Bowdich, Thomas Edward

Mission from Cape Coast Castle to Ashantee, with a Statistical Account of that Kingdom and Geographical Notices of Other Parts of the Interior of Africa. London: W. Bulmer for John Murray, 1819



4to (11⅜ x 8½ in.; 290 x 220 mm, uncut). Half-title, 7 handcolored engraved plates (2 folding), 3 engraved maps (1 folding), 3 leaves of engraved music, one folding engraved facsimile of a circular in English and Arabic; engraved plates offsetting and browning to adjacent text leaves. Contemporary drab boards, printed paper spine label, plain endpapers and edges; neat repair to head of spine, small patch to upper inside corner of front pastedown. Tan cloth folding case.

Mary Countess of Berkeley (ownership inscription dated 28 January 1820) — sale, Sotheby's London, 22 June 1989, lot 146 — Quentin Keynes (sale, Christie's London, 7 April 2004, lot 319

Abbey Travel 279; Gay 2861; Tooley 95

First edition, a fine copy in original boards. In 1815 the African Company embarked upon a mission to Ashantee, with Bowdich as their guide. On reaching Cape Coast Castle, he was replaced by the governor of Accra. However, the governor's diplomatic blunders soon restored Bowdich to his appointment. He negotiated a treaty with the king of Ashantee, all while his fate and that of his comrades hung on a thread, which guaranteed peace on the Gold Coast. "He was therefore the first whose labours acomplished the object of penetrating to the interior of Africa" (DNB).