Descrizione

In-16°, pp. (4), VII, 298, 4, brossura editoriale rosa riquadrata. Una carta geografica in b.n. ripiegata in fine, 22 xilografie f.t. Brossura restaurata. Esemplare da studio. Prima traduzione francese, nella Bibliothèque rose illustrée, delle Explorations in South-West Africa Being an Account of a Journey in the Years 1861 and 1862 From Walvisch Bay, on the Western Coast, to Lake Ngami and the Victoria Falls (Londra, 1864) del celebre artista ed esploratore britannico (King's Lynn, 1820–Durban, 1875). Il libro è frutto delle esplorazioni condotte in loco dal Baines e da James Chapman (che ne fornì a sua volta un pittoresco resoconto) nel biennio 1861-1862, esplorazioni di estrema importanza in quanto furono le prime durante le quali si fece un impiego massiccio della fotografia edella pittura. 'Si Baines ne peut point se réclamer de grandes découvertes - à l'instar de Livingstone, Speke, Burton ou encore Baker - il a pu compléter en partie celles de Livingstone. Si l'objet principal qu'il s'était proposé était l'ouverture d'une route commerciale, de l'Océan Atlantique à la Mer des Indes, n'a pas été atteint, il a cependant pu démontrer que cette voie était praticable. Son présent ouvrage démontrant les soins avec lesquels Baines a étudié les lieux et les hommes qu'il a visités.'. Indice: De la baie Valfich à Otjimbingue - Le Cap - L'Awassberg - Coobie - Lac Ngami - Léchoulatébé - La Botletle - Zambèse - Chutes Victoria. .'. Annota il Mendelssohn: 'Mr. Baines was one of the earliest pioneers in that part of Africa now known as Rhodesia (i.e. Zimbabwe), and he obtained an important concession from Lobengula. Unfortunately his backers in Europe failed to procure the necessary working capital for the exploitation of the venture, so the author missed making a large fortune.The volume is a most important work, and contains full information of every description upon the subject of the gold discoveries in Matabeleland and Mashonaland, with much curious knowledge of the inhabitants.The book also contains an account of the gold discoveries in the Transvaal [and] gives details of no less than nineteen routes from the various places in South Africa to the newly discovered goldfields.'. Gay, 2293. Mendelssohn, I, p. 71.