Charles Henry Robinson (1861 1925) was a Cambridge scholar who, during the 1890s, published several books on the language, literature and culture of the Hausa people of West Africa. This study, published in 1896, documents his pioneering fieldwork during which, in three months, he travelled 1500 miles across rivers, mountains, villages and towns. Public interest in the Hausa was high at the time, due to their recruitment as troops by Britain in the Ashanti conflict, and by France to consolidate French power in Madagascar. However, Robinson argues against the perception of the Hausa as primarily a warlike people, despite their formidable strength in battle. In this vivid account of his time among them, he portrays the Hausa as successful traders who excelled above all in commercial endeavours. Exploring enterprises from textiles and tobacco to hunting and river transportation, Robinson gives fascinating first-hand insights into this important African community.

Sir Richard Francis Burton (1821 1890) was an explorer who began his career in the Bombay army in 1842. While in India he developed his linguistic talent, mastering more than forty different languages and dialects. He turned to writing books in the 1850s and over the remaining forty years of his life published dozens of works and more than 100 articles. In this two-volume work, published in 1860, Burton discusses geographical and ethnological matters, while also giving space to the 'picturesque points of view which the subject offers' in recounting his journey to Zanzibar and around the lakes in present-day Tanzania. In Volume 1 Burton begins his expedition on the island of Zanzibar before moving inland to explore the Kingani and Mgeta Rivers. He crosses the Usagara mountains and ends the volume in Unyamwezi, 'the far-famed land over the moon'.

Sir Richard Francis Burton (1821 1890) was an explorer who began his career in the Bombay army in 1842. While in India he developed his linguistic talent, mastering more than forty different languages and dialects. He turned to writing books in the 1850s and over the remaining forty years of his life published dozens of works and more than 100 articles. In this two-volume work, published in 1860, Burton discusses geographical and ethnological matters, while also giving space to the 'picturesque points of view which the subject offers' in recounting his journey to Zanzibar and around the lakes in present-day Tanzania. Volume 2 sees Burton arrive at Lake Tanganyika, and much of this volume is dedicated to his exploration of this freshwater lake and investigation of the way of life of the inhabitants of its shores. He also includes an appendix of commerce in the region.

Originally published in 1897, this two-volume work chronicles the polar expedition of Norwegian scientist Fridtjof Nansen (1861 1930), who came closer than any previous explorer to the North Pole. Beginning on board his boat, the Fram, which was deliberately driven into pack-ice off Siberia in order to drift north, Nansen and his companions later resorted to sleds and kayaks. Running to over six hundred pages, Volume 1 includes descriptions of the expedition's preparation and equipment, the farewell to Norway and voyage through the Kara Sea, ending with the party's second autumn on the ice. The Fram served as an oceanographic-meteorological-biological laboratory during its time in the Arctic and Nansen eventually published six volumes of scientific observations. He later became Norwegian delegate to the League of Nations, directing humanitarian projects, and is famous for receiving the Nobel Peace Prize in 1922 as well as for his polar achievements.

Originally published in 1897, this two-volume work chronicles the polar expedition of Norwegian scientist Fridtjof Nansen (1861-1930), who came closer than any previous explorer to the North Pole. Beginning on board his boat, the Fram, which was deliberately driven into pack-ice off Siberia in order to drift north, Nansen and his companions later resorted to sleds and kayaks. Volume 2 describes the journey over the ice - setting out with 28 dogs, 3 sledges and 2 kayaks - and ends with an account of the return journey. (It also includes Captain Otto Sverdrup's report of the expedition.) The Fram served as a laboratory during its time in the Arctic, and Nansen eventually published six volumes of scientific observations. He later became Norwegian delegate to the League of Nations, directing humanitarian projects, and is famous for receiving the Nobel Peace Prize in 1922 as well as for his polar achievements.

Sir George Steuart Mackenzie (1780 1848) was a Scottish baronet whose interests included chemistry and geology. This work, first published in 1811, is his account of his voyage to Iceland in 1810 for the purposes of mineralogical research. Accompanied by physicians Henry Holland and Richard Bright, Mackenzie surveyed volcanoes, geysers and the other geological features of the island. In addition to reporting the results of the expedition's scientific exploration, this charming and evocative journal describes the history, culture, attire and cuisine of the islanders. Also included are Richard Bright's observations on the zoology and botany of Iceland and a survey of the health of the population by Henry Holland, who introduced smallpox inoculation during his visit. Written in an easy, accessible style, this account brings to life the sights, smells and tastes of the tour and the often rudimentary accommodation and travel conditions.

Sir Richard Burton (1821-1890) the famous Victorian explorer, began his career in the Indian army in 1842. While in India he developed his linguistic talent, mastering more than forty different languages and dialects. He turned to writing books in the 1850s and, over the remaining forty years of his life, published dozens of works and more than one hundred articles. Burton wrote this two-volume work, published in 1863, while working as the British consul in Fernando Po (modern-day Equatorial Guinea), West Africa. In Volume 1 Burton describes his journey to Abeokuta, the capital of the Egba tribe of the Yoruba nation (which was located in the south-west of present-day Nigeria). Burton gives detailed descriptions of the people he meets - including the king - and considers the relationship between the Egba and British in the context of the latters' ambitions in West Africa.

Sir Richard Burton (1821 1890) the famous Victorian explorer, began his career in the Indian army in 1842. While in India he developed his linguistic talent, mastering more than forty different languages and dialects. He turned to writing books in the 1850s and, over the remaining forty years of his life, published dozens of works and more than one hundred articles. Burton wrote this two-volume work, published in 1863, while working as the British consul in Fernando Po (modern-day Equatorial Guinea), West Africa. In Volume 2 Burton discusses his expedition to the mountains on the coast of Cameroon, where he climbed to the peak of Mount Cameroon, an active volcano. This volume also has extensive appendices that include lists of plants collected on his expeditions, notes about the wildlife living in the mountains, and observations about the climate and temperature of the region.

Sir Richard Burton (1821 1890) the famous Victorian explorer, began his career in the Indian army in 1842. While in India he developed his linguistic talent, mastering more than forty different languages and dialects. He turned to writing books in the 1850s and, over the remaining forty years of his life, published dozens of works and more than one hundred articles. He spent part of his career as British consul in Fernando Po (present-day Equatorial Guinea) in West Africa, and used this as an opportunity to explore the region. In 1861, he was sent on a mission, recounted in this two-volume work of 1864, to Dahomey (present-day Benin) to urge the king to put a stop to the local slave trade. In Volume 1 Burton tells of his voyage along the West African coast and arrival in Dahomey, where he is presented to the king.

Sir Richard Burton (1821 1890) the famous Victorian explorer, began his career in the Indian army in 1842. While in India he developed his linguistic talent, mastering more than forty different languages and dialects. He turned to writing books in the 1850s and, over the remaining forty years of his life, published dozens of works and more than one hundred articles. He spent part of his career as British consul in Fernando Po (present-day Equatorial Guinea) in West Africa, and used this as an opportunity to explore the region. In 1861, he was sent on a mission, recounted in this two-volume work of 1864, to Dahomey (present-day Benin) to urge the king to put a stop to the local slave trade. In Volume 2 Burton discusses the human sacrifices that were taking place while he was there, and the negotiations with the king about slavery.

Hugh Clapperton (1788 1827) was a former naval officer who was determined to explore the course of the River Niger. In 1822 he set out on an expedition to trace the river by approaching it through North Africa, though this proved unsuccessful. Three years later, Clapperton tried again, with plans to start in West Africa, and the young explorer Richard Lander (1804 1834) joined his party. They arrived in Badagry (in present-day Nigeria) and eventually crossed the Niger at Bussa, before reaching Sokoto (in north-west Nigeria), where Clapperton died from an attack of dysentery. Lander returned to England and published this two-volume account of the journey in 1830. Volume 1 recounts the voyage out, travel inland through Africa, and arrival at the river, while describing the people encountered in a part of Africa that was barely known to Europeans during this period.

Hugh Clapperton (1788 1827) was a former naval officer who was determined to explore the course of the River Niger. In 1822 he set out on an expedition to trace the river by approaching it through North Africa, though this proved unsuccessful. Three years later, Clapperton tried again, with plans to start in West Africa, and the young explorer Richard Lander (1804 1834) joined his party. They arrived in Badagry (in present-day Nigeria) and eventually crossed the Niger at Bussa, before reaching Sokoto (in north-west Nigeria), where Clapperton died from an attack of dysentery. Lander returned to England and published this two-volume account of the journey in 1830. Volume 2 describes the death of Clapperton and Lander's eventual return to England, after a series of events including a near-drowning and an offer of marriage to the daughter of a Yoruba king.

Sir Richard Francis Burton (1821 1890) was a British explorer, writer and ethnologist best known for his travels in Asia and Africa in the nineteenth century. This is his account, originally published in 1863, of his mission to investigate mortality in West Africa. In Volume 2 he continues to recount his explorations, from Cape Palmas through to Cape Coast, the Gold Coast, Accra, Lagos and finally Fernando Po. Through his vivid and sometimes grim recollections, Burton reveals West Africa's culture, traditions, and living and working environments, showing how slaves were exploited in the gold trade, dwellings were overcrowded and unclean, and poverty and starvation were rife, in the midst of enduring inequality between Europeans and native Africans. Providing a broad historical, political and cultural background to his findings, Burton lends a unique insight into nineteenth-century Africa, which remains of great relevance to anthropologists, historians and geographers today.

Sir Richard Francis Burton (1821 1890) was a British explorer, writer and ethnologist best known for his travels in Asia and Africa in the nineteenth century. This is his account, originally published in 1863, of his mission to investigate mortality in West Africa. In Volume 1 he describes his departure from England, with accounts of the landscapes, buildings, cultures and cuisines that characterized his journey from Liverpool through Madeira and Tenerife, before recalling his first impressions of Africa on arriving in Bathurst on the Eastern Cape. In the final two chapters he recounts his findings in Sierra Leone and Cape Palmas, revealing how the positioning of settlements exposed their inhabitants to disease, adverse weather conditions, poverty and malnourishment. Set within a fascinating historical, political and cultural context, and written in vivid detail, Burton's memoirs remain of great interest and relevance to anthropologists, historians and geographers today.

Recommended an open-air life from an early age as a cure for physical and nervous difficulties, the indefatigable Isabella Bird (1831 1904) toured the United States and Canada, Hawaii, New Zealand, Australia, the Far East, India, Turkey, Persia and Kurdistan. Her accounts of her travels, written in the form of letters to her sister, were bestsellers. In 1875 she published her account of six months in the Hawaiian archipelago. During this time she explored the islands on horseback, visiting volcanos, climbing mountains, and living with the natives. The book includes considerable detail about the lifestyles, customs, and habits of the people she encountered, and of the geography and geology of the islands. Her enthusiasm for Hawaii and its people is evident from her vivid descriptions, but she disliked the restrictive atmosphere of the foreign settlements. The book includes outlines of the history and economy of the islands.

Mungo Park (1771 1806) was a Scottish surgeon and explorer. Encouraged by Sir Joseph Banks, he was sent by the African Association, in 1795, to explore the interior of Africa, forbidden to western traders. He is believed to have been the first European to reach the River Niger. His return was delayed by imprisonment and illness, and he did not arrive back in Scotland until December 1797, having been thought dead. He later went on a second expedition to Africa, and died there in 1806. This account of his earlier travels, published in 1799, was an immediate best-seller, with three editions in the first year. Park presents a straightforward account of his journey, together with observations about daily life in West Africa, with none of the arrogant superiority so often expressed by European travellers. The book includes a vocabulary of Mandinka words, plates and maps, and a geographical appendix.

Mungo Park was the original lone explorer of West Africa. The first European to reach the Niger, record its flow direction and return alive, he was considered a hero on his return. He died during his second exploration attempt inland along the Niger to discover the city of Timbuktu. Published posthumously in 1815 by the African Institution, which had sponsored his journey, a biography, personal letters and the account of the rescue team sent to discover his fate accompany Park's own journal of the expedition. The journals and letters are a fascinating description of the constant dangers and thrill of the age of exploration. Battling adverse weather, local hostility, tropical diseases and the death of nearly all his party including his brother-in-law, Park writes 'I would still persevere; and if I could not succeed in the object of my journey, I would at least die on the Niger.'

'Mirrorlands' is a journey through space and time to the meeting points of Russia and China, the world's largest and most populous countries. Charting an unconventional course southeast through Siberia, Inner Mongolia, the Russian Far East and Manchuria, anthropologist and linguist Ed Pulford sketches a rich series of encounters with people and places unknown not only to outsiders, but also to most residents of the capital cities where his journey begins and ends. What Russia and China have in common goes much deeper than their status as authoritarian post-socialist states or perceived menaces to Western hegemony. Their shared history can only fully be appreciated from an intimately local, borderland perspective. Along remote roads, rivers and railways, in cosmopolitan cities and indigenous villages of the northeast Asian frontiers, Pulford maps the strikingly similar ways in which these two vast empires have ruled their Eurasian domains, before, during and after socialism. With great cultural nuance, 'Mirrorlands' thoughtfully evokes the diverse daily interactions between residents of the Russia-China borderlands, and their resulting visions of 'Europe' and 'Asia'. It is a vivid portrait of centuries of cross-border encounter, mimicry and conflict, key to understanding the global place and identity of two leading world powers.

Anna, Lady Brassey (1839 1887) was an English travel writer and philanthropist best known for her vivid accounts of ocean journeys undertaken with her family. Her husband was a Civil Lord of the Admiralty who made many ocean voyages by steam yacht to test this new technology. Anna Brassey's description of these travels led to her becoming a best-selling author. In 1874 and 1878 the Brasseys sailed around the Mediterranean and as far as Constantinople in the Sunbeam. Her account of the voyages, with many delightful illustrations, is vividly written in considerable detail. It mixes exotic descriptions of people and places with lively accounts of domestic life on board. Inconveniences are made light of, and she relishes new experiences and acquaintances, showing none of the condescension towards foreigners often exhibited by Victorian travellers. For more information on this author, see http: //orlando.cambridge.org/public/svPeople?person_id=brasan

Anna, Lady Brassey (1839 1887) was an English travel writer and philanthropist best known for her vivid accounts of ocean journeys undertaken with her family. Her husband was a Civil Lord of the Admiralty who made many ocean voyages by steam yacht to test this new technology. Anna Brassey's description of these travels led to her becoming a best-selling author. In 1886 1887 the Brasseys sailed to India, Borneo and Australia, but sadly Annie died of malaria during the journey. Her account of the voyage was published in 1889 with a memoir by her husband. Her experiences are vividly described and accompanied by many delightful illustrations. Inconveniences are made light of, and she relishes new experiences and acquaintances, showing none of the condescension towards foreigners often exhibited by Victorian travellers. For more information on this author, see http: //orlando.cambridge.org/public/svPeople?person_id=brasan

15 years later he had, in 'Upper Egypt: its Peoples and its Products', produced a comprehensive account of the manners, customs, superstitions and occupations of the people of the Nile Valley, desert region and Red Sea Coast. Written some 40 years after Edward William Lane's influential 'Manners and Customs of the Modern Egyptians', it is with the latter book that Dr. Georg Schweingurth, in his prefatory note, compares Klunzinger's achievement. Recalling how, on first meeting the author, he had urged him to develop the field of Egyptian culture and produce 'an appendix to the Baedeker of the future', he predicted that Klunzinger's book would become 'an indispensable addition to the library of every Nile tourist, however small it may be'. 120 years later, 'Upper Egypt: its People and its Products' retains both its interest and its power to delight, and will appeal to the expert and casual reader alike.

First published in 1853, this is a comprehensive guide to the British Lake District. It features contributions from William Wordsworth and the geologist Adam Sedgwick, as well as a number of shorter sections by local experts on subjects such as botany and toponymy. The first part comprises detailed descriptions of the major towns and villages of the area, providing recommended routes and excursions for tourists. This is followed by Wordsworth's description of the scenery of the Lake District, offering fascinating observations on the natural formation of the landscape and the influence of human settlement. The latter part consists of a series of five letters on the geological structure of the area, written by Sedgwick between 1842 and 1853. Illustrated with detailed maps of the area, this is a key text for those interested in the history of tourism in the Lake District and its development in the Victorian period.

Athletic, intellectual and sensitive, even in her youth, Gertrude Bell was an ideal chronicler for a public fascinated by the Orient. Blending descriptions of customs, communities, archaeology, agriculture, The Desert and the Sown (1907) recounts a dramatic portion of her expedition across Syria. Enriched by over three hundred photographic illustrations, Bell's prose leads readers from the Mosque of 'Umar to the shores of the Dead Sea, the Castle of Salkhad and the dramatic landmarks of Kanaw t. Notwithstanding the inclusion of such picturesque sites, the author never allows the spectacular to overshadow the significant. As she herself professed, her narrative contains frequent references to the 'conditions of unimportant persons', arguing that 'they do not appear so unimportant to one who is in their midst'. As such, this volume reflects a compassionate and respectful attitude to other civilizations, the implications of which are as significant today as they were to Bell's contemporaries.

Lady Georgiana Chatterton (1806 1876) was a prolific British romantic novelist and travel writer. After marrying Sir William Chatterton in 1824 she spent much of her time at his estate in Ireland; the couple later retired to Dorset because of financial problems after the Irish Famine (1845 1851). These volumes, first published in 1839, contain Chatterton's accounts of various walks and excursions she undertook in the south of Ireland. Writing in the format of journal entries, Chatterton recounts her outings to places including Killarney, the Dingle Mountains and Limerick, mixing vivid descriptions of scenery and villages with details of local legends. These volumes were extremely popular and remain the best known of Chatterton's works; they provide a valuable example of popular early Victorian travel writing. Volume 1 contains her excursions to Bantry and Killarney. For more information on this author, see http: //orlando.cambridge.org/public/svPeople?person_id=chatge

Lady Georgiana Chatterton (1806 1876) was a prolific British romantic novelist and travel writer. After marrying Sir William Chatterton in 1824 she spent much of her time at his estate in Ireland; the couple later retired to Dorset because of financial problems after the Irish Famine (1845 1851). These volumes, first published in 1839, contain Chatterton's accounts of various walks and excursions she undertook in the south of Ireland. Writing in the format of journal entries, Chatterton recounts her outings to places including Killarney, the Dingle Mountains and Limerick, mixing vivid descriptions of scenery and villages with details of local legends. These volumes were extremely popular and remain the best known of Chatterton's works; they provide a valuable example of popular early Victorian travel writing. Volume 2 contains her excursions to Limerick and Cork. For more information on this author, see http: //orlando.cambridge.org/public/svPeople?person_id=chatge