Africa Being An Accurate Description of the Regions of Aegypt Barbary Lybia and Billedulgerid

London: Tho Johnson, 1670. Hardback. Good Only. 17" by 11". Not Stated. The first edition of John Ogilby's important work on the African continent. The first title in a proposed atlas of the world series. Following this volume Ogilby published volumes on America, Japan, China and Asia. Intended for a British readership, this work contains narrative descriptions of the countries, provinces, people and customs of the continent. Ogilby compiled his information from previously published works including Dapper, whom Ogilby acknowledges in the preface. This was the first attempt to provide a broad and accurate overview of the African continent, as it was known in the seventeenth century. Therefore many of the views and portrayals are accurate to the seventeenth century viewpoint.  With eight single page engraved plates only.  Without the frontispiece, general map and the forty-three double page plates. All text leaves are present.  With the text collation: b3, c4, b-z6, 2a-Z6, 3A-3T6.An important text on the representation of Africa in European history. In contemporary paper covered boards. Externally, worn. Lacking most of the original leather backstrip. Heavy rubbing to the boards and spine. Internally, generally firmly bound. 3L3 and 3L4 are detached but present. Heavy chipping to the extremities of title page and other leaves. Loss to the bottom of H5, affecting five lines of text. Ink spillsto the gutter of R3-R6. Large loss to the final two leaves. Without several of the maps. Good Only