Andrew Smith and Natal: Documents Relating to the Early History of that Province Author / Editor: Percival R. Kirby (Selected, Edited, and Annotated)
Andrew Smith and Natal (Van Riebeeck Society First Series, No. 36)
An Essential Compendium of Secret Intelligence, Diplomatic Correspondence, and Early Zulu-Colonial History
Bibliographic Specifications
- Title: Andrew Smith and Natal: Documents Relating to the Early History of that Province
- Author / Editor: Percival R. Kirby (Selected, Edited, and Annotated)
- Publisher: The Van Riebeeck Society, Cape Town (First Series, Volume 36)
- Publication Date: 1955
- ISBN: Not Issued (Standard for mid-century academic society publications)
- Edition Details: First Edition. Published as part of the esteemed Van Riebeeck Society annual historical document preservation series.
- Binding: Original publisher's signature cream/beige heavy-gauge canvas cloth hardcover featuring dark navy blue stamped lettering and the iconic VRS emblem on the front board.
- Physical Format: Octavo (8vo), 253 pages. Illustrated with historical portrait plates and an extensive fold-out geographical map at the rear text block.
- Language: English
Official Condition Report
- The Book: Very Good (VG)
- Exterior / Boards: The original cloth cover is structurally sound, clean, and rigid. Hinge strength is excellent with perfectly square corner edges. The classic beige fabric shows only minor, standard age-related toning, entirely common for 1950s Van Riebeeck volumes.
- Interior: The core text pages, historical plates, and large folding map are crisp, flat, and remarkably well-preserved. Displays light, natural age-related tanning across the preliminary sheets. The first page features two insignificant, small former ownership/dealer stamps, which do not obscure or impact any text. Free of modern ink text underlining or dog-ears.
- The Dust Jacket: Not Applicable (As Issued without jacket)
Synopsis & Historical Value
Published in 1955, Andrew Smith and Natal sheds deep historical light on the covert operations behind British expansion in Southern Africa. In 1832, Scottish military doctor and zoologist Sir Andrew Smith was dispatched to Natal under secret official instructions. Ostensibly executing a scientific expedition, Smith's true objective was to evaluate the political landscape and military strength of King Dingane's Zulu empire.
Edited by the brilliant scholar Percival Kirby, this volume gathers Smith's secret field journals, his critical diplomatic observations on the Zulu kingdom, and early merchant manifestos. It stands as an indispensable primary source for understanding the complex geopolitical layout that preceded the Great Trek and formal British annexation.
Author Profile: Percival R. Kirby
Professor Percival Robson Kirby (1887–1970) was a highly distinguished South African scholar, musicologist, and historian. Long serving as the Head of the Department of Music at the University of the Witwatersrand, Kirby gained international renown for his pioneering fieldwork detailing the musical instruments of indigenous South African tribes. His meticulous research methodologies and deep expertise in archival transcription made him an ideal editor for the Van Riebeeck Society, leading to highly authoritative, academic annotations of early colonial frontiers and maritime travelogues.
