The Exploration of the Niger (1898)

With an Inscription on reverse of frontispiece: 'To Lieut. Geoffrey Redaway King, 4th Kings African Rifles Mzima. Feb. 1916. British East Africa.' The KAR was a distinguished regiment in East Africa, and the 4th were the Uganda battalion, fighting the Germans in what is now Tanzania. - From the Translators' Note: 'The appearance of this brightly-written record of an adventurous (French expedition's) voyage down the Niger, from Timbuktu to the sea, such as has never before been accomplished, is just now peculiarly opportune, when attention is so much concentrated on the efforts of the French to extend their influence in Africa, especially in the Western Sudan...[this] is a good and valuable work, adding much to the knowledge of the Niger itself, its basin, and the various tribes occupying the riverside districts. Lieutenant Hourst managed to keep the peace with the natives from the first start from Timbuktu to the arrival at Bussa... he and his party passed by without the loss of a single life, and in this noteworthy peculiarity of his journey, the brave and patient young leader may claim to rank even with that great pioneer of African discovery, David Livingstone... his dealings with the natives were marked by perfect straightforwardness; every promise, however trivial, made to one of them he faithfully performed, whilst from the officers under him and the coolies in his service he won the utmost devotion and love... It would be unfair to the author to spoil the interest of his narrative by any revelations of its contents; suffice it to add, that in spite of his all too-evident bias against the English, he is unable to deny that he was kindly treated by the individual members of the Royal Niger Company, with whom he came in contact...' Contents include: Abortive start; From Kayes to Timbuktu; Timbuktu to Tosaye; Tosaye to Fafa; Tuaregs; Say; Fafa to Say; From Say to Bussa; From Bussa to the sea; Conclusion; Epilogue; Index. Illustrations include: Lieutenant Hourst; Washerwoman of Say; Quay at St. Louis; Coolies engaged at St. Louis; Kayes; Senegal; Crossing a marigot; Arrival at Kolikoro; Sacred Baobab of Kolikoro; Yakere; Large Niger canoes; Kabara; Timbuktu; Rhergo; So called sheriffs of Rhergo; Gungi; Eguedeche; Gao; Bornu; Tuaregs; African camel; Chief at Ayuru; Farca; Ft. Archinard; Osman; Talibia; Envoys from chief of Kibtachi; Cobbler of Mossi; Fulah woman; Natives of Malali; Rocky banks above Kompa; Djidjima; View of Bussa; Among the rapids; Geba; Rabba; Igga; Mount Rennel above Lokodja; Medals; Natives of Sansan Haussa; etc. Thick and heavy Octavo, hardcover, pp. xvi + 520, foldout map, and 183 illustrations. The book has been cocked, that is, it has been bent; lacking a flep otherwise no torn or missing pages; fraying to edges of first few pages; no writing or markings in the text; gift inscription on reverse of frontispiece; owner's name on front pastedown: 'G. R. King'; foxing in text and on endpapers and page edges. Original publisher's hardcover binding, fraying to spine tips and corners, edge tears on spine tips, staining and scuffing to boards, spine cocked, boards bowed and bent.