Stanley, Henry M.

First edition. 8vo. 2 vols.; pp. xv, 529 & xv, 472; 38 wood-eng. plates, numerous wood-engravings to text, 3 folding coloured maps and one single-page coloured geological section, some foxing, occasionally heavy, repairs to folds of maps, good in original decorated cloth, bumped to extremities, with, loosely inserted, a pencilled note signed by Stanley in response to a question regarding Jacob Wainwright, one of the "black bearers of the body of Livingstone to the court".

Stanley's ambitious expedition to cross Africa from west to east in an attempt to rescue the beleaguered Governor of Equatoria, Emin Pasha, brought great acclaim to Stanley and his officers on their return to Britain. Stanley's account of the expedition - In Darkest Africa - sold 150,000 copies, such was public interest in the endeavour. The signed note which accompanies this copy contains a request for information from John B. Marsh of The Standard newspaper: "What became of Jacob Wainwright, one of the Black bearers of the body of Livingstone to the court, who came to Southampton with the body, & who walked in the funeral & I think was a Pall Bearer in Westminster Abbey? John B. Marsh". Stanley's answer, written on the back of the notepaper, reads: "Wainwright kept store at Zanzibar as late as 1890. I have not heard about him for some time. Yours faithfully Henry M. Stanley". The note has been dated, in a different hand, May 26/93. Stanley was in Zanzibar at the end of the Emin Pasha expedition.