Travels in West Africa. Congo Francais, Corisco and Cameroons

New York: MacMillan and Co. Limited, 1897. Hardcover. Good. Hardcover. Mary Henrietta Kingsley (1862-1900) was an English explorer and ethnographic writer. She was the daughter of physician, traveller and writer George Kingsley. When both of her parents died in 1892, Kingsley received a modest inheritance. She decided to travel, and after a visit to the Canary Islands, she traveled to the west coast of Africa. She visited Sierra Leone and Angola and lived with local people, who also served as guides for her travels . After this trip, Kingsley returned to England in December 1893. There she obtained support for a second journey and a writing agreement with publisher George Macmillan. KIngsley returned to Africa again in late 1894. She was interested in studying cannibal societies, especially their religious practices known as "fetishes." She visited Gabon and Cameroon, where she climbed Mount Cameroon by a route not previously attempted by any other European. Kingsley wrote two books about her experiences, Travels in West Africa (1897) and West African Studies (1899), which gained her respect and prestige within the scholarly community. Travels in West Africa was also a bestseller. It includes chapters on Sierra Leone, the Gold Coast, Lagos, Libreville, The Ogowe, Congo Francais, Gabon, and the Cameroons. There are also 5 chapters on "fetishes." Numerous full and partial page illustrations. This copy was printed in 1897 and is a probable 1st edition, thought not stated. Octavo. Maroon cloth-covered boards with title in gilt to spine. Covers and spine show signs of handling, and the covers are bumped and darkened at the edges. Slight crease in the middle of front and back covers, as if held be a book strap. Spine is browned and has some damage from pulling at both the top and bottom. Front hinge is starting. Text block has smudges on edges. Pages are slightly yellowed, but generally clean and clear. 743 pages, including index. TRAVEXP/072125.