through madascar and around africa
COLVILLE, Zélie. Round the Black Man's Garden. Edinburgh and London, Blackwood, 1893.
8vo. Original blue cloth, illustrated and lettered in red and black, bevelled edges; pp. xv, 344, photogravure portrait of the author, colour-printed folding map of Africa and colour printed folding map of a crossing of Madagascar in rear pocket, numerous plates after photographs and drawings; cloth with one bump and lightly rubbed at extremities; otherwise a very good copy, partly unopened.
First edition, presentation copy, inscribed by the author on rear fly-leaf and half-title (name of recipient: Kenyon). This travelogue reports a Vivid a circumnavigation of Africa with much on the East Coast, Madagascar, South Africa and the West Coast (Nigeria, Sierra Leone). She was the wife of a high-ranking British soldier active in Africa for most of his life. He wrote the preface to his wife's book: 'In justice to my self, I must say that, on the result of the late general election being made public, I at once suggested the substitution of "Gentleman of Colour" for "Black Man"; but a friend of my wife's who understands English composition and those sorts of things, said the title was clumsy; an artistic acquaintance of mine said black was not a colour at all ….' (p. viii).
Provenance: Engraved armorial bookplate of Lloyd Tyrell-Kenyon, 4th Baron Kenyon, Conservative politician (1864-1927), inside front cover.
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