“THE MOST COMPREHENSIVE ACCOUNT OF WEST AFRICAN GEOGRAPHY YET TO APPEAR IN ENGLISH,” 1738, WITH ELEVEN COPPER-ENGRAVED PLATES AND LARGE FOLDING MAP

(AFRICA) MOORE, Francis. Travels into the Inland Parts of Africa… To which is added, Capt. Stibb's Voyage up the Gambia in the Year 1723… London: Edward Cave, 1738. Octavo, contemporary mottled brown calf rebacked and recornered, raised bands, original burgundy morocco spine label, marbled endpapers; pp. [i-v], vi-xi; [i], ii-xiii, [1], 2-305 [1], [1], 2-86, [i-iv], [1], 2-23, [1].

First edition of Moore’s authoritative and “valuable work” (Lowndes), an important record of his travels in Africa and on the river Gambia, including a key account of his friendship with Ayuba Suleiman Diallo (aka Job ben Solomon), enslaved son of an Muslim cleric who was freed and introduced to the English court before returning to Africa, with eleven copper-engraved plates (one folding) and large folding map of the river Gambia.

British trader and geographer Francis Moore first traveled to Africa with the Royal African Company, where he "spent almost four and a half years (November 1730 to May 1735) on the river Gambia…. During his stay he apparently wrote a general journal for his own uses, as well as the 'true and particular Journal of all his Proceedings relating to the Affairs of the…. Company" (Hill, History in Africa:19, 353). On returning to England Moore, who "was also interested in the still unsolved mystery of the course of the Niger and its possible geographical relation to the Gambia… collected together the various published sources on this theme, mostly dating from the 16th and 17th centuries… These he incorporated as an appendix to his own journal which he published in 1738 under the title Travels into the Inland Parts of Africa. In it he gave his readers the most comprehensive account of west African geography yet to appear in English which… remained the most authoritative source until the publication of Mungo Park's Travels in 1799" (DNB). "A valuable work" (Lowndes, 1596), Moore's Travels notably speaks of Ayuba Suleiman Diallo (aka Job ben Solomon), son of a Muslim cleric who was captured and enslaved in America before he was freed and sent to England, where Diallo "was introduced to court, and… after 14 months was returned to Gambia with gifts from Queen Caroline, Prince William, the Duke of Montague and the Earl of Pembroke. There he was treated with great respect and befriended by Moore whom he accompanied on numerous trips" (Howgego M163). Travels additionally includes Captain Bartholomew Stibbs' 1723 journal of a voyage up the Gambia, along with writings by 16th-century Moroccan traveler Leo Africanus and 12th-century Arab geographer Al-Idrisi. First edition: with eleven full-page copper-engravings (one folding), large folding map of the river Gambia, engraved ornamental initials, head- and tailpieces. Allibone, 1351. Bookplate of William Roe. Early inscription to dedication leaf. Bookseller ticket.

Interior generally fresh with light scattered foxing, occasional minor offsetting, tiny bit of tape reinforcement to verso of closely trimmed folding plate, some rubbing, edge-wear to contemporary boards. An extremely good copy.