Burchell’s African Odyssey
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€25.99
The English botanist William Burchell arrived in Cape Town in June 1811 to explore the flora and fauna of the vast southern African interior. Over a four-year period, and travelling in a custom-built ox wagon, he amassed an astonishing 63 000 specimens of plants, bulbs, insects, reptiles and mammals – many not previously documented for science – as well as over 500 paintings and illustrations. While the outbound trek is well described in Burchell’s
famous Travels in the Interior of Southern Africa, little has been published about the challenges and discoveries made on his return journey to Cape Town, from 1812–1815. This pioneering book traces the homeward leg of Burchell’s epic odyssey – through the arid northern Cape, the Great Karoo, the war-ravaged eastern Cape, and along the Eden-like southern Cape coast. Drawing on primary and secondary sources, including Burchell’s letters and the detailed map he created to record his trek, the authors have crafted a thought-provoking and beautifully illustrated account that encompasses both the genius of the man and the natural history of the region that so intrigued him. Sales points: Fills a major gap in what is known of Burchell’s travels in southern Africa; sheds new light on Burchell’s character and his discoveries; contains information, illustrations and watercolours not published before; coincides with the bicentenary of the publication of Vol. 1 of Travels in the Interior of Southern Africa.
Roger Stewart has researched Burchell for 15 years. He worked in medicine and business, and currently deals in historical maps of Africa. His collection of essays on maps, A Cape Odyssey, was published in 2021. He represents the International Map Collectors’ Society in South Africa and is a member of the Washington Map Society and the Royal Society of Southern Africa.