Strauss & co - 23 May 2016, Johannesburg

17 3 3 Thomas BAINES south african 1820–1875 Climbing the Heights of the Drakensberg signed and inscribed ‘Climbing the Heights of the Drakensberg. Wednesday May 31st 1871. Painted by Candlelight – and should be seen by the same – as it looks coarse by day. Presented to Fr Van Zellen esq. by T Baines’ in pencil watercolour and pencil on paper 24,5 by 34 cm R50 000 – 70 000 ‘Saturday, 27th. Crossed Bushman’s River Bridge and Little Bushman’s River. Found Mr. Zeller, the Portuguese consul-general, who is going to the Transvaal to annul all the boundary treaties Senhor Barrahona de Costa has made. 1871. Sunday May 28th. Last night we outspanned on a small rise after a short trek, having been warned that tulp, a plant poisonous to cattle, grew near Blauwe Krantz, where we intended to outspan. Today we were occupied in trying to bring into something like comfortable order. I painted the Portuguese arms on Mr. Van Zeller’s waggon and his name and title as Consul General. For this he gave me a sheep, and two more for copying my map for him…’ Taken fromWallis, J.P.R (ed.) (1946) The Northern Goldfields Diaries of Thomas Baines: Second Journey 1871–1872 , London: Chatto & Windus. Page 601.