Journal of an Expedition to Explore the Course and Termination of The Niger; with a Narrative of a Voyage Down That River to its Termination.

First Edition. 3 volumes, small 8vo. (15cm x 10.5cm), titles, 3 engraved frontispieces, engraved plates, textual illustrations, 2 maps (1 folding), appendix to Volume II with information on the medicines and surgical instruments utilised during the expedition, pp. lxiv, 272; vii, 321; vii, 354. Handsomely bound in half morocco, raised bands, the spine lettered and dated in gilt, all edges marbled, Old Court Bindery Signature to front turn-ins, contemporary ownership inscriptions to title pages. Published by John Murray (London), 1832.

Occasional light spotting and browning, light remnants from old tape repairs to 4 pp. in Volume II, stain to 2 pp. in Volume II from an old bookmark. A very good set of this landmark account on African exploration.

The successful expedition of 1830 was Richard Lander's second expedition of the River Niger. Richard was the sole survivor from the first 1825 expedition which only made it as far as Sokoto, with the rest of the expedition team dying of malaria.

Commissioned by the British Government, the Lander brothers returned to West Africa in 1830 to explore the course of the River Niger. After landing at Badagri on 22 March 1830, they followed the lower River Niger from Bussa to to the Atlantic. Despite various challenges, including being captured and ransomed in Igbo-Ora, they successfully traveled through the last section of the Niger. They therefore solved the great river's course and termination, settling "the vexed question of the course and outlet of the Niger which many had thought flowed inland to Lake Chad.…. (and) opened up the whole of central Africa to commerce." (ODNB).

The Lander brothers returned to Britain from Fernando Po via Rio de Janeiro in 1831. After returning to Britain, the Publisher John Murray purchased their travel journals for 1,000 guineas and Richard was decorated with the Good Medal of the Royal Geographical Society.

(ODNB).

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