Klare Besgryving Van Cabo De Bona Esperanca; Med de By-gelegen Kust naar Angola toe, Van Cabo Negro af. Vervattende de Ontdekking, [...] Alles met veel moeyten zeer vlytig by een getogen, en vervolgens Duydelyk Besghreven.

[Jodocus Hondius III] - Klare Besgryving Van Cabo De Bona Esperanca; Med de By-gelegen Kust naar Angola toe, Van Cabo Negro af. Vervattende de Ontdekking, Benaaming [...] Alles met veel moeyten zeer vlytig by een getogen, en vervolgens Duydelyk Besghreven - t' Amsterdam - By Jodocus Hondius; Land- en Zee-Kaart-maker, aan 't op-gaan der Beurze in den Wakkeren Hond - Anno 1652 - 1st edition - [32] pp - Paper wrappers - 15 x 19 cm.

Condition: Fragile - with wear, damage, incomplete (see explanation below).

Antique travelogue and description of the Cape of Good Hope and Robben Island from the 17th century. Illustrated with woodcut initials and one folding plate (Sargasso / Trombas); a copper engraving depicting seaweed, ships and birds. Text in Dutch (mix of Gothic and Roman font). Bound in a 19th century decorative paper cover.

¶ Very rare. Cf. Tiele I, 110. According to NCC only once present in public collection (International Institute of Social History, Amsterdam); Landwehr 578 mentions in 1991 another copy without a map in the Koninklijke Bibliotheek (KB 113F41).

Our copy is battered, the margins were once cut too tight, an old faint water stain is still visible (possibly sea water; the booklet was accompanied by sailors of the VOC as a guide). Furthermore, the 'Pas-Kaarte van de Zuyd-west kust van Africa', two plates and page 33 are missing.

From p. 27 forward, the edges of the pages are gone (with loss of text) and that is exactly where Hondius is talking about the Hottentots. Fortunately, a facsimile edition of this travel book was made in South Africa in 1952. We'll include a copy of it for free so you can see what you're missing and still read the final pages.

P.S.: An interesting article about this booklet is to be found HERE (with thanks to Steven de Joode of Black Dog Rare Books).