The Nile Tributaries of Abyssinia
THE NILE TRIBUTARIES OF ABYSSINIA first edition in original publisher's cloth is not easy to find in nice condition. Macmillan published the first edition in 1867 in London, and J.B. Lippincott published its first edition in 1867 in Philadelphia.
There are illustrations on plates in the first editions. I have seen copies with the plates placed according to the page numbers printed on each plate, but I have also seen copies with the plates placd every 24 pages. Additionally, page 143 is transposed as "431" in the 1867 printings.
My copy is nearly as nice as the copy pictured below, which is not mine.
This narrative escribes the 14 months Baker spent exploring Abyssinia between April 1861 and June 1862. He established his headquarters at Sofi and spent five months travelling the Setit, one of its tributaries, stalking giraffe, hippopotamus, elephant, baboon, lion, and buffalo, often in the company of the Hamran Arabs. He then continued along the Rehad to its confluence with the Blue Nile, travelling to Khartoum. Sir Roderick Murchison, president of the Royal Geographical Society, acknowledged the importance of Baker's explorations and his discovery that the Nile sediment was due to the Abyssinian tributaries. Additionally, Baker gained experience as an African explorer, mastered Arabic, and learned to use the astronomical instruments which were vital for determining geographical locations.
Macmillan 1867 first British edition title-page
The Macmillan and Lippincott 1867 first editions both have a frontispiece of Sir Samuel Baker and Lady Florence Baker
Below: my copy of the very rare American first edition, which is even more rare than the London first edition.
Below: the J.B. Lippincott 1867 first American edition title-page
