A Naturalist in Mid-Africa. Being an Account of a Journey to the Mountains of the Moon and Tanganyika

First edition. 8vo; original olive-green cloth, with spine lettered in gilt, and gilt Wandarobbo sword-and-scabbard device to upper cover; heraldic bookplate of Colonel Malcolm of Poltalloch to front pastedown; pp. xvi + 413, incl. index; tables; plates; illustrations in text; four maps, three of which folding. Cloth a little mottled and rubbed; binding slightly slack and hinges tender, with archival tape reinforcing; a few small ink stamps; some minor spotting; a few archival tape repairs to short marginal tears of folds in one map. Good condition. (Tenri Africana I, 1675; Hess & Coger, 239) Colonel George Malcolm of Poltalloch, previous owner of this book, commanded the 8th Battalion, the Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders, and became head of the clan Malcolm in 1944. \" ... Mr Scott Elliot set out on an expedition to Uganda, in which the Royal Geographical Society assisted with the funds. ... The risks of the journey at that period were very great, and he in fact lost 22 donkeys and many stores, which were stolen by the Masai. At Kampala he found that the country was at war, and Captain Gibb, who was in command at the Capital, would not allow him to proceed for some time, though he assisted him in many ways. Subsequently he went on to Ruenzori, where he spent four months and collected an enormous number of plants. ... As his funds became exhausted he had to pass southwards, and eventually he succeeded in reaching Lake Tanganyika, and proceeded down the lake in a dhow. After many difficulties he got to the south end of the lake, and then pressed on to Blantyre and the mouth of the Zambesi, where he caught a steamer home. Owing to sunstroke and fever and many other difficulties which he encountered, Mr Scott Elliot was unable to accomplish as much in this expedition as he had hoped, but nevertheless a very large number of new plants were discovered, and many interesting animals and insects. On returning home, the Royal Geographical Society awarded Mr Scott Elliot the Cuthbert Peek grant ... \" - from the Obituary Notice, \"Mr G.F. Scott Elliot: Author, Soldier and Explorer\", in the Dumfries & Galloway Standard & Advertiser of June 23, 1934.