Details
BURTON, Richard Francis. The Lake Regions of Central Africa... London: Longman, Green, Longman, and Roberts, 1860.
2 volumes, 8o (220 x 143 mm). Folding map and 12 chromoxylographic plates. Dull violet cloth, covers blind tooled, spines gilt lettered (volume II rebacked and endpapers renewed, with original spine laid down, spine of vol. I repaired, spines faded). Provenance: Norman Percival Fenwick (bookplate); George Harwood (bookplate).
FIRST EDITION, FIRST ISSUE, VERY RARE. "This issue was rather a failure, very few copies being sold. Hence it is very rare" (Penzer).
The Lake Regions of Central Africa... is considered Burton's best writing and is also his first attack in print on Speke, his chosen companion to Central Africa. Speke was the first to return to England and the first to publish, in Blackwood's Magazine, and took credit for their 'discovery' of Lake Nyanza and the source of the White Nile. Burton countered with his denouncement of Speke's 'inaccurate data and outrageous speculations' and the Royal Geographical Society printed it in full, perhaps in retaliation for Speke having turned to Blackwood's Magazine for publication and not to its own august self the sponsors of the expedition. Penzer p. 65-66; Casada 42; Spink 20.
2 volumes, 8
FIRST EDITION, FIRST ISSUE, VERY RARE. "This issue was rather a failure, very few copies being sold. Hence it is very rare" (Penzer).
The Lake Regions of Central Africa... is considered Burton's best writing and is also his first attack in print on Speke, his chosen companion to Central Africa. Speke was the first to return to England and the first to publish, in Blackwood's Magazine, and took credit for their 'discovery' of Lake Nyanza and the source of the White Nile. Burton countered with his denouncement of Speke's 'inaccurate data and outrageous speculations' and the Royal Geographical Society printed it in full, perhaps in retaliation for Speke having turned to Blackwood's Magazine for publication and not to its own august self the sponsors of the expedition. Penzer p. 65-66; Casada 42; Spink 20.