HARRIS, Captain William Cornwallis (1807-1848).
The Wild Sports of Southern Africa; being the Narrative of a Hunting Expedition from the Cape of Good Hope, through the Territories of the Chief Moselekatse to the Tropic of Capricorn.
London: Pelham Richardson, 1841.

Comparable: Christie's, 2007 - 900 GBP.

8vo., (9 1/2" x 6 1/2"). Hand-colored lithographic frontispiece and additional title-page and 24 plates, folding lithographic map of "Africa North East of the Cape Colony" hand-colored in outline at end (light spotting throughout). Near contemporary full green calf, each cover decorated with a broad border of triple gilt fillets, blind palm fronds roll tool, the spine in six compartments with five raised bands, red morocco lettering-piece in the second, the others decorated with fine gilt tools, by Clarke of Bedford, all edges gilt (extremities rubbed, one or two surface marks).

Provenance: with the engraved armorial bookplate of Sir William Vernon Guise on the front free endpaper, and his anecdotal account of meeting Harris in 1837 on the verso of the front free endpaper.

Third, and preferred edition, first published in Bombay in 1838 as "Narrative of an Expedition to Southern Africa " The third edition of 1841 was the first to contain the full compliment of Harris's plates as here, and two extra chapters. Guise's anecdote records: "Early in the year 1837 - being there with my regiment the 75th Foot - stationed at Fort Beaufort o the Kat River - I remember the arrival of Captain Harris on his return from the expedition of which this volume is the narrative - His wagons were laden with spoils of the chase, amongst which the skin of the Black Antelope (Aigocerus niger) - was conspicuous". Guise was a prominent naturalist in Gloucester, with a wide knowledge of geology, conchology, botany and archaeology. He was a member of the Geological Society of London. Abbey Travel 334.[72nhr149]