James Bruce was one of the earliest westerners to search for the source of the Nile. His publication greatly enhanced Europe's knowledge of the geography and ethnography of this portion of Africa. Bruce believed the Blue Nile, although smaller than the White Nile, was the Nile of the ancients and focused his explorations on this river. In November of 1770, he reached the source of the Blue Nile and claimed to have discovered its source. This map is from the five-volume account of his travels published from London in 1790, twelve years after his journey ended, and delineates the King's Retreat and Bruce's travels. The map is centered on Lake Tana and locates Gondar and many other small villages, mountains, cataracts, and wells. The source of the Nile River is shown at the bottom of the map.

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Condition: B+

Issued folding with light offsetting, toning along the edges of the sheet, a binding trim at top left that extends to the neatline, and a tiny binding tear that just enters the border at top.