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Some U.S. Archival Materials on African Exploration

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  25 April 2022

James A. Casada*
Affiliation:
Department of History, Winthrop College Rock Hill, S.C., USA
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Extract

The activities of nineteenth-century explorers in Africa fascinated contemporaries, and the public greeted each chapter in the unfolding saga of African reconnaissance with enthusiasm. In his inimitable way, that prince of Victorian travellers, Sir Richard Burton, explained the appeal and aura of romanticism that surrounded exploration: “The theme has remoteness and obsurity of place, difference of custom, marvellousness of hearsay; events passing strange yet credible, sometimes barbaric splendour, generally luxuriance of nature, savage life, personal danger and suffering always borne … with patience, dignity, and even enthusiasm.” Even today, the subject retains much of its intrinsic interest, as is, exemplified by the veritable flood of books and articles marking the recent centenary of Dr David Livingstone's death. Moreover, Africanists in many academic disciplines are keenly aware of the important information to be found in the various records the explorers left to posterity.

Type
Documentation
Copyright
Copyright © International African Institute 1975

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Footnotes

*

The author wishes to acknowledge assistance from the Winthrop Research Council in support of the research underlying preparation of this note.

References

Notes

1 Burton, Richard F, Zanzibar; City. Island and Coast. 2 vols. (London, 1872), 11, pp. 140—41.CrossRefGoogle Scholar

2 See, for example, my article, “British Exploration in East Africa: A Bibliography with Commentary,” Africana Journal, V (1974), pp. 195—239.

3 “David Livingstone Documentation Project,” African Research & Documentation, No. 3, 1973, p. 21 and Donald Simpson, “The David Livingstone. Documentation Project,” African Research & Documentation, No. 4, 1974, pp. 21—22.

4 Richard Hall, Stanley: An Adventurer Explored (London, 1974).

5 Register: Henry Shelton Sanford Papers. Nashville, Tennessee: Tennessee State Library and Archives, 1960. The Register has a description of the contents of each box of manuscripts and includes a thorough index.

6 The articles are: “Léopold II et Henry S Sanford,” Congo, 1930, pp. 295—331; “Léopold II et le Congo révélés par les notes privées de Henry S. Sanford,” Congo, 1931, pp. 167—96; and “Léopold II et la Conference de Berlin, ”Congo, 1931, pp. 325—52.

7 James P. White, “The Sanford Exploring Expedition,” Journal of African History, VIII (1967), pp. 291—302.

8 See her Sultan to Sultan: Adventures Among the Masai and Other Tribes of East Africa. (London, 1892).

9 From a copy of the Container List supplied to the author through the courtesy of Mr. John C. Broderick, Acting Chief, Manuscript Division, Library of Congress.

10 William M. Dick, “New Light on King Leopold's Congo,” The Call Number, XXII (1961), pp. 3—13.

11 Norman R. Bennett, “Stanley and the American Consuls at Zanzibar,” Essex Institute Historical Collections, C (1964), pp. 41—58.

12 The only publication of note known to the present author is Edward A. Alpers, “Charles ChailléLong's Mission to Mutesa of Buganda, “Uganda Journal, XXIX (1965), pp. 1—11.

13 Vaucaire, Michel, Paul Du Chaillu: Gorilla Hunter. (New York, 1930).Google Scholar