Another Entertaining Historical Read

SOME books have such cumbersome titles, and come with such an unprepossessing cover, that it is a wonder any copies are sold at all.
Such could easily be said of A Journey To The Tea Countries Of China Including Sung-Lo And The Bohea Hills; With A Short Notice Of The East India Company's Tea Plantations In The Himalaya Mountains.
Written by a Scottish botanist, Robert Fortune, it was originally published in 1852.
My copy is a facsimile by Miami-based HardPress, who "are offering thousands of classic and hard to find books."
The title sums up the contents very well and, apart from rather too much detail about the plants he discovered, I found it a fascinating read of a journey, most of which he had to take in disguise to avoid detection by the Chinese authorities, through a bygone culture.
I certainly intend buying his earlier book, Three Years Wanderings In The Northern Provinces Of China.

Great Read

TODAY I finished reading a remarkable book that combines two of my favourite interests, history and travel.

Mary Kingsley, niece of Water Babies author Charles Kingsley, was a Victorian explorer who travelled extensively in west Africa in the 1890s.

Most of the time she was the only white person for miles around, managing an ever-changing team of native porters and pathfinders.

The book, Travels In West Africa, is little-known today outside specialist circles, and I doubt if you will find it in a bookshop (I ordered a reprint online via Amazon).

"The notable success of Travels In West Africa was due in no small part to the vigour and droll humour of writing ... in the guise of a ripping yarn," states her entry in Wikipedia.
The encyclopaedia continues: "Kingsley's tales and opinions of life in Africa helped draw attention to British imperial agendas abroad and the native customs of African people that were previously little discussed and (were) misunderstood by the European people.

"The Fair Commerce Party formed soon after her death, pressuring for improved conditions for the natives of British colonies.

"Various reform associations were formed in her honour and helped facilitate governmental change. The Liverpool School Of Tropical Medicine founded an honorary medal in her name."

Mary Kingsley died in South Africa in 1900 aged 37 from suspected typhoid.