Richard F. Burton. First Footsteps in East Africa. London: 1856. First edition.

Burton, Richard

First Edition

Richard F[rancis] Burton. First Footsteps in East Africa. Or, an Exploration of Harar. London: Longman, Brown, Green, and Longmans, 1856. First edition. Octavo. [4], [vii]-xk, [2], 648 pages. Four chromolithographic plates, two maps. Half calf over marbled paper-covered boards; front and back decoratively ruled in blind; spine ruled in gilt, split into six compartments with five raised bands, red and blue-green spine labels in second and third compartments from the top, respectively, lettered in gilt. Gild stamp of New South Wales Parliamentary Library on front. All edges trimmed and marbled. Marbled endpapers. Fairly mild bumping to corners; a bit of loss to calf; wear to edges and joints; surface crackling to calf at spine with a very small amount of loss to gilt ruling; rubbing to boards. Occasional foxing and spot-soiling scattered througout text block; lacking one tissue guard. Potentially lacking half-title (?). Very good. Recounts Burton's second journey to forbidden territory: "This time his objective was Harar, an important religious centre and notorious base for the slave trade in Somalia. No European had ever entered Harar, and its inhabitants believed that should any Christian do so, the city would fall"--DNB. Burton was held for ten days by the amir of Harar before being released, after which he and his fellow travelers were caught up in the attack that left Burton with a lifelong facial scar from a javelin strike. His first voyage accompanied by John Hanning Speke. Penzer, pp. 60-61.

Item #15841

Price: $2,200.00