Francois Le Vaillant

Le Vaillant, Francois, 1753-1824.

Travels into the interior parts of Africa by the way of the Cape of Good Hope in the years 1780, 8l, 82, 83, 84, and 85... London : Printed for G. G. J. and J. Robinson, 1790.

Le Vaillant was born in Dutch Guyana, and traveled under the auspices of the Dutch East India Company from Holland to the Cape of Good Hope in 1781. He was one of the first Europeans to penetrate the interior of southern Africa, reaching the southern borders of the Kalahari Desert. His work narrates life in the Dutch colony and the conflicts between the English and the Dutch over possession of the Cape, including the loss of his collection of flora and fauna when his ship was attacked by the English. As a professional naturalist, he described the plants, animals, natives, and French settlers in the area with a detailed eye.

New travels into the interior parts of Africa, by the way of the Cape of Good Hope, in the years 1783, 84 and 85 ... Illustrated with a map, delineating the route of his present and former travels, and with twenty- two other copper-plates. London : Printed for G.G. and J. Robinson, 1796.

These popular works also appeared in rival translations and editions. Despite criticism for exaggerating or inventing some events, they provide valuable information about the natural history of the region and the Dutch settlers in the area.