Narritive of an Expedition into the Interior of Africa by the River Niger: in the Steam-Vessels Quorra and Alburkah, in 1832, 1833, and 1834

Laird, Macgregor & R.A.K. Oldfield. Narrative of an Expedition Into the Interior of Africa, By the River Niger, In the Steam-Vessels Quorra and Alburkah, in 1832, 1833, and 1834. This copy has the ownership signature of a future explorer of the Niger: J. O. McWilliam.

London. Richard Bentley, 1837. First edition, two volumes, octavos, 451, 447 pages. Contemporary ¾ calf binding with lettering on the spine in gilt. Boards are a textured grey-black book-cloth. Textblock is in good condition except for minor foxing in prelims, and light toning to some plates; marbled endpapers with one in the first volume just holding, and in the second volume one is detached. Covers are in very good condition with very little shelfware. Set is complete with six engraved and aquatint plates, and a litho map of the river Quorra from the town of Rabba.

Richard and John Lander had led an expedition to the lower Niger River in 1831, and afterwards there was enough interest for another expedition to develop commercial interests via the Niger river.

Laird, with other investors, formed the African Inland Company to exploit the trading prospects of the lower Niger. Laird designed and built the first iron ocean going ship, the Quorra and a paddle-wheel steamer, the Alburkah, and they sailed both for the Niger river in July of 1832. Richard Lander commanded the Alburkah and was accompanied by Laird and Oldfield. Lander died while on the Niger from a gunshot wound when attacked by some natives. Also on board was Captain William Allen who explored the Niger river again in 1841 on a later expedition.

The expedition was beset with malaria soon after entering the Niger River and by November, 23 of the 48 Europeans had died. Laird, being weak from malaria was captured and imprisoned by natives. When his health finally improved he managed to escape. At this point he called it quits and sailed for England reaching Liverpool in January 1834.

Laird published this narrative with Oldfield in 1837. Of the 48 Europeans on the voyage, 9 survived including Oldfield who arrived back in England with his health broken. The only other officer to survive was William Allen who published in 1840 a book of views from sketches he had made of the Niger, and later would return to the Niger region in another expedition in 1841.

This copy has the ownership signature of James Ormiston McWilliam. He was the surgeon on board the Albert on the 1841expedition sent to the Niger for commercial purposes and with the hope of striking an effectual blow at the slave-trade. This expedition, like the Laird expedition, suffered terribly from malaria, and out of 145 Europeans,130 were sickened and 30 of those died. At one point on the Niger McWilliam and Dr. Stanger, the geologist of the expedition, were for a few days the only two Europeans able to manage the ship. (DNB).

An attractive set with the ownership signature of J. O. McWilliam.