Narrative of Travels and Discoveries in Northern and Central Africa in the years 1822, 1823, and 1824

This is a very good set of the 1826 second edition of the two volumes by Denham and Clapperton on their 1822-24 travels in North and Central Africa with the late Dr Oudney. The reserve reflects the rubbing and other cosmetic damage to the covers. The binding, however, and the cover boards remain strong.

Vol I. lxxxviii + 321 pp + 10 inserted colour or monochrome engravings + large folding map + other small engravings in the text. The prelims included Major Denham's introductory chapter.

Vol II. iv + 413 pp of text and 16 appendixes + 1 other inserted engraving + folding sketch of Lake Tchad + a folding reduced version of Bello's map of Central Africa + some other small engravings in the text.

BINDING AND CONDITION NOTES

The volumes are half-bound in tan calf with blue cloth sides, marbled endpapers, top edges gilt and other edges red speckled. Four raised bands with gilt title and author lettering on black labels in pockets 2 and 4 of the spines, with the volume numbers gilt at the foot of the spines. The endpapers are marbled, with an armorial book-plate on the front paste-down of Vol I.

The leather corners are rubbed, with some material loss. The binding remains tight. Although the cover-boards retain their strength, the original cloth is faded in spots and patches. There are no binding cracks, owner's names or other marks or discolouration except for the versos of some of the plates, the Lake Tchad sketch and the maps, which are sunned or stained, though with little or no offset to adjacent pages.