Stephens, J.L. / Park, Mungo.

Sammelband with three publications on Travels in Africa: Volume I: J.L. Stephens – Incidents of Travel in Egypt, Arabia Petraea and The Holy Land / Volume II: Incidents of Travel in Greece Turkey Russia and Poland / Volume III: The Life and Travels of Mungo Park – Comprising An Original Memoir of His Early Life, A Reprint of the ’″Travels in the Interior of Africa,” Written by Himself, And Published in Quarto in 1798, And An Original Narrative of His Second Journey. Also, An Original Account of the Progress of African Discovery from the Death of Park Till the Year 1838. Illustrated by a Map.

Edinburgh, William and Robert Chambers, 1838-1839. 15.5 cm x 25 cm. Volume I: 120 pages / Volume II: 114 pages / Volume III: 88 pages with a full-page-map of Park’s Travels. Hardcover / publisher’s original half-leather with marbled boards. Gilt lettering and ornament on spine. Good+ condition with signs of external wear, sometimes significant. Edges and corners of boards are bumped and rubbed. Crack to gutter between front pastedown and endpaper. Binding still strong and firm. Occasional foxing throughout only.

The book contains three volumes: Two from Stephens charting his journeys through Eastern Europe and the Middle East; and a reprint of Mungo Parks’ earlier travels through Africa.

Incidents of Travel in Egypt, Arabia Petraea and The Holy Land contains, for example, the following: From Alexandria to Cairo / The Slave Market at Cairo / A Hadj, or Pilgrimage to Mecca / The Obelisk of Luxor / Anchorites / Petra / Pastoral Bedouins / Hospitality of the Jews / An Arnaout / First View of Jerusalem / The Garden of Gethsemane / The River Jordan / Nazareth etc.

Incidents of Travel in Greece, Turkey, Russia and Poland contains, for example, the following: View from the Acropolis / Ruins of Athens / A Greek Priest / Sight of a Harem / The Armenians / Sultan Mahmoud / Visit to the Slave Market / Rise of Odessa / Russian Jews / Moscow / Origin of St Petersburgh / Nicholas of Russia / The Amber Chamber / Warsaw / Palaces of the Polish Kings / The Salt-mines of Cracow etc.

The Life and Travels of Mungo Park contains, for example, the following: Early Life of Park / Travels in Africa Commenced / Sets out from Pisania / Visits the King of Woolli / The Foulahs of Bondon / Arrives at Teesee / Arrival at Kooniakary / Journey from Kemmoo to Funingkedy / Kept at Benown / Continues in Captivity at Benown / Arrives at Wawra / Wassiboo-Galloo-Datliboo / Information regarding Tombuctoo / Travels Westward on the Niger / Arrives at Taffara / Plundered by Banditti / Forlon Condition – Health Declines / Arrives at Kamalia / Manners of Mandingoes / State and Sources of Slavery / Mode of Collecting Gold Dust / Trade in Ivory / Negro Schools and Education / Departure from Kamalia / Travels with a Slave Coffle / Return to Gambia / Narrative of Second Travels in Africa – Loss of Companions – Reaches the Niger – Death of Park – his Character / Progress of African Discovery from the Death of Mungo Park / Mouth of the Niger discovered by the Landers etc.

John Lloyd Stephens, (1805-1852), was an American traveller and archaeologist. Stephens was a pivotal figure in the rediscovery of Maya civilization throughout Middle America. (Wikipedia)
In 1834 he set out on a journey that took him through eastern Europe and the Middle East, where he was particularly drawn to many of the archaeological sites.

Mungo Park (1771 – 1806) was a Scottish explorer of West Africa. After an exploration of the upper Niger River around 1796, he wrote a popular and influential travel book titled ‘Travels in the Interior Districts of Africa’ in which he theorized the Niger and Congo merged to become the same river. He was killed during a second expedition, having successfully travelled about two-thirds of the way down the Niger. Park was the first Westerner to have recorded travels in the central portion of the Niger, and through his popular book introduced the public to a vast unexplored continent which influenced future European explorers and colonial ambitions in Africa.(Wikipedia)

The reprint of ‘Travels in the Interior Districts of Africa’ recounts Park’s most famous journey:
Park won the support of the African Association to explore the true course of the Niger River. Beginning his exploration at the mouth of the Gambia River on June 21, 1795, Park ascended that river for 200 miles to Pisania (now Karantaba, The Gambia), a British trading station. Hampered by fever and formidable hardships, he crossed the unknown territory of the upper Sénégal River basin. He was imprisoned by an Arab chief for four months but escaped on July 1, 1796, to continue his journey with little more than a horse and a compass. On July 20 he reached Ségou (now in Mali) on the Niger, which he followed downstream for 80 miles (130 km) to Silla. Finally forced to turn back for lack of supplies, Park, traveling on foot, took a more southerly route on his return. After traversing mountainous country, he arrived at Kamalia in Mandingo country, where he lay dangerously ill with fever for seven months. With the assistance of a slave trader, he reached Pisania on June 10, 1797. He returned to Britain to write an account of his adventures, ‘Travels in the Interior Districts of Africa’ (1797), which became a popular success and made him famous. (Encyclopedia Britannica)

• Keywords: 19th Century · Africa · Africa – Rare · Africa, Central · Africa, North · Africana Collection of Rare Books · Eastern Europe · Egypt · Exploration · Explorer · Explorers · Holy Land · Middle East · Middle Eastern history · Moscow · Niger · North Africa · Park, Mungo · Russia · Russian · St Petersburg · Travel · Travel & Expedition – Rare · Travel Africa – Rare · Travel and Adventure · Travel Guide · Travel Journal · Travel Writing · Travellers · Travelling Authors · Tsar
• Language: English
• Inventory Number: 120143AB

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