelled edges - slightly scuffed, gilt vignette and title on the upper cover, also gilt title on the spine, which is starting to wear at the top and bottom, a very good copy.

Mendelssohn (Sidney) South African Bibliography vol. 1 page 513 - 514: An autobiography of a pioneer missionary in South Africa. Edwards left England in 1832, arriving in Cape Town and Algoa Bay after experiencing a very rough voyage. He travelled to the Buchnaap Station of the Vaal River to which he had been appointed. He describes his journey through the Eastern Cape and Griqualand West and his meetings with the Chiefs of the Baralongs, Carannas and Basuto. He finally acquired a large tract of land from Moshesh for his Mission Station which was afterwards annexed by the Free State Boers. About 12,000 people settled on the new land accompanied by the missionaries. Mr Edwards shows himself to be man of courage, energy and resource. Whilst staying at Thanbachu he met some of the emigrant Boers under their leader Louis Trichardt who were trekking to Delagoa Bay.