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Baker, Sir S[amuel].W EXPLORATION OF THE NILE TRIBUTARIES OF ABYSSINIA. The Sources, Supply, and Overflow of the Nile; The Country, People, Customs, etc. Interspersed with many Highly Exciting Adventures of the Author, among Elephants, Lions, Buffaloes, Hippopotami, Rhinoceros, Antelopes and other Great Game of the Country; Accompanied by Expert Native Sword Hunters. Hartford O.D. Case & CO. 1868

First edition, American issue. Illustrated with twenty-one black and white plates from original sketches by Sir S.W. Baker, and with two coloured maps, one full page and one folding. 8vo, publisher's original dark plum pebbled cloth, spine tooled and lettered in gilt, boards ruled in blind. xx, 624. A nearly pristine, exceptionally fine copy, highly unusual as such.

IMPORTANT AFRICANA. Baker, Burton and Speke had by this time finally proved that the source of the White Nile lay in the Lakes Albert and N'yanza. In this volume Baker traces his discovery of the sources of the lower Nile in the Atbara River and the Blue Nile in Abyssinia (present day Ethiopia and Somalia).
The first editions of Baker's works are becoming increasingly difficult to procure. This copy in such fine and bright condition is extremely unusual. The importance of the debate over the source of the Nile, combined with Baker's very readable writing style, made his books enormously popular, with the result that they were reprinted a great many times over the following years.

$US950

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