MacDonald, J.R.L. / [Provenance: Edmund Heathcote Thruston].

Soldiering and Surveying in British East Africa, 1891-1894. With Maps and Illustrations.

First Edition. London and New York, Edward Arnold, 1897. 15 cm x 23 cm. Frontispiece, XVI, 333 pages. 12 illustrations, including frontispiece. 8 maps, including fold-out colour map at rear showing “Major MacDonald’s work in British East Africa.” Hardcover [publisher’s original maroon cloth] with gilt lettering on spine. Deckled edges. Good- condition. Large yellow ’‘Mudie Select Library”– label on front board. Rear board bears remnant of removed label. Minor staining and rubbing to boards. Tears at gutters between pastedowns and endpapers with exposed cloth front and rear. Binding is shaky but bookblock still solid. Front endpaper partially loose. Armorial bookplate of Edmund Heathcote Thruston with latin inscription (Esse Quam Videri) on front pastedown. Names of two previous owners on half-title page. Occassional annotations throughout the book. Occasional foxing throughout. Rare !

Includes, for example, the following chapters: Ukambani – Company’s Settlement and Fighting / Fighting in Kikuyu / War Against the Wavuma / First Contest Between Christians and Mohammedeans / Second Mohammedan War (Luggard’s) / Events that led to the Third Mohammedan War / The last fortnight before the outbreak – Selim Bey’s Intrigues / The Crisis – Victory at Rubaga / Fall of Selm Bey – Uganda Saved / Owen Victorious in Unyoro – Close of the Campaign / Concentration and Preparation Against Kabarega / Unyoro Expedition / Glossary etc.
The maps listed include Kilimanjaro, Section of the Uganda Railway, Map of Uvuma Expedition, Map of the Mohammedan War 1889-1890 and Second Mohammedan War and maps for the Third Mohammedan War and Map of the Unyoro Expedition (all as sketched by the author).
The author served as Chief Engineer of the preliminary survey for the Uganda Railway before being appointed as Acting-Commissioner of the Uganda Protectorate. The publication gives a narrative account of his role as the British forces attempted to quash a rebellion by the Wavuma tribe.

Sir James Ronald Leslie Macdonald KCSI KCIE CB DL (1862 – 1927) was a Indian born, Scottish engineer, explorer and cartographer. He served as a British Army engineer, rose to the rank of Brigadier-General and was knighted in1900. After the period covered by this book, MacDonald was involved in some of major British imperial expeditions. In what became known as the Fashoda Incident, MacDonald helped secure the southern region of Sudan around the White Nile Basin for the British in 1898, he then served in the Second Anglo-Boer War in South Africa, took part in the international expedition against the Boxers in China and led the military force attached to an official expedition into Tibet in 1903–1904. (Wikipedia)

• Keywords: 19th Century · Africa · Africa – Rare · Africa, British East · Africana Collection of Rare Books · Bookplate · British Author · British Colonial History · British East Africa · British Empire · British History · colonial · Colonial History – Rare · Colonial Wars · Colonialism · Engineering · English History – Rare · Islam · Map, African · Maps · Memoirs · Natives · Railway · Railway – Rare · Signed · Technology – Rare · Technology & Engineering – Rare · Transport · Travel · Travel Africa – Rare · Uganda · War
• Language: English
• Inventory Number: 120058AB

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