The Lake Regions Of Central Africa A Picture Of Exploration

Author : Richard Francis Burton
Publisher : Forgotten Books
ISBN 13 : 9781330314722
Total Pages : 582 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (147 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!

Download or read book The Lake Regions of Central Africa written by Richard Francis Burton and published by Forgotten Books. This book was released on 2015-06-15 with total page 582 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Excerpt from The Lake Regions of Central Africa: A Picture of Exploration I had intended this record of personal adventure to appear immediately after my return to Europe, in May, 1859. The impaired health, the depression of spirits, and, worse still, the annoyance of official correspondence, which to me have been the sole results of African exploration, may be admitted as valid reasons for the delay. In April, 1860, the Royal Geographical Society of Great Britain honored me by publishing a detailed paper, forming the XXIXth volume of their journal, from which the topographical descriptions contained in the following pages have, with their kind permission, been extracted. I have now attempted to combine with geography and ethnology a narrative of occurrences and an exposition of the more popular and picturesque points of view which the subject offers. When I communicated to my friends the publishers certain intentions of writing exclusively a "light work," they protested against the project, stating that the public appetite required the addition of stronger meat. In compliance, therefore, with their suggestion, I have drawn two portraits of the same object, and mingled the gay with the graver details of travel, so as to produce an antipathetic cento. Modern "hinters to travelers" direct the explorer and the missionary to eschew theory and opinion. We are told somewhat peremptorily that it is our duty to gather actualities, not inferences - to see and not to think; in fact, to confine ourselves to transmitting the rough material collected by us, that it may be worked into shape by the professionally learned at home. But why may not the observer be allowed a voice concerning his own observations, if at least his mind be sane and his stock of collateral knowledge be respectable? About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.