LE VAILLANT (François).
New Travels into the Interior Parts of Africa.
Le Vaillant’s second journey into the interior of southern Africa. Born in Dutch Guiana in 1753 and educated in Europe, Le Vaillant was fascinated by the idea of seeing the natural history specimens which he had studied in Paris in their natural habitat. The prodigious collection of natural history specimens collected on his first voyage only fuelled his passion for further knowledge, and in June 1783 he set out once more, travelling as far north as 23° lat, thereby becoming one of the first Europeans to explore the interior of South Africa. His description of this second expedition “is unique, for this period, as little information respecting these regions had been published up to this date” (Mendelssohn). Olgilvie, 42; Mendelssohn I, pp890-2.
