Narrative of an exploring voyage up the rivers Kwo'ra and Bi'nue (Commonly known as the Niger and Tsadda) in 1854 - Softcover

Balfour Baikie, William

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1905748434 ISBN 13: 9781905748433

Publisher: Rediscovery Books Ltd, 2007

Synopsis

The author of the narrative, William Balfour Baikie, was the Surgeon on this expedition to sail up the Niger River and explore the interior. As was often the case at the time, he also took on the role of Naturalist and describes the geography and natural history of the territories visited. One of his other duties was to monitor the use of quinine which it was determined, quite rightly as it turned out, to be a protection for Europeans in the climate. The vessel built specially for the trip was the 'Pleiad', a one hundred foot iron screw schooner and the expedition was to have been lead by Mr J Beecroft, who at that time was the British Consul at Fernando Po. Arriving there however, Beecroft was found to have deceased and so Baikie took command of the trip and his encounters up to his return to England are extensively laid out. He also gives a spirited attack on the slave trade and its causes and proffers the solution. This was a very successful trip and Baikie takes the opportunity to lay out the reasons why England should seize the opportunities available in a land rapidly being opened up by the activities of his countrymen.

Edition details

• Publisher: Rediscovery Books Ltd
• Publication date: 2007
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1905748434
• ISBN 13: 9781905748433
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 480