Books

First edition, edition de luxe, number 199 of 250 copies signed by Stanley. Stanley's famous account of his expedition to relieve Emin Pasha (Eduard Schnitzer), the beleaguered governor of equatorial Sudan, contains some of his most celebrated writing, especially his account of the tortuous 450-mile passage through the dense Ituri rain forest. Stanley's dealings with Emin Pasha, who proved singularly resistant to being "rescued", his abandonment of his own rear column and his wider motives for his mission have all come under suspicion then and since, but the book remains a classic of African exploration. In the course of the journey Stanley met Roger Casement, then in service on the Congo, "discovered" the great snow-capped range of Ruwenzori, the Mountains of the Moon, a new lake which he named the Albert Edward Nyanza and a large south-western extension of Lake Victoria. Translations of In Darkest Africa appeared quickly in French, German, Italian, Spanish, and Dutch while sales of the English trade editions reached 150,000 copies. This is one of the grandest publications of the 19th century devoted to African exploration. Two vols, demy quarto. Original dark brown half morocco, japon on bevelled boards with the title, flag of Emin Pasha and Stanley's signature to the front boards gilt, gilt lettered spines, top edges gilt, others uncut, dark brown silk page-markers still intact, and in place. Titles printed in red and black, photogravure portrait frontispiece of Stanley on India paper mounted (printed by Lemercier from a photograph by Walery), similar Lemercier-printed frontispiece to vol. II, and 44 plates, 6 of them etchings printed in sepia Spines rubbed, scratch across numbering panel of volume I, sides stained, volume I with stain in the gutter at head of a number of leaves and splash marks across rear endpapers, otherwise internally clean and sound. Speake pp. 1132-35

Stanley's account of the Emin Pasha Relief Expedition, detailing the experiences and obstacles faced while navigating the Congo.