‘A Classic of Travel Literature’ (Pmm)
PARK, Mungo.
Travels in the interior districts of Africa: performed under the direction and patronage of the African Association, in the years 1795, 1796, and 1797 ... Fourth edition. London, printed by W. Bulmer and Co. and sold by G. and W. Nicol, 1800.
8vo, pp. xx, 551, [1 (blank)]; with frontispiece portrait of the author, large folding map (‘The route of Mr Mungo Park’), and 5 engraved plates (3 folding); some foxing to title, frontispiece and plates, and occasionally elsewhere; overall very good in contemporary tree-patterned calf, recent red morocco spine label; joints split but holding, spine, corners and edges worn; ink inscription at head of title ‘Peter Baillie April 1801’, his armorial bookplate to front pastedown.
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Travels in the interior districts of Africa: performed under the direction and patronage of the African Association, in the years 1795, 1796, and 1797 ... Fourth edition.
Fourth edition of Park’s account of his momentous expedition to the Niger River on behalf of the African Association. ‘His Travels, published in 1799, was a best-seller. Three editions were printed during the first year, and it was immediately translated into French and German, and eventually other languages. Written in a straightforward, unpretentious, narrative style, it gave readers their first realistic description of everyday life in west Africa, depicted without the censorious, patronizing contempt which so often has disfigured European accounts of Africa’ (ODNB). ‘Until the publication of Park’s book ... hardly anything was known of the interior of Africa, apart from the north-east region and coastal areas ... Park’s Travels had an immediate success ... and has become a classic of travel literature’ (PMM).
The plates include ‘A view of Ali’s tent at the camp of Benowm’, ‘A view of Kamalia’, and two botanical engravings depicting the Rhamnus Lotus and Shea Tree.
Provenance: Peter Baillie (1771-1811), West Indian merchant and Whig Member of Parliament for Inverness Burghs.
ESTC T176193; cf. PMM 253.