Narrative of an Expedition to Explore the River Zaire usually called the Congo in South Africa in 1816

This copy has been rebound at the spine with new enpapers. 498 pages. The fold-out chart of the River Zaire at rear is complete but with some tape to most folds. 13 inserted plates on a thicker white art-paper. Foxing throughout book.

From exploration and natural history points of view, this was a highly successful expedition - even though most of the expedition's members, including the leader, died before their return voyage was completed. Captain Tuckey had an unfortunate life, dying at the age of 40 in 1816 during his first command and having earlier been imprisoned by the French for nine years.

James Kingston Tuckey (1776-1816), an Irish-born English naval officer, was captured by the French on a voyage from St. Helena in 1805 and suffered an imprisonment of nearly nine years in France. Promoted to the rank of commander in 1814, he was later assigned to lead an expedition to explore the Congo River in 1816 to learn if there was a connection between the Congo and Niger basins. He explored the river up to 480 km from the sea. Most of the officers and crew died of fever and Tuckey himself died on 14 October 1816, aged 40, in Moanda, on the coast of today's Democratic Republic of the Congo. Although the expedition appeared a failure it raised interest in the exploration of Africa. (Wikipedia)