The Highlands of Kafraria (Kaffraria): A Review of Outstanding Incidents in Everyday Life and History of the Native Tribes Author: A. W. Burton
The Highlands of Kafraria (Collectible Africana Second Edition)
A Highly Valued Historical Review of the Eastern Cape Frontier, Witchcraft, and the Frontier Wars, Housed in a Beautiful Skivertex and Bookbinder's Linen Quarter-Cloth Binding
Bibliographic Specifications
- Title: The Highlands of Kafraria (Kaffraria): A Review of Outstanding Incidents in Everyday Life and History of the Native Tribes
- Author: A. W. Burton
- Publisher: C. Struik (Pty) Ltd, Cape Town
- Publication Date: 1969
- ISBN-10: None Issued (Early Struik Series Release)
- ISBN-13: None Issued (Early Struik Series Release)
- Edition Details: Second Edition (Limited Facsimile/Revised Re-issue). Originally published in small numbers in 1942.
- Binding: Original publisher’s elite quarter-bound deluxe hardcover. Designed with high-strength gray Skivertex panels (acrylic-coated cellulose paper embossed to mimic fine leather grain) and a vibrant red bookbinder's linen cloth spine, featuring an ornate gilt motive on the front cover and bright, reflective gold lettering on the spine. Complete with the original paper dust jacket.
- Physical Format: Octavo (8vo), 67 pages text plus additional unnumbered illustration plates. Enhanced with an archival portrait frontispiece, historic photographic plates, and full layout maps on the endpapers.
- Language: English
Official Condition Report
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The Book: Very Good Plus (VG+)
o Exterior / Boards: The bright red linen and gray Skivertex quarter-bound covers are striking, structurally straight, and square. The gold gilt motive on the front Skivertex panel and the gilt lettering along the vibrant red linen spine remain beautifully bright, sharp, and highly reflective. The hinges are flexible and strong, with corners remaining rigid under microscopic storage friction.
o Interior: The text block is robustly bound, tight, and immaculately clean. The internal white pages, historical plates, and map-adorned endpapers are crisp, smooth, and entirely free of foxing, user annotations, highlighting, or dog-ears. -
The Dust Jacket: Very Good Plus (VG+)
o Condition: The original illustrated paper dust jacket is complete, bright, and exceptionally well-preserved, showing only minor, trivial edge wear. To permanently lock in its outstanding condition and presentation, it has been freshly housed inside a brand-new, archival-grade clear plastic protective cover.
Synopsis & Historical Value
Originally issued as a scarce booklet in 1942, C. Struik’s beautifully produced 1969 second edition of The Highlands of Kafraria preserves an essential primary archive of Eastern Cape frontier history. Author A. W. Burton records a detailed historical review of Kaffirland and British Kaffraria, documenting the early development of King William's Town, Keiskammahoek, and East London.
Originally issued as a scarce booklet in 1942, C. Struik’s beautifully produced 1969 second edition of The Highlands of Kafraria preserves an essential primary archive of Eastern Cape frontier history. Author A. W. Burton records a detailed historical review of Kaffirland and British Kaffraria, documenting the early development of King William's Town, Keiskammahoek, and East London.
The narrative offers an authentic, localized perspective on the brutal Frontier Wars (spanning the campaigns of 1835, 1846–7, 1850–3, and 1877–8), early missionary work, regional witchcraft practices, and the devastating 1856–7 Xhosa Cattle-Killing Delusion. Rich with biographical sketches and frontline notes, this beautifully bound volume is highly prized by serious collectors for its focused, specialized documentation of Cape border history.
Author Profile: A. W. Burton
Dr. A. W. Burton was a dedicated South African physician, cultural historian, and regional antiquarian scholar who lived and practiced in the Eastern Cape during the early 20th century. Driven by a deep passion for the complex folklore and history of the border region, Burton spent decades interviewing local personalities, collecting tribal histories, and compiling archival notes on military fortifications like Fort Stokes. His careful documentations saved critical regional oral histories from obscurity, making his localized research highly respected by modern academic institutions.
Dr. A. W. Burton was a dedicated South African physician, cultural historian, and regional antiquarian scholar who lived and practiced in the Eastern Cape during the early 20th century. Driven by a deep passion for the complex folklore and history of the border region, Burton spent decades interviewing local personalities, collecting tribal histories, and compiling archival notes on military fortifications like Fort Stokes. His careful documentations saved critical regional oral histories from obscurity, making his localized research highly respected by modern academic institutions.
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