London, Sampson Low, 1872. . First edition; 8vo, xxiii, 736 pp., 6 maps (1 large folding, slightly foxed, 3 other folding, 1 full-page, 1 in text), mounted photograph frontispiece of Stanley, numerous full-page and other illustrations, original brown pictorial cloth gilt, short tears to maps repaired, a fine copy. 'One of the most famous books in the broad spectrum of African exploration, this title acquainted many a nineteenth-century reader with the wonders of the Dark Continent' (Czech).'Stanley landed in Zanzibar on 6 January 1871 to begin the search for Dr. David Livingstone, the Scottish missionary and explorer whose whereabouts in central Africa had become a question of international concern since his last letter of 30 May 1869.The journey lasted 236 days. On the morning of 3 November, with an American flag flying on a pole, Stanley led his remaining fifty-four men down a mountain toward a lake and his historic meeting with Dr. Livingstone.Stanley returned to Europe to a…