A History of a Voyage to the Coast of Africa, and Travels into the Interior of that Country ; Containing Particular Descriptions of the Climate and Inhabitants, and interesting particulars concerning the SLAVE TRADE

Troy: Luther Pratt, 1797. Second Edition. Full leather. Very Good. Second Edition. ix, [2], 12-180 pages. 4 x 6 1/2 inches. Frontispiece engraving "The AUTHOR Relating the HISTORY of his TRAVELS to his Friend" present (often missing). Full leather binding with red leather label and simple gold ruling on spine. Previous owner name "John S. Popkin March 1798" inked on verso of title page. Occasional spotting and light browning throughout. One small hole affecting a few letters on one leaf (pages 141/2). Overall a very nice copy. Full leather. An early recounting of a trip to Africa by an American. The second edition, published the same year as the Philadelphia first edition. Sabin (30956). The title page notes Hawkins has "since become Blind ; and for whose benefit it is now published by his Friends." Printed recommendations from Dr. [Benjamin] Rush (Surgeon General, Signer of Declaration, etc, etc) and Dr. Felix Pascalis (co-editor of the Medical Repository, etc etc).

"John S Popkin was the eldest son of Colonel John Popkin whom he succeeded in the Society of the Cincinnati in 1827 I knew him well from my entrance in college to the close of his life He was born in Boston June 19 1771 and died in Cambridge Massachusetts March 2 1852 He graduated at Harvard College in 1792 was Greek tutor there from 1795 to 1798 professor of the Greek language 1815 26 Eliot Professor of Greek literature 1826 33 He received the honorary degree of DD from Harvard College in 1815 He had been pastor of the Federal Street Church in Boston Dr Channing's from 1799 to 1802 and of the First Church in Newbury from 1804 to 1815. ... In important business transactions with Dr Popkin I found him very exact as accurate as he was in his college offices Few men excelled him in a knowledge of practical affairs and his integrity honesty and reliability were eminent the man was a counterpart of the scholar and instructor " (from Reminiscences and Memorials of Men of the Revolution and Their Families by Artemas Bowers Muzzey, 1883, p. 229).