Beschreibung:

Title: Travels in the Interior Districts of Africa: Performed under the Direction and Patronage of the African Association, in the Years 1795, 1796, and 1797...With an appendix, containing Geographical Illustrations of Africa by Major Rennell Author: Park, Mungo Place: London Publisher: Printed by W. Bulmer for the Author and sold by G. and W. Nicol Date: 1799 Description: xxviii, 372, [2], xcii, [2] pp. Illustrated with engraved portrait frontispiece after Edridge, two engraved folding maps, one with Park's route hand-colored, an engraved folding chart, and five engraved plates after drawings by Park, two of which are botanicals and the others, views. Also contains 2 pp. of music, "A Negro Song". (4to) 26x21 cm (10¼x8") bound in library's modern red cloth, gilt lettered spine, new endpapers. Second Edition. Mungo Park's legendary solo expedition into the interior of Africa in search of the source of the Niger River is one of the most remarkable tales in the annals of African exploration. Chosen as their envoy by the African Association when still in his early twenties, Park was able to travel as far as Timbuktoo on this, his first voyage, although he was stripped of his trade goods, supplies, and indeed his very clothing soon after passing into the unexplored regions. Park "made the first great practical advance in the opening-up of Central Africa...until the publication of [his books] hardly anything was known of the interior of Africa" (PMM 253). Lot Amendments Condition: Library number stamped in gilt at heel of spine; decorative bookplate of the Cheltenham Public Library on front pastedown, no other library markings; scattered light foxing, some light offsetting to plates, maps with some professional repair work; very good. Item number: 288762