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 and Appendix.

By Denham, Dixon and Clapperton, Hugh

London: John Murray, 1826. 1^st Presentation Edition, Signed. Royal 4to – 29.4cm. [lxviii], 336pp., [iv], 272 pp., Appendix. Two volumes in one. Original Tuscan-red boards, spine with a fine contemporary black morocco label, tooled and titled in gilt; with 37 fine engraved and etched plates, charts and maps, and one large fold-out map, of which 35 full-page plates are on India paper, mounted and, of which 28 are also present in 2^nd state for a total of 63 plates in all, comprising a “Proof State Before Letters”, and also on India paper, mounted, wood-engraved illustrations. Binding is professionally re-backed with old spine laid down, inner hinges restored. Now contained in a specially constructed black solander box with integral flap-case — NB: As a result of a binder’s error, this copy was bound without four leaves (signature C of Volume II) and noted at the time on the original incorrectly bound signature in a contemporary graphite hand: “This is a mistake”. These have been supplied from another copy of the first edition. A Very Good copy of the one of the most sought after issues of this masterpiece of African travel.

Presentation Copy of the First Edition inscribed on the front free-endpaper, “John Major from the Publisher”. Lowndes: “The most interesting and important work yet published on the subject of African researches. It is written in a plain and perspicuous style, and containing many particulars of an hitherto unknown country.” This, “one of very few copies printed upon thick paper for presents only”. According to Lowndes, there were 2 “lesser” issues of the first edition: the “regular issue”; a “special issue, with the plates mounted on India paper”; and “third issue for presents only” (op.cit.) – the issue that is listed here, which has the plates mounted on India paper. The engravings, after original drawings by Denham and Clapperton, are superbly engraved by Edward Finden, one of the finest steel-engravers in England at the time.

Denham and Clapperton, in the company of Dr. Walter Oudney, travelled from Benioleed, near Tripoli, almost due south to Lake Tchad, with excursions in the mountains west of Mourzuk in Fezzan. Dixon attempted to follow the circuit around Lake Tchad but was unsuccessful. In the meantime, Clapperton and Oudney journeyed west from the lake toward the Niger River, but the doctor only made it about a third of the way, and died in Murmur. Clapperton continued west, but was prevented from passing beyond Sackatoo by the local Sultan. He and Dunham subsequently returned to Tripoli and crossed back to England. This exciting narrative is compiled from Denham’s journal, with a chapter by Dr. Oudney on the excursion to the mountains west of Mourzuk. A final section by Clapperton relates to the westward journey form Lake Tchad to Sackatoo and includes an account of Oudney’s death. Among the several appendices are translations from the Arabic or various letters and documents brought back by Denham and Clapperton, including a document relating to The Death of Mungo Park; a translation from Arabic of A Geographical and Historical Account of The Kingdom of Tak-roor, from a larger work composed by Sultan Mahommed Bello of Hausa; Vocabularies of Bornou, Begharmi, Mandara and Timbuctoo; appendices on the Zoology and Botany of the Regions based on samples collected by Dr. Oudney; a note on Rock Specimens; and a Thermometrical Journal kept at Kouka in Bournou. — Lownnes I p. 629, Howgego D18 Vol. II.

$3800.00 -