Skip to Main Content

History 4815/7815 - African History Through the Digital Medium: Travelers' Accounts

African Horn

Anonymous. The Periplus of the Erythræan Sea. Edited by Wilfred D. Schoff. London: Longmans, Green, and Co., 1912.

Battuta, Ibn. Ibn Battuta in Black Africa. Edited by Said Hamdun and Noël King. Princeton: Markus Wiener Publishers, 2010.

Bruce, James. Travels to Discover the Source of the Nile, in the Years 1768, 1769, 1770, 1771, 1772, and 1773. 5 vols. Edinburgh: J. Ruthven, 1790.

Hoskins, George Alexander. Travels in Ethiopia, above the Second Cataract of the Nile; Exhibiting the State of That Country, and Its Various Inhabitants, under the Dominion of Mohammed Ali; and Illustrating the Antiquities, Arts, and History of the Ancient Kingdom of Meroe. London: Longman, Rees, Orme, Brown, Green, and Longman, 1835.

Lobo, Jerome. A Voyage to Abyssinia. Translated by Samuel Johnson. London: Elliot and Kray, 1789.

Waddington, George, and Barnard Hanbury. Journal of a Visit to Some Parts of Ethiopia. London: J. Murray, 1822.

East Africa

Anonymous. The Periplus of the Erythræan Sea. Edited by Wilfred D. Schoff. London: Longmans, Green, and Co., 1912.

Battuta, Ibn. Ibn Battuta in Black Africa. Edited by Said Hamdun and Noël King. Princeton: Markus Wiener Publishers, 2010.

Bowdich, Thomas Edward. An Account of the Discoveries of the Portuguese in the Interior of Angola and Mozambique. London: John Booth, 1824.

Brode, Heinrich, and Tippu Tip. Tippu Tip: The Story of His Career in Zanzibar and Central Africa. Translated by H. Havelock. 2nd ed. Gallery Publications, 2000.

Burton, Richard F. The Lands of Cazembe: Lacerda’s Journey to Cazembe in 1798. London: John Murroy, 1873.

Gamitto, A.C. Pedroso, and Portugal. King Kazembe and the Marave, Cheva, Bisa, Bemba, Lunda and Other Peoples of Southern Africa: Being the Diary of the Portuguese Expedition in 1831 and 1832. Translated by Ian Cunnison. Lisbon: Junta de Investigações do Ultramar, 1960.

Prior, James. Voyage Along the Eastern Coast of Africa to Mosambique, Johanna, and Quiloa, to St. Helena, to Rio de Janeiro, Bahia, and Pernambuco in Brazil, in the Nisus Frigate. London: Sir Richard Philips and Co., 1819.

Serpa Pinto, Alexandre Alberto da Rocha de. How I Crossed Africa: From the Atlantic to the Indian Ocean through Unknown Countries. Translated by Alfred Elwes. 2 vols. London: Sampson Low, Marsten, Searle, & Rivington, 1881.

Stanley, Henry M. How I Found Livingstone: Travels and Adventures in Central Africa, Including an Account of Four Months’ Residence with Dr. Livingstone. New York: Scribner, Armstrong & Co., 1872.

———. In Darkest Africa: The Quest, Rescue and Retreat of Emin, Governor of Equatoria. 2 vols. New York: Chas. Scribner’s Sons, 1890.

West Africa

Adams, Robert. The Narrative of Robert Adams: A Sailor Who Was Wrecked on the Western Coast of Africa, in the Year 1810, Was Detained Three Years in Slavery by the Arabs of the Great Desert, and Reided Seevral Months in the City of Tombuctoo. London: J. Murray, 1816.

Africanus, Leo. The History and Description of Africa. Edited by Robert Brown. Translated by John Pory. 3 vols. London: Hakluyt Society, 1896.

Bosman, Willem. A New and Accurate Description of the Coast of Guinea Divided into the Gold, the Slave, and the Ivory Coasts: Containing a Geographical, Political, and Natural History of the Kingdoms and Countries: With a Particular Account ... of All the European Settlements upon That Coast. London: James Knapton and Dan. Midwinter, 1705.

Bowdich, T. Edward. Mission from Cape Coast Castle to Ashantee: With a Statistical Account of That Kingdom, and Geographical Notices of Other Parts of the Interior of Africa. London: J. Murray, 1819.

Burton, Richard F. Abeokuta and the Camaroons Mountains: An Exploration. 2 vols. London: Tinsley Brothers, 1863.

Caillé, René. Travels through Central Africa to Timbuctoo and Across the Great Desert, to Morocco, Performed in the Years 1824-1828. 2 vols. London: Cass, 1968.

Clapperton, Hugh. Journal of a Second Expedition into the Interior of Africa: From the Bight of Benin to Soccatoo. Philadelphia: Carey, Lea and Carey, 1829.

Dallas, Robert Charles. The History of the Maroons: From Their Origin to the Establishment of Their Chief Tribe at Sierra Leone, Including the Expedition to Cuba for the Purpose of Procuring Spanish Chasseurs and the State of the Island of Jamaica for the Last Ten Years with a Succinct History of the Island Previous to That Period. 2 vols. London: T. N. Longman and O. Rees, 1803.

Dalzel, Archibald. The History of Dahomy: An Inland Kingdom of Africa. London: T. Spilsbury and Son, 1793.

Denham, Dixon. Narrative of Travels and Discoveries in Northern and Central Africa, in the Years 1822, 1823 and 1824, by Major Denham, Captain Clapperton and the Late Doctor Oudney: Extending across the Great Desert to the Tenth Degree of Northern Latitude, and from Kouka in Bornou, to Sackatoo, the Capital of the Fellatah Empire. London: J. Murray, 1826.

Duncan, John. Travels in Western Africa, in 1845 and 1846: Comprising a Journey from Whydah, through the Kingdom of Dahomey, to Adofoodia, in the Interior. 2 vols. London: R. Bentley, 1847.

Forbes, Frederick Edwyn. Dahomey and the Dahomans: Being the Journals of Two Missions to the King of Dahomey, and Residence at His Capital, in the Year 1849 and 1850. London: Longman, Brown, Green, and Longmans, 1851.

Golbéry, Sylvain Meinrad Xavier de. Travels in Africa, Performed during the Years 1785, 1786, and 1787, in the Western Countries of That Continent. London: M. Jones, 1803.

Lander, Richard. Records of Captain Clapperton’s Last Expedition to Africa. London: H. Colburn and R. Bentley, 1830.

MacQueen, James. A Geographical and Commercial View of Northern Central Africa: Containing a Particular Account of the Course and Termination of the Great River Niger in the Atlantic Ocean. Edinburgh: W. Blackwood, 1821.

Matthews, John R.N. A Voyage to the River Sierra-Leone, on the Coast of Africa... in the Years 1785, 1786 and 1787. London: B. White and Son, and J. Sewell, 1788.

McLeod, John. A Voyage to Africa with Some Account of the Manners and Customs of the Dahomian People. London: John Murray, 1820.

Park, Mungo. The Journal of a Mission to the Interior of Africa, in the Year 1805: Together with Other Documents, Official and Private, Relating to the Same Mission. London: J. Murray, 1815.

———. Travels in the Interior Districts of Africa: Performed under the Direction and Patronage of the African Association, in the Years 1795, 1796, and 1797. London: W. Bulmer and Co., 1799.

Riley, James. An Authentic Narrative of the Loss of the American Brig Commerce: Wrecked on the Western Coast of Africa, in the Month of August, 1815 with an Account of the Sufferings of the Surviving Officers and Crew, Who Were Enslaved by the Wandering Arabs, on the Africa Desart, or Zahahrah. Hartford: S. Andrus and Son, 1851.

Savigny, Jean Baptiste Henri. Narrative of a Voyage to Senegal in 1816. London: Henry Colburn, 1818.

Simpson, William. A Private Journal Kept during the Niger Expedition: From the Commencement in May, 1841, until the Recall of the Expedition in June, 1842. London: J.F. Shaw, 1843.

Smith, William. A New Voyage to Guinea: Describing the Customs, Manners, Soil, Climate, ... Likewise, an Account of Their Animals, Minerals, &c. London: John Nourse, 1745.

Snelgrave, William. A New Account of Some Parts of Guinea and the Slave-Trade. London: James, John, and Paul Knapton, 1734.

Taurinius, Zacharias. Travels in the Interior of Africa: From the Cape of Good Hope to Morocco... and Thence through the Desert of Sahara and the North of Barbary to Morocco between the Years 1781 and 1797. London: R. Phillips, 1801.

Valdez, Francisco Travassos. Six Years of a Traveller’s Life in Western Africa. 2 vols. London: Hurst and Blackett, 1861.

Finding These Books

North Africa

Africanus, Leo. The History and Description of Africa. Edited by Robert Brown. Translated by John Pory. 3 vols. London: Hakluyt Society, 1896.

Browne, William George. Travels in Africa, Egypt, and Syria, from the Year 1792 to1798. 2nd ed. London: T. Cadell and W. Davies, 1806.

Burckhardt, John Lewis. Travels in Nubia. London: J. Murray, 1822.

Caillé, René. Travels through Central Africa to Timbuctoo and Across the Great Desert, to Morocco, Performed in the Years 1824-1828. 2 vols. London: Cass, 1968.

Denham, Dixon. Narrative of Travels and Discoveries in Northern and Central Africa, in the Years 1822, 1823 and 1824, by Major Denham, Captain Clapperton and the Late Doctor Oudney: Extending across the Great Desert to the Tenth Degree of Northern Latitude, and from Kouka in Bornou, to Sackatoo, the Capital of the Fellatah Empire. London: J. Murray, 1826.

Denon, Vivant. Travels in Upper and Lower Egypt, during the Campaigns of General Bonaparte. 2 vols. London: B. Crosby and Co., 1802.

Dumont, Pierre Joseph. Narrative of Thirty-Four Years’ Slavery and Travels in Africa. London: Sir Richard Phillips, 1819.

Hornemann, Friederich. The Journal of Frederick Horneman’s Travels, from Cairo to Mourzouk, the Capital of the Kingdom of Fezzan, in Africa. In the Years 1797-8. London: G. and W. Nicol, 1802.

Hoskins, George Alexander. Travels in Ethiopia, above the Second Cataract of the Nile; Exhibiting the State of That Country, and Its Various Inhabitants, under the Dominion of Mohammed Ali; and Illustrating the Antiquities, Arts, and History of the Ancient Kingdom of Meroe. London: Longman, Rees, Orme, Brown, Green, and Longman, 1835.

Jackson, James Grey. An Account of the Empire of Marocco and the District of Suse. London: W. Bulmer and Co., 1809.

Lempriere, William. A Tour from Gibraltar to Tangier, Sallee, Mogodore, Santa Cruz, Tarudant: And Thence, over Mount Atlas, to Morocco Including a Particular Account of the Royal Harem. London: Printed for the Author, 1791.

Lyon, George Francis. A Narrative of Travels in Northern Africa in the Years 1818, 19, and 20: Accomapanied by Geographical Notices of Soudan. London: John Murray, 1821.

Ockley, Simon. An Account of South-West Barbary: Containing What Is Most Remarkable in the Territories of the King of Fez and Morocco. London: J. Bowyer and H. Clements, 1713.

Pananti, Filippo. Narrative of a Residence in Algiers. London: H. Colburn, 1818.

Richardson, James. Travels in the Great Desert of Sahara in the Years of 1845 and 1846; Containing a Narrative of Personal Adventures during a Tour of Nine Months through the Desert amongst the Touaricks and Other Tribes of Saharan People; Including a Description of the Oases and Cities of Ghat, Ghadames and Mourzuk. London: Richard Bentley, 1848.

Taurinius, Zacharias. Travels in the Interior of Africa: From the Cape of Good Hope to Morocco... and Thence through the Desert of Sahara and the North of Barbary to Morocco between the Years 1781 and 1797. London: R. Phillips, 1801.

South Africa

Barrow, John. An Account of Travels into the Interior of Southern Africa in the Years 1797 and 1798. New York: G.F. Hopkins for John Conrad and Co., 1802.

Bunbury, Charles James Fox. Journal of a Residence at the Cape of Good Hope: With Excursions into the Interior, and Notes on the Natural History, and the Native Tribes. London: John Murray, 1848.

Burchell, William J. Travels in the Interior of Southern Africa. 2 vols. London: Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, and Brown, 1822.

Campbell, John. Travels in South Africa, Undertaken at the Request of the London Missionary Society; Being a Narrative of a Second Journey in the Interior of That Country. London: F. Westley, 1822.

Le Vaillant, François. New Travels into the Interior Parts of Africa by the Way of the Cape of Good Hope in the Years 1783, 84 and 85. London: G.G. and J. Robinson, 1796.

Livingstone, David. Missionary Travels and Researches in South Africa: Including a Sketch of Sixteen Years’ Residence in the Interior of Africa. New York: Harper & Bros., 1858.

Martin, Robert Montgomery. History of Southern Africa: Comprising the Cape of Good Hope, Mauritius, Seychelles, &c. London: J. Mortimer, 1836.

Methuen, Henry H. Life in the Wilderness: Or Wanderings in South Africa. London: R. Bentley, 1846.

Stout, Benjamin. Cape of Good Hope and Its Dependencies: An Accurate and Truly Interesting Description of Those Delightful Regions. London: Edwards and Knibb, 1820.

Taurinius, Zacharias. Travels in the Interior of Africa: From the Cape of Good Hope to Morocco... and Thence through the Desert of Sahara and the North of Barbary to Morocco between the Years 1781 and 1797. London: R. Phillips, 1801.