Description:

JAMES RILEY
(1777-1840) American captain of a merchant ship, known for his groundbreaking volume, Sufferings of Africa that described the ordeal of his ship and crew after being shipwrecked and being made slaves by African tribes in the Sahara Desert. A vivid reversal of the usual master-slave relationship, the book was so influential that Abraham Lincoln called it one of the most important books of his political career alongside The Bible and John Bunyan's The Pilgrim's Progress. A very rare item, his bold inscription and signature on the verso of an octavo portrait engraving of him taken from a book. In full: "Mrs. Vail Presented by her devoted servant James Riley". Mrs. Vail was the wife of diplomat Aaron Vail, Charge d'Affaires to Great Britain. Vail acted as the ambassador during the years 1832-1836, when no one was officially appointed to the post. Wear to margins and a bit of staining, overall very good condition. Scarce.

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January 20, 2010 10:00 AM EST
Stamford, CT, US

Alexander Historical Auctions LLC

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