James Edward Alexander

Narative of Voyage of Observation Among the Colonies of Western Africa, and a Campaign in Kaffir-land in 1835 James Edward Alexander

The author of this epic of early exploration, Capt. James Alexander, was the soldier-explorer who led an 1836 expedition, sponsored by the Government and the Royal Geographical Society, into the interior of South West Africa (today's Namibia). Travelling by ox-wagons, his route lay north from Cape Town, across the Orange River into the interior and, running dangerously short of water, out at Walfisch Bay - a 4,000-mile trek through unexplored desert wilderness. His book is a compendium of early exploration, including observations of flora and fauna, and the native peoples in the area they travelled through. He also amassed a large collection of zoological and scientific specimens. This is a rare book of consuming interest to fans of African exploration.