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Cape Colony · Early European observer

Account of the Tribal Life and Customs of the Xhosa in 1807

Ludwig Alberti, 1807

Summary

Dutch officer Ludwig Alberti commanded the garrison at Fort Frederick (Port Elizabeth) in 1806-07 and produced this careful account of Xhosa society from direct observation. One of the earliest systematic descriptions of Xhosa political structure, kinship, economy, and customs — written before the frontier wars fundamentally transformed Xhosa society.

Topics

Xhosa, Frontier, Cape Colony, Pre-colonial society, Batavian Republic

Bibliographic Information

Author
Ludwig Alberti
Year
1807
Language(s)
English, German
Period
Cape Colony
Perspective
Early European observer
Access
Full view

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