The founding of the African Association in 1788 was arguably the starting point of the European race to explore Africa. The organisation lay behind many of the most famous expeditions to Africa at the end of the eighteenth century, including those of Mungo Park, Friedrich Hornemann and John Lewis Burckhardt. This volume, published in 1802, includes fascinating details of their expeditions. We read of the failure of earlier projects, and Sir Joseph Banks' recommendation of Hornemann to the Association, stating that 'his youth, his prudence … and lively zeal' would make him a fine 'acquisition'. Of Mungo Park, the Association heard that he was 'a young man of no mean talents'. Alongside the insights into the preparations for the expeditions, the volume includes letters and detailed accounts from both Park and Hornemann, and meticulous contemporary maps, providing a unique picture of the earliest days of exploration in Africa.
