This 1975 fourth edition, published by J.L. van Schaik in Pretoria, is a scholarly compilation of primary historical documents from the Dutch colonial era in South Africa. Edited by Dr. H.J.J.M. van der Merwe, a prominent South African linguist and historian, the work features fragments from 17th-century Dutch logs, Jan van Riebeeck’s journals, and extracts from the diaries of Francois de Cuiper and Louis Tregardt. The book is particularly significant for including a transcription and facsimile of "Van Riebeeck se Gebed" (Van Riebeeck's Prayer), making it an invaluable resource for researchers of early Cape history and the evolution of the Afrikaans language. This hardcover volume is in very good condition, featuring a clean yellow cloth binding with an illustrated map on the front board. The interior pages are crisp and free of highlights or inscriptions, with only very minor shelf wear to the edges of the boards.