Mary kingsley 18621900 was an english author and explorer known for her bestselling travels in west africa, one of two books she wrote about her time in the region. This free downloadable ebook can be read on your computer or ereader. Travels in west africa ebook written by mary kingsley. Drawing from the life and travels of mary kingsley, a nineteenth century travel writer and critic of the crown colony system, alison blunt cogently examines the relationships among travel, gender, and imperialism. This story is taken down from an eboe, but practically the same story can be found among all the clothmaking tribes in west africa. Kingsleys book covers her travels to west africa in the 1890s. The book was a best seller and led to a very busy schedule on the lecture circuit. Travels in west africa by mary kingsley librarything. Mary kingsley was certainly a brave, brave woman and a good victorian writer. Travels in west africa is a witty, quirky, fascinating work.
Travels in west africa national geographic adventure classics. Mary henrietta kingsley october 1862 3 june 1900 was an british explorer and writer who greatly influenced european ideas about africa and its people. Feb 28, 20 mary kingsley was certainly a brave, brave woman and a good victorian writer. Originally published in 1897, this is mary kingsleys account of her travels through congo francais, corisco and cameroon. Jun 01, 2004 free kindle book and epub digitized and proofread by project gutenberg. Travels to the interior districts of africa critical.
Travels in west africa, free pdf, ebook, epub global grey. Early in her 1899 monograph west african studies, the victorian explorer. Mary kingsleys discourse in travels in west africa find, read and cite all the research you need on. Mary henrietta kingsley was an english ethnographic and scientific writer and explorer whose travels throughout west africa and resulting work helped shape european perceptions of african cultures and british imperialism. Preface preface to the abridged edition of travels in west africa. Chapters include disease in west africa, trade and labour in west africa, fetish, ascent of the great peak of cameroons, from esoon to agonjo, and, the rapids of the ogowe.
Travels in west africa, congo francais, corisco and cameroons. A selfeducated victorian woman, she traveled alone to west africa in 1893 to study the natives religions and customs and collect fish for the british museum. Free kindle book and epub digitized and proofread by project gutenberg. Written by jacob hanebutt in the spring of 2010 based on. This personal account of her 18941895 journey is considered a classic. She made three trips to africa throughout her lifetime, the final being to south africa, where she contracted typhoid as a volunteer nurse and died during the boer war. This book is available for free download in a number of formats including epub, pdf, azw, mobi and more. Kingsley made one final trip to africa, enlisting as a volunteer nurse in south africa during the boer war. Upon her sudden freedom from family obligations, a sheltered victorian spinster traded her stifling middleclass existence for an incredible expedition in the congo. Mar 27, 2016 this story is taken down from an eboe, but practically the same story can be found among all the clothmaking tribes in west africa. Mary kingsley as cultural intermediary christopher l. The term is extremely overused today, but mary kingsley 18621900 was truly amazing. Kingsley was an outspoken critic of european colonialism, a champion for indigenous customs, and a dedicated campaigner for a revised british policy which supported traders and merchants. Travels in west africa, the first book recounting her adventures, was first published in 1895 and became a best seller.
Born in england in 1862, mary kingsley lived a sheltered early existence, but one. She kept this fact a secret, but perhaps it, and a lack of religious education, imbued in her the impulse to defy the expectations of a victorian woman. Kingsley, 9780486424903, available at book depository with free delivery worldwide. Mary henrietta kingsley october 1862 3 june 1900 was an english ethnographic and scientific writer and explorer whose travels throughout west africa. Mobi files can be read on kindles, epub files can be read on other ebook readers, and zip files can be downloaded and read on your computer. Mary kingsleys wry sense of humor had me laughing out loud. Apr 06, 2010 kingsley settled into her brothers home and wrote travels in west africa, a detailed, candid account of her experiences. Kingsley s book covers her travels to west africa in the 1890s.
Editions of travels in west africa by mary henrietta kingsley. Librivox recording of travels in west africa, by mary h. Congo francais, corisco and cameroons by kingsley, mary henrietta. Travels in west africa 1897, which was an immediate bestseller, and west african studies 1899, both of which granted her vast respect and prestige within the scholarly community. This chapter focuses on mary kingsleys involvement with the folklore and spiritual customs of west africa. Mary kingsley was conceived out of wedlock, her parents marrying only four days before her birth. A remarkable account by a pioneering woman explorer who was described by rudyard kipling as the bravest woman of all my knowledge. Jun 27, 2019 mary henrietta kingsley was an english ethnographic and scientific writer and explorer whose travels throughout west africa and resulting work helped shape european perceptions of african cultures and british imperialism. Click to read more about travels in west africa by mary kingsley. In mary kingsleys travels in west africa 1897one is most often reminded of her femininity of her potential vulnerability and the precariousness of her situation through her encounters with europeans, not africans. Mary kingsley s wry sense of humor had me laughing out loud. Browse the worlds largest ebookstore and start reading today on the web, tablet, phone, or ereader.
Mary henrietta kingsley, english traveler who, disregarding the conventions of her time, journeyed through western and equatorial africa and became the first european to enter parts of gabon. After a preliminary visit to the canary islands, kingsley decided to travel to the west coast of africa. Travels in west africa, by mary kingsley oxfams online shop. The absence of readily navigable rivers, the efforts of african rulers and middlemen to circumvent european efforts to gain access to the interior, and tropical diseases, all encumbered any european attempts to explore the.
However, on the death of her parents, she undertook an extraordinary decision. Travels in west africa congo francais, corisco and cameroons by mary h. Pedigree cresollius 1620, mandeville 1728, condillac 1746, rousseau. Her two journeys werent remarkable for their geological exploration, but were remarkable for being undertaken, alone, by a sheltered, middleclass, victorian spinster in her thirties without any knowledge of african languages or french, or much money she arrived in west africa with only. Unaccompanied except for native guides, she plunged boldly into forbidding jungles, often the first europeanand almost always the first white womanever to arrive.
Mary henrietta kingsley october 1862 3 june 1900 was an english ethnographer, scientific writer, and explorer whose travels throughout west africa and resulting work helped shape european perceptions of african cultures and british imperialism. First published in 1868, this volume offers a fascinating insight into south africa in the late nineteenth century, and is highly recommended for those with an interest in historical literature of this ilk. This vintage book contains a biographical account of the authors life and missionary travels in and around south africa. What mary kingsley did was pretty incredible in 1893, she decided skirts and all to travel to west africa to explore, collect fish and learn more about the religion of native people. I do not approach this as an exploration of her personal. Travels in west africa by mary henrietta kingsley, 9780554226347, available at book depository with free delivery worldwide.
Her sojourn into the region and, her observations and encounters formed the subject of one of the classic texts in african studies, travels in west africa. Travels in west africa by kingsley teaching resources. Pdf on jan 1, 2001, karen bennett and others published speaking in tongues. Kingsleys finely detailed descriptions of the people and the terrain bring to life the harsh and frequently fatal conditions of west africa at the time with. Of the few european female explorers to make the journey to west central africa, none made a greater impact on her writing than mary kingsley. Until 1893, mary kingsley led a secluded life in victorian england. The only nonafrican women who regularly embarked on often dangerous. Travels in west africa national geographic adventure. A british adventurertrader author, she had a deep interest in africa and africans. Mary kingsley traversed uncharted regions of west africa alone, on foot, collecting specimens of local fauna and trading with nativesa remarkable feat in any era, but particularly for a woman of the 1890s. He was known for his travels and explorations within asia, africa and the americas, as well as his extraordinary knowledge of languages and cultures, among them also his journey together with john hanning speke as the first europeans to visit the great lakes of africa in search of the source of the nile. Mary kingsley the anthology of the outdoor experience mary kingselys selection from the anthology of the outdoor experience pp. The first part of her book about her various travels in west africa, fernando po, cameroon and gabon makes excellent reading.
It is as engaging a travelogue in the 21st century as it was then. In the old times there was a man who was a great hunter. On returning home eleven months later, she wrote travels in west africa, which was published in 1897 and was followed by west african studies in 1899. Mary kingselys selection from the anthology of the outdoor experience pp. She then discusses the cults and religions in west africa and has many useful insights into trade and development. Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read travels in west africa. Unaccompanied except for native guides, she plunged boldly into forbidding jungles, often the first europeanand almost always the first white womanever to. But this south africa book followed upon his several earlier works in his own words, part travelogue, part guidebook, part political commentary on the west indies, north america, australia, and new zealand.
Born in england in 1862, mary kingsley lived a sheltered early existence, but one that nonetheless nurtured her sense of adventure and curiosity. Travels in west africa book by mary henrietta kingsley. During her childhood in england, kingsley was mostly left to her. Buy travels in west africa, by mary kingsley, oxfam, kingsley, mary, books, travel and holiday cookies on oxfam we use cookies to ensure that you have the best experience on our website. Missionary travels and researches in south africa ebook by. But at age 30, defying every convention of womanhood of the time. Mary kingsley and the ghosts of west africa researchgate. It would be illuminating to ascertain what trollopes commentary reveals about contemporaneous perceptions and expectations about. Project muse travels in west africa by mary kingsley.
In 1893, defying every convention of victorian womanhood, mary kingsley set off alone for west africa to collect botanical specimens. Mary kingsley returned to africa in 1895 for a second journey on which, among other adventures, she lived with the fan cannibals, went up the ogowe river and climbed mount cameroon. Librarything is a cataloging and social networking site for booklovers. These initiatory european travels to west africa were confined to the coast. Mary kingsley 18621900 african explorer forgotten newsmakers. Start your 48hour free trial to unlock this travels to the interior districts of africa study guide and get instant access to the following critical essays. Originally published in 1897, this is mary kingsley s account of her travels through congo francais, corisco and cameroon. Until 1893, mary kingsley lived the typical life of a single victorian woman, tending to sick relatives and keeping house for her brother. She describes her adventures canoeing up ravines and rapids, walking through swamps and mangroves, climbing a 000 ft mountain and dealing with missionaries, traders and the locals who include cannibals.
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