PBA Galleries

lxxxxii, 498 pp. 13 full page engravings, one in color, and 1 copper-engraved folding map at front. (4to) 27x20 cm (10½x8"), period  half calf and marbled boards. First Edition.

Tuckey, an Irish born English naval officer, was captured by the French on a voyage from St. Helena in 1805, and suffered an imprisonment of nearly nine years. Promoted to rank of commander in 1814, he was assigned to lead an expedition to explore the Congo River in 1816 to learn if there was a connection between the Congo and Niger basins. Most of the crew, including Tuckey, succumbed to tropical fever or exhaustion and died in their efforts. Though the expedition failed, it inspired interest by the British to continue African exploration. The accounts of the expedition gleaned from officer's reports and journals provided useful information on the natural history and inhabitants of the region