Russell, Michael.

Nubia and Abyssinia: Comprehending their Civil History, Antiquities, Arts, Religion, Literature, and Natural History. Illustrated by a Map and Twelve Engravings, Chiefly by Jackson.

First Edition. Edinburgh / London, Oliver & Boyd / Simpkin & Marshal, 1833. 11 cm x 17 cm. 440 pages. Fold-out-map of Nubia and Abyssinia placed before titlepage. Twelve single-page engraved illustrations. Nine of these are by Jackson, two by Branston and one by Wright. Hardcover [publisher’s original brown cloth] with ‘Edinburgh Cabinet Library’– label on spine. Very good condition with only minor signs of external wear. Abrasions and tears evident to spine. Binding still firm and strong. Minor, clean tear in fold-out map. Some foxing to map, tissue-guard and titlepage. Private gift-inscription by preowner James Johnstone (possibly the scottish MP for Clackmannanshire and Kinross-shire) to his sister A.E.Webster on endpaper. [Edinburgh Cabinet Library – XII].

Includes, for example, the following: Geographical Outlines of Nubia and Abyssinia / Civil History of Nubia and Abyssinia / Gebel el Berkal / El Bellal / Kingdom of Merawe / Aboriginal mixed with Arabians / Rise of Subegadis / Invasion of Nubia by Ishmael Pasha / Architectural Monuments of Nubia and Abyssinia / Temples of Soleb, of Kalashe, and Dondour / Ruins at Mandeyr and Kely / Mixed Greek and Egyptian forms / Obelisk / Religion and Literature of Ethiopia / Notices Regarding some of the Prinicpal Features in the Zoology / Vegetation of the Country / Abyssinia Received Chrisitianity at the early Period / Jewish Ceremonies mixed with the Gospel / Arian Heresy / Taranta / Lamalmon / Ganza / Balsam of Mecca / Introduction of Coffee / etc.

Michael Russell (12 August 1781 – 2 April 1848) was the first Episcopal Bishop of Glasgow and Galloway from 1837 to his death in 1848. He was also a prolific author. He was a contributor to the Encyclopædia Metropolitana and the British Critic, and he was for some time editor of the Scottish Episcopal Review and Magazine. To the Edinburgh Cabinet Library he contributed volumes on Palestine, 1831, Ancient and Modern Egypt, 1831, Nubia and Abyssinia, 1833, The Barbary States, 1835, Polynesia, 1842, and Iceland, Greenland, and the Faroe Isles, 1850 (Wikipedia)

The Edinburgh Cabinet Library was a series of 38 books, mostly geographical, published from 1830 to 1844, and edited by Dionysius Lardner. Lardner, a science professor, was also responsible for the 133-volume Cabinet Cyclopædia (also known as Lardner’s Cyclopaedia) that covered a wide range of subects – what Lardner called ‘cabinets’ – with contributions from some leading British scholars. During the first quarter of the 19th century, self-improvement literature became an important portion of the book market and this series was designed to capitalise on the “encyclopedia craze” of the growing middle-class of this period. (‘Mary Shelley’s Lives of the Most Eminent Literary and Scientifc Men,’ at the University of Saskatchewan Library’s Digital Reserach Centre website)

• Keywords: 19th Century · 19th Century – Rare · 19th century Literary Periodical · 19th Century Literature · Abyssinia · Africa · Africa – Rare · Africa, North · Africana Collection of Rare Books · Archaeology · Archaeology – Rare · Architecture – Rare · Botany · Egypt · Encyclopaedias · Ethiopia · Geography · Geology · History · Map · Map, African · Native, Rituals and Customs · Natives · North Africa · Nubia · Pyramids · Religion · Religion and Culture · Sudan · Travel Africa – Rare · Zoology
• Language: English
• Inventory Number: 120009AB

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