[ANGOLA]. ALMEIDA, João de. Southern Angola: Report of a Dis - Lot 4

[ANGOLA]. ALMEIDA, João de. Southern Angola: Report of a District Government (1908–1910). First edition of this detailed study of southern Angola by a key figure in the Portuguese campaigns in Africa. Lisbon, Set and printed at the Typ. do Annuario Commercial, 1912. In-4 (290x210 mm), brown half-basane, smooth spine decorated with three gold fillets and the title in gold, contemporary binding. XIV and 648 pages, over 300 black photogravures in the text, 3 color maps, and 4 fold-out tables and diagrams as inserts, all printed on coated paper. Text in Portuguese. Minor wear at the joints, slight scratches on the covers, and losses along the edges; very rare foxing, particularly along the margins of the plates. First edition of this thoroughly documented study of southern Angola between 1908 and 1910. It was written by Portuguese General João de Almeida (1873–1953), who distinguished himself in various military campaigns in Angola and in the administration of the southern region of the province. This work provides a detailed and meticulous account of his tenure as governor of Huíla, a district created shortly before that encompassed nearly all of southern Angola. Going beyond aspects of civil administration, military operations, and the assertion of Portuguese sovereignty, the author enriches his study with the findings of his ethnographic and cultural observations, describing the climate, the territory, and the people of the district. Label from the Triunfo bookstore in Lisbon on the half-title page. A fine copy of the most comprehensive study on this former Portuguese colony.