Narrative Of An Expedition To Explore The Zaire River, Usually Called The Congo. In South Africa. In 1816; To Witch Is Added, The Journal Of Professor Smith; Some General Observations On The Country And Its Inhabitants; An Appendix: Containing The Natural History Of That Part Of The Kingdom Of Congo Through Which The Zaire Flows
London: John Murray, 1818. First edition. leather_bound. 498 pages. 26 x 21 cm. Thirteen plates, one colored by hand and large fold-out frontispiece map, plus half title and publisher adverts. An Irish born English naval officer captured by the French on a voyage from St. Helena in 1805, he suffered an imprisonment of nearly nine years. Promoted to rank of commander in 1814, he was later assigned to lead an expedition to explore the Congo River in 1816 to learn if there was a connection between the Congo and Niger basins. Most of the crew including Tuckey succumbed to tropical fever or exhaustion and died in their efforts. Whereas the expedition failed it inspired interest by the British to continue African exploration. The accounts of the expedition gleaned from officer's reports, incomplete journals, etc., provided useful information on the natural history and inhabitants of the region. WOOD p. 603. Hand colored plate clean, balance mostly browned, lacking upper fore-edge corner of title page not affecting text, some quires misbound but present, text clean and fresh. Binding border panels in gilt and blind, marbled endpapers and edges. Contemporary gilt decorated full calf rebacked with most of original spine laid-down. Very good. Item #19181
Price: $575.00