A Voyage to Abyssinia, and Travels into the Interior of that Country, Executed in the Years 1809 and 1810.
London: F.C. and J. Rivington, 1814.
Price: $3,000.00
About the item
First edition. With 28 engraved plates on 27 leaves, 7 engraved maps and charts on 6 sheets (including 4 folding and 1 hand-colored) and 2 vignettes. xi, [5], 506, lxxv pp. 4to. Contemporary brown russia, neatly rebacked. Fine copy. Blackmer 1479; Czech, African p. 141; Fumagalli 139; Gay 2683.
Item #314823
A fine copy of this important work by Salt on his two years journey to Abyssinia. "On 2 March 1809 Salt sailed on a mission from the British government to Abyssinia, to carry presents to the king and report on the state of the country. Owing to factious unrest, he was prevented from going to the king at Gondar and was obliged to deliver the presents instead to the ras of Tigré. While in Abyssinia he made many observations on the geography, the customs of the people, and the flora and fauna. He brought back many specimens, including a previously unknown dik-dik ... In 1812 he was elected one of the very few honorary members of the African Association in acknowledgement of information he had procured in its interest. In 1814 he published A Voyage to Abyssinia, which was received with some acclaim" (ODNB). Salt was subsequently appointed consul-general in Egypt, and played an important role in fostering Egyptology, financing the excavations of Belzonia, Caviglia and d'Athanasi.
