Considering John Murray was the leading publisher of travel accounts, there are a remarkable number of points of difference from copy to copy: some have lithographs, some an index, there are difference in the list of plates, some plates were altered during the printing, etc. A lot of this is probably due to the book being reprinted but retaining the original title.

Professor David Phillipson has done an excellent job in sorting these out in a paper for the Hakluyt Society, and states that some variants were issued simultaneously. What I tend to look for is the overall condition of the book, and I do like the copies with the lithograph frontispiece. The present copy is so illustrated and is bright and fresh in the original cloth.

Livingstone’s second expedition was along the Zambesi to evaluate the possibilities of trade on behalf of the British Government. It lasted from 1858-1864 and proved a very difficult undertaking. From the point of view of exploration, it failed in some of its objectives such as an exploration of Lake Nyasa. From a scientific perspective it was altogether more successful and many specimens were sent back to the Natural History Museum and Kew Gardens. In December 1863, whilst at Murchison Falls in Uganda, at the head of Lake Albert, Livingstone wrote an autograph letter, signed, to J. N. Whitaker concerning taking soil temperatures. This three-page document is an evocative memento of all the technical work that was needed on such an expedition. Written in Livingstone’s distinctive hand it is in good condition.