# Is "Travels in West Africa: Congo Français, Corisco and Cameroons" by Mary H. Kingsley a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Travels in West Africa: Congo Français, Corisco and Cameroons by Mary H. Kingsley (Macmillan and Co., 1897) is identified by: The true first edition collates xvi, [744] pages plus eight pages of publisher's advertisements, octavo, bound in original dark red cloth with the title lettered in gilt on the spine. Because Macmillan reprinted the book repeatedly within its first year, copies exist marked 'Second Thousand,' 'Third Thousand,' and later on the title page; the true first printing carries no such statement.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- The true first edition collates xvi, [744] pages plus eight pages of publisher's advertisements, octavo, bound in original dark red cloth with the title lettered in gilt on the spine
- It is illustrated with two lithographed plates of fish, sixteen photographic plates, and numerous in-text vignettes, and covers Kingsley's travels through Sierra Leone, the Gold Coast, Lagos, the Ogowe, French Congo, Gabon, and the Cameroons, including chapters on West African 'fetish' religion
- The book was an immediate bestseller, and Macmillan issued several further printings within 1897 itself
- Publisher imprint reads Macmillan and Co.
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Mary H. Kingsley |
| Publisher | Macmillan and Co. |
| Year | 1897 |
| True first | — |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | The true first edition collates xvi, [744] pages plus eight pages of publisher's advertisements, octavo, bound in original dark red cloth… |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
The true first edition collates xvi, [744] pages plus eight pages of publisher's advertisements, octavo, bound in original dark red cloth with the title lettered in gilt on the spine. It is illustrated with two lithographed plates of fish, sixteen photographic plates, and numerous in-text vignettes, and covers Kingsley's travels through Sierra Leone, the Gold Coast, Lagos, the Ogowe, French Congo, Gabon, and the Cameroons, including chapters on West African 'fetish' religion. The book was an immediate bestseller, and Macmillan issued several further printings within 1897 itself.

## Is this the true first?
Because Macmillan reprinted the book repeatedly within its first year, copies exist marked 'Second Thousand,' 'Third Thousand,' and later on the title page; the true first printing carries no such statement.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Travels in West Africa: Congo Français, Corisco and Cameroons* by Mary H. Kingsley a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/travels-in-west-africa-congo-fran-ais-corisco-and-cameroons
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.