The Nile Tributaries of Abyssinia, and the Sword Hunters of the Hamran Arabs.

London: Macmillan and Co.,, 1867. From the library at Easton Neston First edition of Baker's second account of the 1861-5 Nile expedition, "a classic of exploration and big game hunting" (Czech), expanding on The Albert N'yanza, published the previous year. The Nile Tributaries describes the 14 months Baker spent exploring in Abyssinia between April 1861 and June 1862. He established his headquarters at Sofi on the banks of the Atbara and spent five months exploring the Setit, one of its tributaries, stalking giraffe, hippopotamus, elephant, baboon, lion, and buffalo, often in the company of the Hamran Arabs. He then continued along the Rehad to its confluence with the Blue Nile, travelling thence to Khartoum. "Sir Roderick Murchison, president of the Royal Geographical Society, acknowledged the importance of Baker's explorations and his discovery that the Nile sediment was due to the Abyssinian tributaries. Additionally, Baker gained experience as an African explorer, mastered Arabic, and learned to use the astronomical instruments which were vital for determining geographical locations" (ODNB). Provenance: bookplate of Sir Thomas George Fermor Hesketh, 7th Baronet of Rufford (1849-1924) on the front pastedown, together with the shelf-mark label of his celebrated family library at Easton Neston. Fermor-Hesketh had an occasional military career in which he served briefly as aide-de-camp to Redvers Buller in the Anglo-Zulu War, seeing action at Ulundi. Latterly in the noted travel collection of Humphrey Winterton, with his recent monogrammed book label on the front pastedown. Large octavo. Original blue cloth, spine with lettering and giraffe motif in gilt, two-line frame enclosing hunting scene vignette gilt on front cover, blind frames on back cover, brown surface-paper endpapers, all edges uncut Engraved portrait frontispiece, 22 similar plates, 2 maps (one folding). Spine slightly toned and rolled, extremities lightly rubbed and bumped, mild scattered cockling and a few small markings to cloth, a few spots to title page. Unrestored example of a book vulnerable to wear owing to the heavy text-block, a very good copy. Czech, p. 15; Howgego I B10; Ibrahim-Hilmy I, p. 50.