Two Trips to Gorilla Land & the Cataracts of the Congo 2 Volumes

London: Sampson Low, Marston, Low & Searle, 1876.
2vols, original green cloth with pictorial gilt illustratedcover, gilt title on spine with faded decorations. Repairs to head & tail of spine and along bevelled edges. Some dis-coloration to top sections of front boards. Inner hinges skillfully reinforced. 2 colored folding maps, 1 inch tear and fraying to Congo River Map in V2 repaired with paper backing. 4 plates and 21 text illustrations. Some internal soiling. A scarce title in good condition. Complete with all plates and maps. Penzer. JAM


Two Trips to Gorilla Land recounts Burton's side trips while he was Consul at Fernando Po, an island off the West African coast. While this territory was outside of Burton's jurisdiction, he took advantage of his position to indulge his ever-present curiosity, to assuage his boredom and dissatisfaction with his post, and to explore. The first trip, in March of 1863 explored the rival French colony in Gaboon. The second, taken in August of the same year traveled up the Congo River. On both excursions he studied local languages, customs and material culture. He collected 490 plant specimens which are catalogued in volume two.

Burton's independent nature is evident throughout the book. He appeals for honest dealings with the native peoples, cautioning that "deception will be met with the reward it deserves." He maintains the unpopular position that forts and ports are more profitable than holding territory and declaims against any revival of the slave trade through "want of demand." Despite his enlightened views on imperialism he offers practical advice on travel and transport in the area, who to trust, and how to equip oneself while hunting gorilla. [Penzer,p. 92 Farwell, pp. 206-225.]

This is a scarce title in its original cloth, featuring two color folding maps and numerous text illustrations. Jamie McNulty, Powells.com



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