Speke, John Hanning

FIRST EDITION, ONE OF 12 SPECIAL COPIES PRINTED FOR THE AUTHOR WITH 8 ADDITIONAL PAGES OF TEXT SUPPRESSED BY THE PUBLISHER, THIS COPY FROM THE FAMILY OF THE AUTHOR’S SISTER MATILDA (see provenance), 8vo (220 x 138mm.), half-title, wood-engraved frontispiece, 2 engraved maps (one folding, one double-page), 32pp. advertisements at end, with 4 extra leaves not called for in the bibliographies (pp. 373-380), original brown cloth by Edmonds & Remnants with their ticket, dark green endpapers, minor spotting, tear to folding map, minor damage to top edge of lower cover

From the family of the author’s sister Matilda (1845-1928), who married John Richard Pine-Coffin (1842-1890) in 1865; with the name 'Pine Coffin' written on page xii; thence by family descent until sold at Bonhams London, 23 November 2010, lot 240

This special issue unrecorded in the standard bibliographies; for the first trade edition see Czech (Africa) p.151; and Hilmy II, p.255

Condition is described in the main body of the catalogue, where appropriate.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

ONE OF ONLY 12 COPIES PRINTED WITH 8 ADDITIONAL PAGES OF TEXT CONTAINING SIGNIFICANT INFORMATION ON THE DISPUTES BETWEEN SPEKE AND BURTON DURING THEIR EXPEDITION TO DISCOVER THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. A FINE COPY IN THE ORIGINAL CLOTH.

‘Speke's recounting of the 1857-1858 expedition he shared with Captain Sir Richard Francis Burton to find the source of the Nile River. Starting from Zanzibar, the pair trekked into East Africa, eventually discovering lake Tanganyika’ (Czech).

The additional pages in this copy begin on page 373 with the sentence: ‘In a few words more I shall briefly describe how the expedition came out of Africa, and what became of the men who brought us safely to the end of our journey’. Speke relates disagreements with Burton over where they should proceed next, and the payment of their guides and porters; the generosity of Colonel Rigby, and the Sultan of Zanzibar who “saved our honour by giving the Béluches a present of 2300 dollars”; writing to Rigby ‘on behalf of the men who had brought us through the journey, and begged him to see them righted [as Burton had refused to pay them]’; the unexpected arrival of Burton to England, and their lectures at the Royal Geographical Society, at which Speke records ‘To show how the Nile drained the Victoria N’yanza, I got Mr Findlay (the Society’s mapper) to draw my a diagram, and with that hanging over our heads, I, for the first time, pro-pounded in public my opinion that the Victoria N’yanza would eventually prove to be the source of the Nile.’