Narrative of Travels and Discoveries in Northern and Central Africa, in the Years 1822, 1823, and 1824

In this important book of 1826, three explorers document the first complete crossing of the Sahara Desert by Europeans.

This important book, first published in 1826, brings together the memoirs of three explorers, Major Dixon Denham (1786–1828), Lieutenant Hugh Clapperton (1788–1827) and Dr Walter Oudney (1790–1824), to document the first complete crossing of the Sahara in recorded history, and provide unique insights into pre-colonial Africa.Major Dixon Denham (1786–1828) and Lieutenant Hugh Clapperton (1788–1827) were British explorers famous for their explorations in Africa. Between 1822 and 1825, they set out to investigate the lower course of the River Niger and the swamps and forests of the Guinea Coast, accompanied by the physician Dr Walter Oudney (1790–1824), who sadly died of a fever during the expedition. This important book, first published in 1826, brings together the memoirs of all three explorers to document their mission, which represented the first complete crossing of the Sahara by Europeans in recorded history. Diverse and insightful, it recounts phenomena such as the transportation of slaves from the Sudan, the salt industry in the heart of the desert, and encounters with native tribes. Providing unique insights into pre-colonial Africa, these vivid recollections remain of great interest to historians of Africa, cultural anthropologists and geographers alike.