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With Details of William Burchell's Travels in the Interior of South Africa
Fine early map of Southern Africa and the Cape of Good Hope, published by CF Weiland in Weimar.
The map presents a detailed rendering of the southern region of Africa, particularly the Cape Colony (present-day South Africa). Published in Weimar by the Geographical Institute, it integrates geographic detail with the travel routes and observations of the English explorer and naturalist William John Burchell (1781–1863), whose extensive South African travels in the early 19th century are widely recognized for their scientific and cartographic contributions.
The map covers the region from the Atlantic Ocean in the west to the Indian Ocean in the east, extending northwards into areas occupied by a range of indigenous groups. Territories are annotated with place names, rivers, mountain ranges, and settlements. It features the traditional lands of various peoples—including the Namaqua, Bushmen (San), Bechuanas, and others—highlighting the extensive, yet often fragmented, European understanding of the area’s ethnographic and geographic diversity. Triangular symbols, kraals, and stations of Burchell’s journey are marked, emphasizing his contributions to documenting these regions. A legend at the bottom right explains the symbols used to depict towns, villages, kraals, stations, sources of water, and other key geographic and cultural features.
Topographical features such as the Drakensberg mountains, rivers like the Orange and Vaal, and natural landmarks including the Cape of Good Hope and Table Mountain are meticulously rendered. The map also delineates colonial administrative boundaries and includes roads and paths relevant to Burchell's travels.
William John Burchell’s South African journey (1810–1815) was notable for its scale and scientific rigor. Burchell collected over 50,000 plant specimens and produced detailed naturalistic sketches and observations. His Travels in the Interior of Southern Africa, published in two volumes (1822–1824), served as a key reference for explorers and naturalists. Burchell’s journey extended beyond the Cape Colony into regions then little known to Europeans, documenting both natural history and the lives of indigenous communities.
The map reflects a European cartographic tradition informed by explorers’ reports, with particular emphasis on Burchell’s observations. It stands as an artifact of early 19th-century geographical and ethnographic documentation, capturing both colonial expansion and the rich complexity of indigenous southern Africa prior to the major upheavals of the later 19th century.
In 1810 he sailed to the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa on the recommendation of Gen. J.W. Janssens to explore and to add to his botanical collection. Landing at Table Bay in November 1810, Burchell set about planning an expedition into the interior. He left Cape Town in June 1811 and travelled in South Africa through 1815, collecting over 50,000 specimens, and covering more than 4000 miles, often through unexplored regions. Burchell's 2 volume Travels in the Interior of Southern Africa was published in 1822 and 1824
The map includes a key identifying 8 different districts:
- Cape District
- Stellenbosch District
- Tulbagh District
- Zwellendam District
- George District
- Graff Reynett District
- Uitenhage District
- Albany District
At the bottom right, a Dutch to German glossary and Hottentot to German glossary is given below the main key.
