In Darkest Africa or, The Quest, Rescue, and Retreat of Emin, Governor of Equatoria.

STANLEY, Henry M.

Item Number: 51092

New York: Charles Scribner's, 1890.

First American edition, edition de luxe, one of 250 copies signed by Henry Stanley. Original half black morocco over vellum, top edges gilt, 2 volumes. Two steel-engraved portrait frontispieces, two photogravure plates on India paper, mounted, 36 wood-engraved plates on India, mounted, 6 etchings by M.G. Montbard signed by the artist in pencil, 4 colored maps and plans; the 2 larger folding maps mounted on linen. In very good condition with some light rubbing to the extremities. A nice example.

Stanley and Emin entered Bagamoyo on their donkeys, some way ahead of their caravan, on 4 December, 1889. It was sensational news. Emin was safe, although the expedition to relieve him had cost the lives of at least 700 people. With the good journalist's facility for rapid reporting, Stanley began his account of the rescue at the Hotel Victoria, Cairo, on 25 January 1890, working on it continuously for fifty days at the rate of 20 printed pages per day. The first portion of the manuscript was delivered to the printer's on 12 March and the last proof sheet returned for printing by Clowes on 3 June. Hosken p. 189