An authentic narrative of the loss of the American brig Commerce : wrecked on the western coast of Africa, in the month of August, 1815 : with an account of the sufferings of her surviving officers and crew, who were enslaved by the wandering Arabs on the great African desart, or Zahahrah : and observations historical, geographical, &c., made during the travels of the author, while a slave to the Arabs, and in the empire of Morocco / By James Riley ; Preceded by a brief sketch of the Author's life ; and concluded by a description of the famous city of Tombuctoo, on the river Niger, ; and of another large city, far south of it, on the same river, called Wasanah ; narrated to the Author at Mogadore, by Sidi Hamet, the Arabian merchant. ; With an Arabic and English vocabulary. Illustrated and embellished with ten handsome copperplate engravings.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Riley, James, 1777-1840.

Contributor:

American Culture Class Collection (University of Pennsylvania)

Arnold and Deanne Kaplan Collection of Early American Judaica (University of Pennsylvania)

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Africa, North--Description and travel.

Africa, North.

North Africa.

Sahara--Description and travel.

Sahara.

Commerce (Brig).

Slavery--Africa, North.

Slavery.

Genre:

Autobiographies.

Penn Provenance:

Champney, William B. (autograph) (Culture Class Collection copy)

Swain, William (autograph) (Culture Class Collection copy)

Athenaeum of Philadelphia (stamp) (Culture Class Collection copy)

Kaplan, Arnold Harvey, 1939- (donor) (Kaplan Collection copy)

Kaplan, Deanne (donor) (Kaplan Collection copy)

Booth, George E. (autograph) (Kaplan Collection copy)

Physical Description:

460, xxxiv pages, 9 leaves of plates : illustrations, portraits ; 22 cm

Other Title:

Authentic narrative of the loss of the American brig Commerce

Captain Riley's narrative

Place of Publication:

Hartford, Published by the author, 1817.

Notes:

Error in pagination: p. xviii misnumbered xxiii.

"An Arabic and English vocabulary": p. [xix]-xxxiv.

Local Notes:

Culture Class Collection copy has autograph of Wm. B. Champney, 1824.

Culture Class Collection copy has autograph of Wm. Swain.

Culture Class Collection copy imperfect: map wanting.

Culture Class Collection copy has marginal annotations.

Culture Class Collection copy has stamp of Athenaeum of Philadelphia.

Kaplan Collection copy has a few ms. marks in pencil in text; ms. sketch of a ship in pencil on front pastedown.

Kaplan Collection copy purchased for the Penn Libraries in 2012 by Arnold and Deanne Kaplan.

Kaplan Collection copy has autograph ("George E. Booth") in blue pencil on title leaf and in pencil on p. [iii] and [17].

Kaplan Collection copy collectify accession no. 2018.01.26.00001

OCLC:

3365313