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Journal of a Residence in Ashantee. Comprising notes and researches relative to the Gold Coast, and the interior of Western Africa; chiefly collected from Arabic MSS. and information communicated by the Moslems of Guinea: to which is prefixed an account of the origin and causes of the present war. by Dupuis, Joseph [Henry Barnes; Thomas Alphonso Cary) - 1824: With the original first hand manuscript account by Thomas Cary of the 4th West Indian Regiment based at Cape Coast Castle during the Second Ashanti War together with the signature of Henry Barnes of Cape Coast Castle

by Dupuis, Joseph [Henry Barnes; Thomas Alphonso Cary)

Journal of a Residence in Ashantee. Comprising notes and researches relative to the Gold Coast, and the interior of Western Africa; chiefly collected from Arabic MSS. and information communicated by the Moslems of Guinea: to which is prefixed an account of the origin and causes of the present war. by Dupuis, Joseph [Henry Barnes; Thomas Alphonso Cary) - 1824

Journal of a Residence in Ashantee. Comprising notes and researches relative to the Gold Coast, and the interior of Western Africa; chiefly collected from Arabic MSS. and information communicated by the Moslems of Guinea: to which is prefixed an account of the origin and causes of the present war.: With the original first hand manuscript account by Thomas Cary of the 4th West Indian Regiment based at Cape Coast Castle during the Second Ashanti War together with the signature of Henry Barnes of Cape Coast Castle

by Dupuis, Joseph [Henry Barnes; Thomas Alphonso Cary)

  • Used
  • Hardcover
  • first

First edition. Printed for Henry Colburn. London. 1824. 4to. (2), vii, (1), xxxviii, 264, cxxxv, (1)pp. Folding map, 11 further plates (2 of which are folding). Contemporary half calf, marbled boards. Spine in five compartments with raised bands, gilt rules and lettering. Worn and rubbed to joints, boards and extremities. Title page reinforced to gutter margin. Spot to margin of title page. Short closed marginal tear to vii. Map misfolded, with some closed tears to folds (no loss). Closed fold tears to Plate 1. Plates 3 & 5 with short closed edge chips/tears. Plate 6 loose, with corners to margin cropped. Plate 8 loose, cropped to upper margin. Occasional spotting/browning.

Pertinent marginal annotation dated 1874 to pages 192 & 241 in Thomas Cary's handwriting. Vestiges of a tipped in note to fep. Lacks plates 2, 9, 10, 11. With the manuscript provenance outlined below, this volume contributes the unique insight of first hand observation and hints towards undocumented historic associations.

Provenance of note:

Inscribed to endpaper: "To C. Adams from Her Godfather Tom – after residing two years in this Garden of Eden 1864-5. Dated June 8th 1866".

Front free endpaper inscribed with the account of Thomas Cary of the 4th West Indian Regiment, in his handwriting, during the Second Ashanti War under Colonel Conran, based at Cape Coast Castle, dated 13 May 1864. With a first hand account of the hardships of the four month Prah encampment.

To the verso is inscribed "What Jacob Says (Jacob was a parrot)", with his sayings continued onto the rear free endpaper. [Jacob the Parrot appears to have been extremely loquacious]

To the verso of the rear free endpaper is listed "Places visited by John Cary from January 1859" to 1887 "retired and lived at Ruthin".

Thomas Alphonso Cary, born February 8th 1840, in Canada, joined the army as an ensign in the West India Regiment on 13 May 1859. He was a lieutenant on 11 Apr 1862 and went to West Africa with his regiment for the disastrous campaign of 1863-64. He reached the rank of captain on 23 Mar 1866, and on 13 Dec of that year exchanged to the 13th Light Infantry. On 1 May 1887 he relinquished command and, on his retirement was promoted to honorary major-general. He lived in Denbighshire with his wife Caroline (nee Haskell) who he married in 1887." [13th Regiment of Foot record] Major General Cary retired to Ty Mawr, Pentrecoch Manor, Llanfair Dyffryn Clwyd, Ruthin, he died on December 26th 1922 and is buried at St Cynfarch & St Mary's there.

Dated signature "Hy. Barnes" 24th Nov '39. to upper corner of the Dedication. Dated signature in the same hand Henry Barnes 24th November 1839 to the upper corner of the first page. Henry Barnes, of Prospect Hill, Cape Coast Castle, a merchant of the Africa Gold Coast. Henry Barnes (1800 - September 23, 1865), was born to a "Captain Barnes of a trade schooner" in either Anomabo or Cape Coast. He began in government service, making commercial contacts with Forster and Smith. The first man to cut timber for export in the hinterland of "Anamaboe" as early as 1843. He was called, together with David Livingstone, Aspinall Tobin, & Capt James Croft, , on the 18th May 1865 to give evidence to the Select Committee on Africa (Western Coast), and was questioned immediately after Livingstone.

References:

"Sketches of the Lives and Labours of Our Great Men: Henry Barnes of Prospect Hill, Cape Coast Castle". The Gold Coast Aborigines, 19 March 1898.

Statement by Henry Barnes, 18 May 1865, in United Kingdom, Parliament, "Report of the Select Committee on Africa (Western Coast)"

Raymond E. Dumett. Tropical Forests and West African Enterprise: The Early History of the Ghana Timber Trade. African Economic History. No. 29 (2001), pp. 79-116.

Reindorf, Carl Christian. History of the Gold Coast and Asante, based on traditions and historical facts, comprising a period of more than three centuries from about 1500 to 1860. 1895.

Abbey, J.R. Travel, 281

  • Bookseller Paul Haynes Rare Books GB (GB)
  • Book Condition Used
  • Binding Hardcover
  • Publisher Printed for Henry Colburn
  • Place of Publication London
  • Date Published 1824
  • Size 4to
  • Keywords West Africa, Ashanti, Gold Coast, Cape Coast, Prah, Livingstone, Colonel Conran, West India Regiment, Second Ashanti War, Canada, Wales
  • Size 4to