Travels into the Interior Parts of Africa (The Second Edition) by Francois Le Vaillant (2 Vols)

Title: Travels into the Interior Parts of Africa
Subtitle: By Way of the Cape of Good Hope; in the Years 1780, 81, 82, 83, 84 and 85
Author: Francois Le Vaillant
Publisher: G.G. and J. Robinson
Date Published: 1796
Publication Place: London
Condition: Very Good
Binding: Half leather over marbled boards
Dimensions: 21.9cm x 14cm

Vol 1: xxiv + 376pp
Vol 2: 403pp

A very well preserved 2nd edition (in English) set of Le Vaillants Travels (1st Expedition) with all plates present, including the usually suppressed plate "Hottentot Woman" in volume 2. Titles in gilt, tooling and volume numbers to spines. There is shelfwear and rubbing to the board edges. Bookplate of Maurice Green to front paste downs. Previous owners inscription in ink, dated 1911 to f.f.e.p. of both volumes and name of another previous owner dated 1798 to first blank prelim page of vol 1. The latter name appears undated on the f.f.e.p. of vol 2. The boards are rubbed in the usual way and there is some minor damage to the head of the spine of volume 1, with the headband partially loosed. Binding, however, remains tight. Some pages (plate facing pp282 -pp286) protrude slightly from the edges, but are bound fast. There is a dampstain to the verso of the frontispiece of volume 1. The fold out plate facing pp14 has 1x 6cm and 1x 2cm closed tears to the folds. The other folding plate likewise has a 1cm closed tear at one of the folds. Dampstain to the corner of the plate facing pp361 of volume 1, the plate facing pp398 in Volume 2 and offsetting to plate facing pp400 in volume 2 as with a few other pages to the rear of this volume.

These imperfections are noted here in detail but do not amount to major faults, this remains a most desirable set of this important early account of travel into the interior of South Africa, much discussed today.