The forbidden city of Harar. Burton's first expedition to Somalia, made in order to explore the forbidden city of Harar (which he was the first European to reach).

In 1854 Burton was commissioned by the British East India Company to explore the Somali region which had acquired commercial and political interest following the British occupation of Aden a decade and a half earlier. In the course of this expedition he landed at Zeila and travelled into the interior as far as the old walled city of Harar where he spent ten days before returning to the coast at Bebera in 1855. The work contains good descriptions of the above mentioned ports as well as the first detailed account of Harar, its customs, government, and trade.


First edition, second issue; 8vo, xxxviii, 648 pp., 4 coloured plates, 7 illustrations in text, 2 maps, original brick red cloth gilt, spine slightly darkened, neat repairs to spine, modern ownership inscription to half title, a very good copy.

Pankhurst 35; Penzer pp60-63; Gay 2714.