A most attractive copy of the first edition of Le Vaillant’s first journey, which includes the plate La Hottentote which was subsequently suppressed.
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. Through a meeting with the Treasurer of the Dutch East India Co. he was able to secure passage on one of the Company’s ships bound for the Cape the day before hostilities between Britain and the Netherlands broke out in December, 1781. Having boarded another ship at the Cape Le Vaillant made for Saldanha Bay, where he hunted and collected samples before his ship, along with all his worldly goods, was destroyed by the British under Capt. Johnstone.
Having nothing more than his gun, ten ducats and the clothes on his back, Le Vaillant was forced to rely on the kindness of the Dutch fiscal Mr. Boers to whom this book was dedicated. With his help the author returned to the Cape and prepared for his inland expedition, which soon took him via Swellenham to Mossel Bay, and then East to Algoa Bay and the Fish River. On his return journey Le Vaillant travelled via the “Sneuw Bergen” and through the Eastern Cape crossing the Gamka, Buffalo and Touws Rivers before finally reaching Saldanha Bay after some sixteen months.
The narrative provides much information on the natural history and the Dutch settlers of the interior of southern Africa and is “characterised by the intelligent and interesting manner in which it is written, although the rapsodies on the Hottentots must have sounded strange to colonial ears” (Mendelssohn, p890).
Mendelssohn III, p103.
