Abeokuta and the Camaroons Mountains

In this vivid West African travelogue, Burton presents himself as both witness and critic, determined to strip away romantic, missionary, and sensational distortions in favor of a blunt account of politics, trade, religion, and imperial ambition. The journey begins along the coast aboard H.M.S. Arrogant and H.M.S. Prometheus, through fever, tropical storms, and sharp-eyed observations of Lagos, its lagoons, and the rough road to Abeokuta, the great Egba capital. From there, Burton ranges through local customs, royal power, palm-oil commerce, Muslim learning, and the uneasy presence of Britain's influence, while puncturing European credulity about African marvels. He also turns skeptical attention to Dahomey, especially the famed Amazons, and to the daily realities of food, disease, labor, and punishment. The second half shifts toward the Camaroons Mountains, where exploration becomes scientific reconnaissance and an imperial vision of future stations, colonies, and health resorts. With Selim Aga and a varied party, Burton confronts mapping, collecting, and climbing, celebrating his ascent of Victoria Mountain while assembling notes, correspondence, and natural history into a larger case for West African expansion. This edition has been fully restored with modern typesetting, custom cover design.