# Is "Travels in the Interior Districts of Africa: Performed under the Direction and Patronage of the African Association, in the Years 1795, 1796, and 1797" by Mungo Park a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Travels in the Interior Districts of Africa: Performed under the Direction and Patronage of the African Association, in the Years 1795, 1796, and 1797 by Mungo Park (Printed by W. Bulmer and Co. for the author; sold by G. and W. Nicol, 1799) is identified by: The true first edition is a quarto printed by the fine press of W.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- The true first edition is a quarto printed by the fine press of W. Bulmer and Co. for the author and sold by G. and W. Nicol, with a stipple-engraved portrait of Park by Dickinson after Henry Edridge, three engraved folding maps (the map of Park's route colored in outline), five further engraved plates, and two engraved plates of music setting 'A Negro Song' encountered on the travels for voice and piano
- The volume also carries an appendix of 'geographical illustrations of Africa' contributed by Major James Rennell, separately paginated from the main narrative
- The book's immediate popularity led to three separate printings within 1799 alone and rapid translation into French and German, so the Bulmer/Nicol quarto collation described above is the benchmark for identifying a genuine 1799 first-year printing rather than a later abridged reprint
- Publisher imprint reads Printed by W. Bulmer and Co. for the author; sold by G. and W. Nicol
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Mungo Park |
| Publisher | Printed by W. Bulmer and Co. for the author; sold by G. and W. Nicol |
| Year | 1799 |
| True first | — |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | The true first edition is a quarto printed by the fine press of W. Bulmer and Co. for the author and sold by G. and W. Nicol, with a… |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
The true first edition is a quarto printed by the fine press of W. Bulmer and Co. for the author and sold by G. and W. Nicol, with a stipple-engraved portrait of Park by Dickinson after Henry Edridge, three engraved folding maps (the map of Park's route colored in outline), five further engraved plates, and two engraved plates of music setting 'A Negro Song' encountered on the travels for voice and piano. The volume also carries an appendix of 'geographical illustrations of Africa' contributed by Major James Rennell, separately paginated from the main narrative. The book's immediate popularity led to three separate printings within 1799 alone and rapid translation into French and German, so the Bulmer/Nicol quarto collation described above is the benchmark for identifying a genuine 1799 first-year printing rather than a later abridged reprint.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
A first American edition appeared in New York in 1800; it is a separate, later edition, not the 1799 London original issued under the African Association's sponsorship.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Travels in the Interior Districts of Africa: Performed under the Direction and Patronage of the African Association, in the Years 1795, 1796, and 1797* by Mungo Park a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/travels-in-the-interior-districts-of-africa-performed-under
CC BY 4.0. Part of the Canonical First-Edition Points of Issue dataset (https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/api/first-edition-titles.json). Last reviewed 2026-07-04.