8vo. Volume I: 508 pp., [1], frontispiece portrait, 2 colour steel engraved plates, numerous woodcuts & figures in text / Volume II: 456 pp., [1], folding map, 2 colour steel engraved plates, numerous woodcuts & figures in text, 1 folding plan, 19th century half-calf with marbled boards, slightly rubbed round corners, title gilt on raised & decorated spine with Duke de Luynes coat of arms, marbled endpaper, speckled edges, book plate Dampierre verso front cover, scattered foxing mainly to lower margins of first few pages, otherwise copy in good condition, Gotha, J. Perthes, 1859 - 1860.

Synopsis

Barth is thought to be one of the greatest of the European explorers of Africa, as his scholarly preparation, ability to speak and write Arabic, learning African languages, and character meant that he carefully documented the details of the cultures he visited. He was among the first to comprehend the uses of oral history of peoples, and collected many. He established friendships with African rulers and scholars during his five years of travel (1850–1855). After the deaths of two European companions, he completed his travels with the aid of Africans. Afterwards, he wrote and published a five-volume account of his travels in both English and German. It has been invaluable for scholars of his time and since.
Bibliographic references: Henze I, 182 – Embacher 24 – Griep / Luber 81 – Kainbacher 29.