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.'

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

Penned in the 1820s but not published until 1901, Fenton's Journal is an intimate portrait of the lives of European expatriates in the early decades of the nineteenth century. Written by a witness to the heyday of Empire, but read by those who were soon to experience its decline, Fenton's diary leads readers from Calcutta to Tasmania. The focus is domestic and relates 'a familiar picture of the everyday occurrences, manners and habits of life of persons undistinguished either by wealth or fame', but it is this informality that makes Fenton's account especially engaging. The reader remains with the author intermittently until her return to the family's English home. Together, her contrasting accounts of exotic foreign lands and the 'dull and downright reality' of Britain provide a rare insight into the life of an adventurous woman. For more information on this author, see http: //orlando.cambridge.org/public/svPeople?person_id=fentel

Described by The Morning Post as exhibiting 'facilities of observation never before possessed by a European lady', Anne Katharine Elwood was the ideal narrator for an exotic and exciting travel journal. The first woman to travel overland to India, she acquired a reputation as a pioneer even before her diary was published. When it first appeared in 1830 this work attracted much praise from critics and the general public alike. Elwood's account introduces readers to locations, cultures and sights as diverse as the duomo of Turin, a picnic at the Pyramids, and the 'the private lives of Mahometan and Hindoo Ladies'. It was recommended by one critic as 'the most amusing book of travels we have read for a long time'. Volume 1 takes readers from England to Bombay via France, Italy, Malta and Egypt. For more information on this author, see http: //orlando.cambridge.org/public/svPeople?person_id=elwoa

Described by The Morning Post as exhibiting 'facilities of observation never before possessed by a European lady', Anne Katharine Elwood was the ideal narrator for an exotic and exciting travel journal. The first woman to travel overland to India, she acquired a reputation as a pioneer even before her diary was published. When it first appeared in 1830 this work attracted much praise from critics and the general public alike. Elwood's travelogue introduces readers to an extraordinarily diverse range of locations and sights. Volume 2 describes the customs, habits, castes and religions of Indian society, includes a startling account of snakes and lizards, and ends with Elwood's homeward voyage via Ceylon, St Helena and Ascension Island. A contemporary critic recommended her account as 'the most amusing book of travels we have read for a long time'. For more information on this author, see http: //orlando.cambridge.org/public/svPeople?person_id=elwoa

In the second volume of Piozzi's Observations, the travels continue from Naples and into Germany before the return to England. Well educated and accustomed to society and activity, Hester relished her intellectual collaboration and close friendship with Samuel Johnson, developed during her first marriage to the successful but stifling Henry Thrale. Yet as Johnson became ill he was increasingly demanding of her attention as a nurse and they became susceptible to society gossip. Hester's second marriage, to Italian musician Gabriel Mario Piozzi in 1784, was therefore extremely liberating. The European travels recounted in these volumes were an escape, and Hester revelled in her experiences, a joy which shows through clearly in this development of her own, non-Johnsonian literary tone. The books were well received, even being read at court by Queen Charlotte and Fanny Burney. For more information on this author, see http: //orlando.cambridge.org/public/svPeople?person_id=piozh

Hester Piozzi's 1789 Observations is an entertaining title, with a conversational, present-tense style that makes it stand out from other (largely male) travel writing of the period. Extremely well-educated and accustomed to society and activity, Hester was stifled in her first marriage to brewer Henry Thrale. A close friend of Samuel Johnson, she collaborated with him on several works, but also found herself increasingly called upon to nurse him as he became ill. Her second marriage to Italian musician Gabriel Mario Piozzi in 1784 was therefore extremely liberating. The European travels recounted in these volumes were an escape, allowing Hester to develop her own literary tone. This first volume recounts the beginnings of their travels through France and Italy, and Hester's enjoyment of her experiences shows through clearly in the liveliness of her writing. For more information on this author, see http: //orlando.cambridge.org/public/svPeople?person_id=piozh

W. Rickmer Rickmers (1873 1965) was a German explorer and mountaineer who visited and explored central Asia five times between 1894 and 1906. This book provides an account of his travels in the area he calls Turkestan, which incorporates modern Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and south-west Kazakhstan, and was first published in 1913. The region, which contains the ancient cities of Samarkand and Bukhara, had not been previously described in so much detail by a western European traveller. Rickmers includes accounts of both these historic cities as well as describing the social life of the indigenous people, with a comprehensive survey of the geography of the region. Richly illustrated with 207 maps and photographs, this volume provides an insight into the everyday life of the area before the upheavals of the Soviet era.

The publications of the Hakluyt Society (founded in 1846) made available edited (and sometimes translated) early accounts of exploration. The first series, which ran from 1847 to 1899, consists of 100 books containing published or previously unpublished works by authors from Christopher Columbus to Sir Francis Drake, and covering voyages to the New World, to China and Japan, to Russia and to Africa and India. A member of a noble Roman family, Pietro della Valle began travelling in 1614 at the suggestion of a doctor, as an alternative to suicide after a failed love affair. The letters describing his travels in Turkey, Persia and India were addressed to this advisor. This 1664 English translation of della Valle's letters from India, republished by the Hakluyt Society in 1892, contains fascinating ethnographic details, particularly on religious beliefs, and is an important source for the history of the Keladi region of South India.

Isabella Bird's Unbeaten Tracks in Japan was published in 1880 and recounts her travels in the Far East from 1876. Bird was recommended an open-air life from an early age as a cure for her physical and nervous difficulties. She toured the United States and Canada, New Zealand, Australia and the Sandwich Islands, before travelling to the Far East in order to strengthen herself to marry Dr John Bishop and live in Edinburgh. Created out of the letters Bird wrote home, primarily to her sister, Volume 1 recounts her experiences as a solo woman traveller living among the Japanese in Yokohama and Niigata. It includes descriptions of clothing, food and drink, education, housing, theatre, women's lifestyles, religion, plant life, medicine, shopping and other day-to-day activities, as well as the vicissitudes and excitement of the conditions and process of travelling, including by boat and pack-horse.

Isabella Bird's Unbeaten Tracks in Japan was published in 1880 and recounts her travels in the Far East, begun four years earlier. Bird was recommended an open-air life from an early age as a cure for her physical and nervous difficulties. She toured the United States and Canada, New Zealand, Australia and the Sandwich Islands, before travelling to the Far East in order to strengthen herself to marry Dr John Bishop and live in Edinburgh. Based on the letters Bird wrote home, primarily to her sister, Volume 2 covers her journeys to Yeso, Tokyo, Kyoto, and the Ise Shrines, and includes her experiences of staying with the Hairy Ainu, the indigenous inhabitants of northern Japan. As with the first volume, it includes much detail of the lifestyles, customs, and habits of the people she encountered, as well as a chapter on Japanese public affairs.

The publications of the Hakluyt Society (founded in 1846) made available edited (and sometimes translated) early accounts of exploration. The first series, which ran from 1847 to 1899, consists of 100 books containing published or previously unpublished works by authors from Christopher Columbus to Sir Francis Drake, and covering voyages to the New World, to China and Japan, to Russia and to Africa and India. A member of a noble Roman family, Pietro della Valle began travelling in 1614 at the suggestion of a doctor, as an alternative to suicide after a failed love affair. The letters describing his travels in Turkey, Persia and India were addressed to this advisor. This 1664 English translation of della Valle's letters from India, republished by the Hakluyt Society in 1892, contains fascinating ethnographic details, particularly on religious beliefs, and is an important source for the history of the Keladi region of South India.

The publications of the Hakluyt Society (founded in 1846) made available edited (and sometimes translated) early accounts of exploration. The first series, which ran from 1847 to 1899, consists of 100 books containing published or previously unpublished works by authors from Christopher Columbus to Sir Francis Drake, and covering voyages to the New World, to China and Japan, to Russia and to Africa and India. Vasco de Gama (c. 1460 1524) was a Portuguese explorer who commanded the first European expedition to sail directly to India. He was later appointed Viceroy of Portuguese India in 1524. This volume, first published in 1869, contains an account of his expeditions written by the Portuguese historian Gaspar Correa (c. 1496 c. 1563), taken from his book Lendas da India. His work is an important contemporary history of Portuguese colonialism in India, using contemporary sources not available to later Portuguese historians.

The Yangtze Valley and Beyond, first published in 1899, contains the account by the redoubtable Isabella Bird (now Mrs J. F. Bishop) of a journey through central China in 1896 1897. The volume focuses on her travels though the province of Szechuan and among the Man-tze of the Somo territory. Many of the areas she explored and carefully described were almost unknown to European visitors and had not been mentioned in any earlier English publications. The volume is based on journal letters and the diary written during her journey, and it is generously illustrated with photographs and Chinese drawings. Bishop's work was warmly received in England and praised especially for the information included on agriculture and industry. The Geographical Journal heralded the work as 'undoubtedly one of the most important contributions to English literature on that country'. It remains a key source for late nineteenth-century British perceptions of China.