TIMBER AND TIDES: THE STORY OF KNYSNA AND PLETTENBERG BAY BY WINIFRED TAPSON

TIMBER AND TIDES: THE STORY OF KNYSNA AND PLETTENBERG BAY BY WINIFRED TAPSON. HARDCOVER, TORN INACT DUST JACKET WITH PROTECTIVE PLASTIC COVERING, 192 PAGES, NO INSCRIPTIONS OR NAMES, IN GOOD CONDITION WITH LIGHT FOXING.

A history of the town and community of Knysna, Cape Province, South Africa, a place of striking beauty on the Indian Ocean on the southern coast of Cape Province and an important early port for shipping timber from the nearby forests to Cape Town. Much attention is given to the history of the ships (and their captains and sailors) that plied the waters in the area of Knysna and Plettenberg Bay, as well as to forestry, gold mining, elephant hunts, silk spinning, and the colorful immigrants and settlers (particularly the Thesen family) who created the rich culture of this small town. Knysna was founded and settled in the early 19th century by George Rex, allegedly the son of King George III and the Quaker girl Hannah Lightfoot, and Rex's intriguing and mysterious history constitutes a major focus of the book. A chart, "George Rex Family Tree," is tipped in just after the index.