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Smith, Dr. Andrew (diarist), and Percival R. Kirby (editor) : The Diary of Dr. Andrew Smith, director of the "Expedition for Exploring Central Africa," 1834-1836

(Cape Town: The Van Riebeeck Society, 1939 & 1940)

Edited, with an introduction, footnotes, map and indexes, by Percival R. Kirby. Two 8vo volumes (volumes 20 and 21 of the Van Riebeeck Society First Series); original buckram; pp. (x) + 413, (x) + 342, incl. index; several plates in each volume; folding map in second volume. Cloth a little discoloured; some foxing, especially to edges. Good condition. 'In presenting this work to the members of the Van Riebeeck Society my wish has been to make available for general reading as well as for more detailed study a small part of the prodigious unpublished writings of an indefatigable worker whose astounding versatility made it impossible for him ever to give to the world more than a fraction of the fruits of that scientific work which he undertook, chiefly in his spare time, for the sheer love of knowledge and from his desire to see things for himself and to draw his own conclusions. For Andrew Smith was, as the Memoir of his life will show, from first to last a medical man, and one, too, whose great ability and outstanding personality won for him the highest position that could possibly be attained in that branch of the profession to which he gave his life. I have no need to draw the attention of lovers and collectors of Africana to his rare and valuable Illustrations of the Zoology of South Africa, the materials for which were collected on this very Expedition, the Diary of which is the substance of the present work. Rather would I emphasise the fact that there still remains a large amount of work to be done upon Andrew Smith and his interests, which, as will be seen from the list of unpublished notes still in existence, were astonishingly wide. For various reasons he had, unfortunately, to abandon the idea of publishing an account of his travels, in spite of the fact that it was eagerly awaited; and to all those who, assuming that this was due to lack of knowledge or of original discoveries, found fault with him for not doing so, I would quote on his behalf the famous reply which he made to his detractors during the Crimean campaign: "that the truth would be known some day, and that he could afford to wait."' - Percival R. Kirby.

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