The fascinating travel account in a handsome binding
Narrative of Travels and Discoveries in Northern and Central Africa, in the Years 1822, 1823 and 1824, by Major Denham, Captain Clapperton and The Late Doctor Oudney, Extending Across the Desert to the Tenth Degree of North Latitude, and from Korika in Bornou, to Sackatoc, The Capital of The Fellatah Empire. With an Appendix.
London: John Murray, 1826.
Price: $650.00
About the item
Second Edition. Engraved frontispiece and 40 engraved plates (one colored), after original drawings by Denham and Clapperton, engraved by Edward Finden. large folding map at end. lxxxviii, 321, 2pp; iv, 413pp. 2 vols. 4to. The fascinating travel account in a handsome binding. Three quarters modern speckled brown calf, marbled boards, gilt tooled spine with red label, book plate of "Foster." Totally uncut. Howgego D18 Vol. II; Gay 337; Ibrahim-Hilmy I, p172.
Item #319014
"An official expedition to discover the course of the Niger from the starting point of Tripoli, rather than West Africa. Denham and Clapperton (1786-1828) were part of the expedition led by the Scottish doctor Walter Oudney to open relations with the Fulani kingdom, whose legendary trading centre was Kano, in order to discover the source of the Niger, which was widely believed to flow into Lake Chad. Having crossed the Sahara and found no rivers entering Lake Chad, the party divided with Denham exploring the Shari River and Oudney and Clapperton (who shared a mutual loathing of Denham) proceeding to Kano. Oudney died en route but Clapperton was received by the ruler of Kano, Mohammed Bello who, having first supplied an accurate map of the course of the Niger, later backtracked and supplied another misleading map when he realised the dangers of opening up his kingdom to foreigners. Clapperton rejoined Denham at Lake Chad and back across the Sahara."
