BOWDICH, Thomas Edward. Excursions in Madeira and Porto Santo, during the autumn of 1823, while on his third voyage to Africa; by the late Edward Bowdich, Esq. To which is added, by Mrs. Bowdich, I. A narrative of the continuation of the voyage to its completion, together with the subsequent occurrences from Mr. Bowdich's arrival in Africa to the period of his death. II. A description of the English settlements on the River Gambia. III. Appendix containing zoological and botanical descriptions, and translations from the Arabic. London: George B. Whittaker. 1825.
4to. Recent period-style half calf, raised bands to spine, tooled in gilt, retaining the original marbled boards and endpapers; pp. xii, 278; 22 lithographic plates, some hand-coloured and some folding; a few pages with light spotting or offsetting from opposite plates, a very good copy, with the plates in bright condition, contemporary Hanbury bookplate.
First edition. Thomas Edward Bowdich (1791-1824) was a famous African traveller. He became very well acquainted with Cuvier and Von Humboldt. "Proceeding to Madeira, where they were detained for some months, he wrote a geological description of the island of Porto Santo which was published in 1825, after his death" (DNB II, p. 950). The widow Bowdich, a naturalist as well, edited her husband's papers for publication. Most of the volume is on Madeira; however the final chapters deal with the arrival on the River Gambia and the foundation of Bathurst, modern Banjul, in the Republic of Gambia.
#2113227