Missionary Travels and Researches in South Africa… Signed by David Livingstone. – David Livingstone

“…Including a Sketch of Sixteen Year’s Residence in the Interior of Africa, and a Journey from the Cape of Good Hope to Loanda on the West Coast; thence across The Continent, down The River Zambesi, th the Eastern Ocean.First edition. The book covers the first of Livingstone’s three major expeditions “in which he followed the Zambezi, discovering Victoria Falls in the process, as well as the Shire and Ruyuma rivers, ranging from Angola in the west to Mozambique in the east… During these years he explored vast regions of central Africa, many of which had never been seen by white men before” (PMM). This copy conforms to Bradlow’s Variant No. 3: frontispiece, plate 8 and 17 wood-cuts by Whymper, with an extra leaf after p. 8; the ads in this copy are dated November 1, 1857. Bradlow refrains from citing this as the “third issue”, since the precise relationship of the variants is unknown – indeed, Bradlaw only retains Gaston Renard’s order of issue “not because of a belief in its correctness but merely for convenience”, and notes that “the only thing that can be said with certainty is that the issue with the extra leaf numbered 8″ and 8+ is not the first issue”. The extra leaf following p. 8 covers Livingstone’s account of his married life and the upbringing of his children. As to why the extra leaf was inserted, Bradlow remains baffled: “Why did Livingstone decide to have the extra leaf after page 8 inserted? Did he feel that he had neglected his wife by not mentioning her in this way in the first place?Tipped in signature of the author to the dedication page.Examples of Livingstone’s signature are particularly scarce. This signature, dated 25 September 1864 in his hand, was signed shortly after Livingstone’s return from his much slated Zambezi expedition of 1858 – 1864.”

Publisher: John Murray
Date Published: 1857
Publication Place: London

Signed: Yes
Condition: Very good. Original tan, embossed cloth boards. Bumps to the corners and light general wear. New endpapers. Small stain to the border of the folding frontis. Some tide marks to the border of the portrait.
Binding: Original embossed tan cloth

Dimensions: 15 x 23cm, folding frontis, xi, 711 pp, portrait, 22 plates plus illustrations in the text, 1 folding diagram and 2 folding maps, 1 in a pocket to the rear.