Inscribed presentation copy. Inscribed by Stanley: 'With the best wishes from / Henry M Stanley/ To Major J. B. Pond'. Pond was a well-known lecture agent in the United States who engaged Stanley in 1886 for an extensive lecture tour. Stanley had to break off the tour to lead the Emin Pasha Relief Expedition but was re-engaged in 1890, albeit at a much higher fee.

Stanley's remarkable account of his expedition from the East Coast through the heart of Africa to the land of the Nile. This expedition was originally intended as a rescue mission for Emin Pasha after Khartoum fell into the hands of the Mahdists and General Gordon was killed. Although failing in its primary objective, geographically the expedition accomplished great things, Stanley discovered the great snow-capped range of Ruwenzori, the Mountains of the Moon, besides a new lake which he named the Albert Edward N'yanza, and a large south-western extension of Lake Victoria, and he had come upon the pigmy tribes who had inhabited the great African forest since prehistoric times. On his way down to the coast, Stanley had concluded treaties with various native chiefs which he transferred to Sir William Mackinnon's company and so laid the foundation of the British East African Protectorate.

First U.S. edition, 2 volumes, 8vo, inscribed presentation copy. xv, 529; xv, 472 pp., 2 pages ads at end, 2 frontispieces, 3 folding maps (2 large with tears to folds), 37 plates, numerous text illustrations, modern brown half morocco gilt over old marbled boards.