Serpa Pinto amongst Boer and Brit

SERPA PINTO AMONGST BOER AND BRIT

Die Portugese ontdekkingsreisiger, Alexandre Alberto da Rocha de Serpa Pinto (1846-1900), het tussen 1877 en 1879 'n reis vanaf Angola na Natal aangepak. Oppad het hy Boere en sendelinge ontmoet en sy interaksie met die Dorslandtrekkers word ook beskryf - 'n fassinerende beskrywing van hul daaglikse lewens en take, maar ook hul onkunde in ander gebiede.

Vir 'n ruk het hy ook in Pretoria en Durban oorgebly. Sy ervaringe en waarnemings het hy noukeurig in sy reis-dagboek aangeteken. Sy beskrywing van die karakter en lewensstyl van die Boere asook die sosiale lewe in Pretoria tydens die Britse anneksasie (1877-1881) is van spesiale belang vanuit 'n kultuurhistoriese oogpunt. Synde Portugees, het Serpa Pinto 'n unieke siening van die Boere gehad, vergeleke met dié van sy tydgenoot Britse en Hollande reisigers.

Sy reisjoernaal - wat in 1881 in beide Portugees en Engels gepubliseer is - bevat belangrike historiese en kultuurhistoriese gegewens. Suid-Afrikaanse navorsers het egter tot dusver selde hierdie ryk bron benut. Die betrokke gedeelte van sy joernaal word nou in hierdie boek bekend gestel. Dit is ook voorsien van 'n inleiding, verduidelikende notas en 'n naskrif.

Die boek Serpa Pinto amongst Boer and Brit: his travels through the Transvaal and Natal,1879, work gekenmerk deur die noukeurige en gedetaileerde beskrywing van die omgewing asook die mense met wie Serpa Pinto op sy reise in aanraking gekom het.

Sy belangstelling in die mense en dit waarmee hulle hulself besig gehou het asook die omstandighede waaronder hulle geleef het, kom duidelik in die boek na vore. Sy waarnemings was besonder gedetaileerd en is op 'n baie persoonlike wyse geskryf, wat die leser 'n mooi en duidelike beeld van die Boere en hul samelewing gee.

Die boek bied 'n uiters waardevolle insae in hierdie besonder belangrike tyd in die geskiedenis van Suidelike Afrika.

Die boek beslaan 174 bladsye onder die volgende hoofde:

• Lineage and career of Serpa Pinto, 1846-1879
• Serpa Pinto's journey through the Transvaal and Natal, 1879
• Career and death of Serpa Pinto, 1879-1900
• Bibliography
• Register

Die boek bevat ook 'n sewentigtal fotos, sketse en kaarte.

Die Inhoudsopgawe en Voorwoord kan hier afgelaai word.

'n Onafhanklike oorsig van die boek is ook hier aflaaibaar.

Formaat : Aflaaibare PDF lêer (±30mb)
Bladsye : 174 (in Afrikaans)
ISBN : 978-1-920429-21-8

SERPA PINTO AMONGST BOER AND BRIT

The Portuguese explorer, Alexandre Alberto da Rocha de Serpa Pinto (1846-1900), undertook a journey from Angola to Natal in 1877-1879. On the way he met Boers and missionaries, and stayed for a while in Pretoria and Durban. During his travels he made careful notes of his impressions and experiences in his travel-journal. From a cultural historical point of view his description of the character and lifestyle of the Boers, as well as the social life in Pretoria during the period of the British annexation (1877-1881) is of special importance. Serpa Pinto, being Portuguese, takes a different view from those contemporary British travellers and Dutch visitors to the Transvaal who recorded their impressions of the Boers. His travel-journal – published in Portuguese and English as early as 1881 – contains significant historical and cultural historical facts, but these have seldom been explored by South African researchers. The relevant part of his travel-journal is now available as a source publication, with an introduction, explanatory footnotes and a postscript.

The power of the account, Serpa Pinto amongst Boer and Brit: his travels through the Transvaal and Natal,1879, lies in the accurate description of encounters with countries and their peoples, places where Serpa Pinto had never been before – a true explorer.

This book highlights a side of Serpa Pinto’s expedition which shows his interest in the people: what kinds of people were living there and under which circumstances? Are they like us or how do they differ? Serpa Pinto’s observations during his trip were very precise and he described them in a personal way so we get a clear picture of the Boers and their society.

Professor Ferreira has recognized the importance of this ethnological aspect and collected a treasure of information about a tumultuous time in southern Africa

The book comprises 174 pages, divided into the following broad sections:

• Lineage and career of Serpa Pinto, 1846-1879
• Serpa Pinto's journey through the Transvaal and Natal, 1879
• Career and death of Serpa Pinto, 1879-1900
• Bibliography
• Register

The book also contains more than 70 photos, sketches and maps.

The Table of Contents and Preface can be downloaded here.

An independent review of the book can be downloaded here.

Format : Downloadable PDF (±30mb)
Pages : 174 (English)
ISBN : 978-1-920429-21-8