Im Herzen von Afrika [Reisen und Abenteur, Band 4]
Leipzig: F. A. Brockhaus, 1927. Later edition. Hardcover. Small octavo. 189, [3]pp. Original illustrated dust-jacket over half tan cloth and illustrated paper covered boards. Engraved illustration of the author. Publisher's logo on title. Originally published in 1874, "Im Herzen von Afrika" (The Heart of Africa) is an account of the author's important scientific mission to the interior of East Africa in 1868. Georg August Schweinfurth (1836-1925) was a Baltic German botanist, and ethnologist who was educated at the universities of Heidelberg, Munich and Berlin, where he particularly devoted himself to botany and palaeontology. Commissioned to arrange the collections brought from the Sudan by Freiherr von Barnim and Dr Hartmann, his attention was directed to that region; and in 1863 he travelled round the shores of the Red Sea, repeatedly traversed the district between that sea and the Nile, passed on to Khartoum, and returned to Europe in 1866. His researches attracted so much attention that in 1868 the Humboldt-Stiftung of Berlin entrusted him with an important scientific mission to the interior of East Africa. Starting from Khartoum in January 1869, he went up the White Nile to Bahr-el-Ghazal, and then, with a party of ivory dealers, through the regions inhabited by the Diur (Dyoor), Dinka, Bongo and Niam-Niam; crossing the Congo-Nile watershed he entered the country of the Mangbetu (Monbuttu) and discovered the river Uele (March 19, 1870), which by its westward flow he knew was independent of the Nile. Schweinfurth formed the conclusion that it belonged to the Chad system, and it was several years before its connection with the Congo was demonstrated. The discovery of the Uele was Schweinfurths greatest geographical achievement, though he did much to elucidate the hydrography of the Bahr-el-Ghazal system. Of greater importance were the very considerable additions he made to the knowledge of the inhabitants and of the flora and fauna of Central Africa. He described in detail the cannibalistic practices of the Mangbetu, and his discovery of the pygmy Akka settled conclusively the question as to the existence of dwarf races in tropical Africa. Unfortunately nearly all his collections made up to that date were destroyed by a fire in his camp in December 1870. He returned to Khartoum in July 1871 and published this account of the expedition, under the title of "Im Herzen von Afrika" (Leipzig, 1874). This volume is splendidly illustrated with numerous in-text b/w illustrations, and 14 full-page plates (including frontispiece, and map at rear). Moderate creasing and minor chipping to upper and lower edges of dust-jacket. Title page slightly rippled, due to a pertinent newspaper clip pasted at verso. Text in German, gothic script. DJ in overall fair to good-, binding in good, interior in very good condition. f to vg. Item #39513
Price: $45.00