Mapping South Africa in the mid-nineteenth century : the cartography of James Centlivres Chase

Abstract

By 1830, almost two hundred years after Europeans had settled at the Cape of Good Hope for the first time, South Africa was still inadequately mapped. Apart from the route maps of early travellers such as Barrow (1805), Campbell (1815 and 1822), Burchell (1822) and Thompson (1827), no reliable overview map existed of the Cape Colony, nor of Natal, nor the area to the north of the Orange River. The first civilian inhabitant of the Colony who tried to improve this situation, was the 1820 British Settler James Centlivres Chase, who collected as much information as possible relative to exploration in Africa and in 1830 compiled the first overview map of the eastern part of South Africa. This article discusses the dearth of reliable maps before the 1830s; Chase's reports on the various expeditions into the interior by which new topographical information had become available; his efforts to contribute to the Colonial Office's "official map" of South Africa; his influence on the well-known maps of John Arrowsmith and the SDUK of 1834; and the cartographic significance of the maps he published in 1836 and 1843. AFRIKAANS: Teen 1830, byna tweehonderd jaar nadat Europeërs hulle die eerste keer aan die Kaap die Goeie Hoop gevestig het, was Suid-Afrika nog besonder gebrekkig gekarteer. Met die uitsondering van die roetekaarte van vroeë reisigers soos Barrow (1805), Campbell (1815 en 1822), Burchell (1822) en Thompson (1827), het geen betroubare oorsigkaart van die Kaapkolonie, Natal, of die area noord van die Oranjerivier bestaan nie. Die eerste burgerlike inwoner van die Kolonie wat hierdie onbevredigende situasie probeer verbeter het, was die 1820-Britse Setlaar James Centlivres Chase. Hy het soveel inligting as moontlik met betrekking tot die verkenning van Afrika ingesamel en in 1830 die eerste oorsigkaart van die oostelike deel van Suid-Afrika saamgestel. Hierdie artikel bespreek die nypende tekort aan betroubare kaarte voor die 1830's; Chase se verslae oor die verskillende ekspedisies na die binneland waardeur nuwe topografiese inligting beskikbaar geword het; sy pogings om by te dra tot die Britse Ministerie van Kolonies se "amptelike kaart" van Suid-Afrika; sy invloed op die uiters bekende kaarte van John Arrowsmith en die SDUK van 1834; en die kartografiese betekenis van die kaarte wat hy onderskeidelik in 1836 en 1843 gepubliseer het.