Boniface and the Shipwreck of the Eole
Title page of the original edition of the Narrative of the Shipwreck of the Eole (Relation du naufrage de l'Eole), published in Cape Town by Bridekirk, 1829.
The Narrative of the Shipwreck of the French Vessel the Eole on the coast of Kaffraria in April 1829 was written by Charles Etienne Boniface and was the first French book and the first travel narrative to be published in South Africa.
The book made little impact when it first appeared and was almost completely forgotten until it was 'rediscovered' in January 2010 by Dr D.J. Culpin of the University of St Andrews.
Two years later, the narrative has now been brought once more to life. An English translation of the text by Dr Culpin, with an introduction and notes, is being published in South Africa (September 2012) by the Centre for the Book in Cape Town, and a critical edition of the original French text is being published in England by the Modern Humanities Research Association.
Boniface's text makes an important contribution to South African cultural history and to the existing body of European travel literature: it describes a rare encounter between Europeans and the indigenous population of the Eastern Cape; it offers a unique portrait of European settlements such as Grahamstown and Port Elizabeth very soon after they were established; it gives a first-hand eyewitness reaction to recent political changes introduced by the English colonial government in Cape Colony; and it provides an insight into the intellectual formation of Boniface himself, who was a figure of some significance in the musical, theatrical and literary life of Cape Town in the 1820s.
Dr Culpin working in Special Collections of the National Library in Cape Town, where he discovered Boniface's text. © D. Culpin 2012
To accompany the re-publication of Boniface's narrative a number of events have been organized in various parts of South Africa, including a major exhibition at the National Library in Cape Town, entitled 'Boniface and his world: the Cape in the 1820s', that will run from 1 November 2012 until 31 March 2013.
On the following pages you can find more information about the events planned during 2012 and 2013 to celebrate the new edition of Boniface's Narrative. You can also find out more information about the text itself and download worksheets and other materials for use in schools.
For further information about the content of this website email Dr Culpin, djc3@st-andrews.ac.uk.
All images, unless otherwise credited, courtesy of the National Library of South Africa.