Das Neves - His residence in Mozambique and his visit to the Transvaal

Diocleciano Fernandes das Neves (1829-1883): His residence in Mozambique and his visit to the Transvaal

Diocleciano Fernandes das Neves (1829-1883): His residence in Mozambique and his visit to the Transvaal is OJO (Cobus) Ferreira's fourth book on Portuguese travellers to the Transvaal. It is a welcome addition to unlocking the period of early contact by Europeans, not only with local people but also with the white settlers in the north-eastern part of the country.

This well-researched book tells the story of the life and times of the remarkable Portuguese adventurer, trader and explorer Diocleciano Fernandes das Neves. Das Neves undertook a journey from Lourenço Marques to the Transvaal in 1860-61. During his travels, he carefully noted his experiences and impressions. His observations of the character and lifestyle of the Boers, and of life in Schoemansdal, the first Boer settlement in the Zoutpansberg, are of great historic and cultural importance. Das Neves also carefully recorded information about the indigenous people and his journal is a treasure trove of information in this regard as well.

His travel journal was published in 1878 and translated into English a year later. Except for a facsimile of the English version published by the State Library in 1987, the travel journal became scarce and virtually forgotten. Cobus Ferreira has again privileged us in making available material that is both difficult to source and in danger of being lost. His explanatory annotations of the text are an invaluable source of historical and ethnographic information on South Africa's turbulent early northern frontier, its inhabitants and their entanglement in a continually changing cultural and natural landscape. His in-depth research also brought to light hitherto unknown facts about the life of Das Neves.
 

The well-crafted book comprises 139 pages under the following headings:

• Introduction
• Lineage and career until 1860
• Das Neves in Soutpansberg, 1860-1861 - an annotated extract from his journal
• Career after 1861
• Postscript and evaluation
• Annexure 1
• Sources
• Publications on the contact between Portugal and South Africa
• Index

The book also contains 48 photos, sketches and maps.

The Table of Contents and Preface can be downloaded here.

Format : Downloadable PDF file (±8mb)
Pages : 139 (English)
ISBN : 978-1-920429-20-1