Lake Ngami

Hardcover. English. Hurst and Blackett, London. 1856, Second Edition. ISBN: n/a. xviiii, 546 pages, large folding map, tinted lithographic frontispiece, 15 tinted lithographic plates, numerous wood engravings in the text.

Original brown cloth in good condition with blind decoration and a gilt vignette of a hippo on both covers, spine gilt. New yellow end papers, however heavy foxing on title page and sporadically throughout, sometimes light, sometimes heavier in a few places. The map is torn at the hinge but otherwise in good condition.

The narratives describe two expeditions, one in which the author was accompanied by Mr Francis Galton which extended to Nangoro's Werft in the Ovampo country and the other when he travelled by himself to Lake Ngami. The courage and endurance of the explorers were remarkable, and their sufferings from the dearth of water were at times very terrible. Few, if any books give so full and complete an account of Namaqualand, Damaraland, and the Ovampo country and the description of the fauna of these countries is absolutely unequalled. Galton sailed for England in early 1852 and Andersson commenced his journey to Lake Ngami in the early part of 1853, reaching the lake about the middle of the same year. He gives descriptive accounts of the ostrich, giraffe, rhinoceros and other animals and a full description of the native races.. Book No: 2501617