GRAY, William.
Travels in Western Africa, in the years 1818, 19, 20, and 21, from the River Gambia, through Woolli, Bondoo, Galam, Kasson, Kaarta, and Foolidoo, to the River Niger. By Major William Gray, and the late Staff Surgeon Dochard. With a map, drawings, and costumes, illustrative of those countries. London, John Murray, 1825.
8vo, pp. xv, [1], 413, [1 (blank)], without the half-title; with aquatint frontispiece, folding map, 9 aquatint plates, and 4 botanical lithographed plates; some light foxing to plates and facing pages; overall very good in contemporary half calf and marbled boards, spine gilt in compartments with red morocco lettering-piece (neatly repaired), marbled edges and endpapers; extremities slightly worn; ink inscription ‘J.E. Headlam Gilmonby Hall’ and armorial bookplate of John Headlam (Archdeacon of Richmond) to front endpapers.
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Travels in Western Africa, in the years 1818, 19, 20, and 21, from the River Gambia, through Woolli, Bondoo, Galam, Kasson, Kaarta, and Foolidoo, to the River Niger. By Major William Gray, and the late Staff Surgeon Dochard. With a map, drawings, and costumes, illustrative of those countries.
First edition, with fine aquatint plates. The Colonial Office’s Niger expedition, commanded by Major John Peddie, reached the River Senegal in November 1815; Peddie immediately fell victim to fever, leaving Staff Surgeon Dochard and Captain Gray to take over the mission. They set out with 100 men and 200 pack animals but the column was decimated by fever and local tribes proved increasingly hostile towards the concept of a European trade route along the river. The survivors reached the upper Senegal and Dochard pressed ahead with a sergeant and seven men to the Niger between Segou and Bamako. When the king of Segou refused to grant permission to travel any further, the expedition was forced to return to the coast. Despite having three times the number of men Park had commanded on his second journey, the Colonial Office mission only travelled one third as far. Dochard died as a result of fever, prior to the publication of Gray’s narrative.
Abbey, Travel, 282; Gay 2899.