[Item #79276] To the Victoria Falls of the Zambesi. Edward Mohr.

To the Victoria Falls of the Zambesi

Hardcover, London: Sampson Low, Marston, Searle, and Rivington, 1876. First Edition. Very Good. Mohr was a German traveler, hunter, explorer, botanist, zoologist, entomologist, and map-maker. This book is the first English language edition, translated from German into English by N. D'Anvers. Bound in half leather with marbled paper covered boards, marbled page edges and endpapers, and a beautiful gold decorated spine. The custom binding is not modern, it is contemporary with publication (late 19th Century). 8vo. , xiv, [2], pp. 462, frontispiece, 11 plates of black and white woodcuts, 4 chromolithograph plates, 1 fold-out color map, index. Binding is rubbed at both ends of spine and all corners with some loss of leather. Spine has some wear along vertical edges and on the 5 raised bands with some loss of leather. Spine gold decorations and titles are bright with some minor wear and loss. Age spotting to half title and endpapers, some spotting to full title page, spotting peters out and is only very occasional in text. Plates, both woodcuts and chromolithographs, are clean and very bright, some plates have an occasional age spot in the margins, but all images are free of spotting. All plates, including the frontispiece, retain their tissue guards - no offsetting. Fold-out color map is bright with no spotting, it does have a half inch tear. Inspired by the discovery of gold in eastern Matabeleland, Edward Mohr arrived at Durban on February 8, 1869 and reached Victoria Falls on June 20, 1870. During his travels he met other European explorers, many Boers, gold and diamond miners, and Chief Lobengula. He met and became friends with the explorer Thomas Baines. An important book for both exploration/travel and sport/big game hunting, it has lengthy entries in both Mendelssohn and Czech. It also has an entry in Howgego. According to Czech, the game hunted included eland, buffalo, black rhino, kudu, wildebeest, lion, and elephant. The game was rich and plentiful. According to Mendelssohn, Mohr got along very well with the Boers, but did not really respect their lack of education and sophistication, predicting they would soon be overun by the British because of the gold and diamonds. According to Mendelssohn, Muhr's hunting adventures included hunting with a party of Bushmen. Mendelssohn describes the book as "very amusing" in a positive, this author can actually write well, kind of way. Czech writes that this book is "An excellent work of exploration and sport." In my own experiences of reading Czech "An excellent work" is Czech's second highest grade after only "cornerstone work." Ships same or next business day well protected in a box. ; 8vo 8" - 9" tall; 462 pages. [Item #79276]

Price: $1,400.00

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