SHIPS AND SOUTH AFRICA. (Includes a Chapter on BOER WAR Transports.)

A MARITIME CHRONICLE OF THE CAPE WITH PARTICULAR REFERENCE TO MAIL AND PASSENGER LINERS FROM THE EARLY DAYS OF STEAM DOWN TO THE PRESENT. WITH A FOREWORD BY GENERAL THE RT. HON. J. C. SMUTS. PRE-WAR HISTORY OF STEAM NAVIGATION IN THE SOUTH AFRICAN TRADE.

Xxvi + 360 pp., frontis + 325 other photo-plates. Original blue cloth with gilt title to spine.

Light cracking to spine ends and very light foxing to prelims. Otherwise clean and tight throughout.

The author, who went on to write the Union-Castle Chronicle in 1953, produces here a pre-war account of the mail and passenger liners associated with South Africa and the Cape from the earliest days of steam covering in much detail the ships of Union, Castle, and Union-Castle Lines as well as other companies. Part I has 18 chapters : Pioneers (1825-1850). The First Steam Coaster & Mail Steamers (1836-1856). New Steamship Services : Australia & the Cape (1852-1857). Union Line and its first Rivals (1857-1871). Further Rivalry : enter Donald Currie (1870-1872). General Events (1863-1881). Competition & Co-operation (1872-1886). Castle v. Union (1876-1900). The Boer War and After (1899-1904). The Union-Castle Line (1900-1914). The Great War and its effect on South African Shipping (1914-1915). Ditto (1916-1917). Ditto (1917-1918). Post War (1919-1933). Shipwrecks & Disasters (I & II), Ships and Ways of other Days. The Cape Liners. Part II is divided into two sections. The first tells the story of the shipping lines associated with South Africa, British, foreign, and local coasting concerns at the Cape. The second deals with the ships of Union-Castle from 1853 to 1933. In addition there are six appendices, a general index and an index of ships names. The book is illustrated with 326 photographs and other plates of ships.