A JOURNEY TO ASHANGO-LAND: AND FURTHER PENETRATION INTO EQUATORIAL AFRICA.

London: John Murray, 1867. First Edition. Illustrated throughout with a large folding map, and 23, mostly full-page engraved plates, including an engraved frontispiece and title-page vignette. 8vo, very handsomely bound in three-quarter dark-green crushed morocco of the period over green cloth covered boards, the spine with raised bands beautifully gilt decorated separating the compartments, head and tail of the spine with fine giltwork, one compartment lettered in gilt, turnovers and corner pieces gilt ruled, all edges marbled. xxiv, 501 pp. An excellent copy, very handsomely bound, very tight, bright, clean, fresh and crisp. A bit of the typical spotting to a few of the prelims and and the rear paste-down and free-fly. Otherwise, a remarkably fine and fresh copy. VERY SCARCE FIRST EDITION VERY HANDSOMELY BOUND. Du Chaillu’s first travels to Equatorial Africa were to an area previously unexplored by Europeans--the wooded region bordering the Equator, in the interior of Western Africa. It was on this journey that he was able to observe the habits of several remarkable species of animals found nowhere else and heretofore unknown. These included the gorilla, and Du Chaillu’s famous engraving was the first published illustration of this remarkable animal.
In this subsequent work, the intention was to map out the geography in such a way that there would be no mistake as to Du Chaillu’s discoveries. He went through rigorous study, prior to his journey, in the use of instruments which allowed him to fix by astronomical observations and compass bearings, the altitudes and locations of places. He gained in large measure by the support of the Royal Geographical Society both monetarily and academically. And his scientific observations were enhanced by the Greenwich Observatory inclusions in this volume.
His further studies into the habits of the gorilla of Western Equatorial Africa was of remarkable benefit to scholars and scientists laying a groundwork for the ongoing study of this animal and Du Chaillu was further able to obtain and study live specimens because of his relationships with the indigenous peoples of the region.
Additionally, he paid great attention to a serious study of the indigenous peoples--investigating their political state, customs, cultural legends and so forth. Du Chaillu considered that these peoples were inhabitants of the least developed area of Africa and that a study of them was of immeasurable worth to the developed world. Fine pen and ink drawings have supplemented the text and have been beautifully engraved for presentation here.
Like the author’s first work, this is a remarkable rendering of a great journey. Copies of the first edition are now seldom encountered.