IMPRESSIONS OF SOUTH AFRICA

8vo; lxi, (1), 499 pages; Clean and secure in original burgundy cloth binding with gilt lettering at spine. Folding colour map. OCLC 759610558 The author, James Bryce, later 1st Viscount (1838-1922) was a distinguished academic, historian and Liberal politician, who several of political offices.This broad-ranging work briefly describes the landscape, vegetation and wildlife of southern Africa, then gives a detailed account of history of the native and immigrant peoples inhabiting the region, followed by Bryce's relation of his journey through South Africa, also including Matabeleland and Mashonaland, part of the Portuguese territories, Basutoland and the independent republics of the Transvaal and the Orange Free State with extensive observations and commentary on the economic and socio-political situation. Originally published in 1897, Bryce's work provides an important reference for the history and contemporary context in South African on the eve of the War of 1899-1902. PROVENANCE: Former owner's name on fep "H. Jennings" -- James Hennen Jennings (1854-1920) was a mining engineer, born at Hawesville, KY. After attending private schools in London and Derbyshire, England, Jennings returned to Kentucky and set up a lumber business, but soon wanted to further his engineeering education. He graduated from the Lawrence Scientific School of Harvard University in 1877 with the degree C.E. Jennings then headed West and worked in gold and quicksilver mines in California for the next ten years. In 1887 he went to Venezuela for another mining job. Finally, his talents as an innovative mining engineer, took him to South Africa. During 1889-1905 he was consulting engineer of H. Eckstein, in Johannesburg, and Wemher Beit, in London. Jennings was chiefly responsible for the development and expansion of their mines, employing the most technologically advanced methods and equipment available in the day. In the rough and tumble of South Africa, he managed to keep out of John Hays Hammond's conspiracy to overthrow Kruger's government and to earn a fortune (the equivalent of about 10 million pounds in 2014) before he returned to America in 1905. …