the first book on Africa written by an African

Scarce early account of North Africa. The first book on Africa written by an African. The woodcut illustrations include personifications of Africa, Arabia, Egypt, Alexandria and the Nile and depictions of camels, veiled women, date palms and crocodiles.Beautifully printed at the Plantin Press.

The author, a well-educated Arabian geographer, was born Al Hassan Ibn Mahommed Al Wezaz Al Fasi, probably in Granada in about 1494. Receiving his education at Fez, he travelled through most of northern Africa between 1507 and 1520. In 1520 he also journeyed to Constantinople and Egypt, only to be captured by pirates and presented to Pope Leo X in Rome, where he converted to Christianity. This work was originally published as part of Ramusio's Delle navigatione et viaggi. It was translated into French by Jean Temporal and published by the translator in Lyon in the same year as this Antwerp edition.

Second edition in French, 8vo, *, **8, A-Zz8, a-e8, f4, g-i8,[xxxii], 413, [xlviii] pp., woodcut printer's device on title and verso of final leaf, woodcut head-pieces, initials and 20 woodcut illustrations, contemporary ink inscription to foot of title, light water-stain mostly at beginning and end, paper flaw hole to L2 with loss of catchword, short tear to lower margin of Tt2, contemporary limp vellum, lacking ties, a very good example.

Playfair (Tripoli), 27.