Salt had previously visited Ethiopia in 1805 as part of Viscount Valentia's entourage, visiting Massawa, Aksum, Adwa, and other parts of Tegré.

'In 1809 Salt returned as an emissary of the British government bearing gifts for the Emperor in Gondar, but because of political difficulties was unable to go beyond Tegré. This time he wrote a more detailed account of his travels which took him to the early Christian monastery of Dabra Damo and the pre-Aksumite capital, Yeha, as well as the towns of Chelaqot, Antalo, Adwa, and Aksum. Salt's work is illustrated with many fine drawings, plans and maps, and contains the text of a fourth-century inscription at Aksum' (Pankhurst).

First edition, 4to, xii, [iv], 506 pp, lxxv (appendix) pp., half-title, 28 engraved plates on 27 leaves, 7 engraved maps and charts on 6 sheets (4 folding, 1 hand-coloured,), 2 vignettes, contemporary calf, rebacked, repairs to corners and edges, new endpapers, large folding map with clean tear to fold, and with 'Chapter IV' contents leaf laid down to verso, pages 13-15 with ragged fore-edges, a good copy.