South Africa delineated from various documents By A. Arrowsmith. London, Published by A. Arrowsmith, Hydrographer to H.R.H. Prince of Wales 10 Soho Square, 10th March 1815. South Africa delineated from various documents.

"Arrowsmith published the map at around the time that British sovereignty over the Cape Colony was recognized at the Congress of Vienna. The British had been in control of the colony since 1795, when they took over from the Dutch to prevent it from falling into the hands of Napoleonic France; it was briefly relinquished to the Dutch in 1803, before the British regained control in 1806 The map is based, not surprisingly, upon contemporary Dutch material. Although the British had been in control for the previous 20 years, there had been little interest taken in the colony, beyond its use as an important strategic port from which to base operations during the Napoleonic wars. Wholly British maps of the Cape and South Africa would not be published for another 19 years, most notably by Aaron's son Samuel, with his 'Map of the Cape of Good Hope' in 1834 and S.D.U.K.'s map of South Africa in the same year." (Lyon and Turnbull. Aaron Arrowsmith (1750-1823) was the finest cartographer of his generation. Although he received little formal education it is believed that he was taught some mathematical instruction by William Emerson, an author of several books on the application of mathematics to the area of cartography. Around 1770, Arrowsmith moved to London to seek employment. It is believed that he worked for William Faden before joining John Cary Sr. in the early 1780s. There he provided the measurements for John Cary's early publication detailing the roads from London to Falmouth, his first signed work. Arrowsmith set up on his own n 1790 and over the next thirty years produced some of the most beautiful and elegant maps of the era. BLMC Maps 64390.(4.); Maps 17.a.15.