Set of 4 19th century books on Ethiopia: - Lot 181

Set of 4 19th century books on Ethiopia: 1. LE ROUX (C. H. Robert, known as Hugues): Menélik et nous. The Aden crossroads. The road to Addis-Ababâ. I am the guest of the Negus. Towards the Blue Nile. France and Abyssinia. Paris, Nilsson, Per Lamm, Successeur, s.d. [1900]. One volume. 15 by 24 cm. 446 pages + 2 color folding maps. Contemporary chocolate half-chagrin with corners, 5-rib spine, cover preserved, gilt head. Binding signed Vermorel. Some rubbing to binding. Very good condition inside. (Notebooks 21 and 22 inverted, complete work). Autograph signed letter from the author on the title page. In-text illustrations, including 5 full-page (2 in black & white, 3 in color). First edition. Baxmann and Heintze, Rép. chronologique et thématique du récit de voyage de langue française au XIXe. Univ. Frankfurt am Main, p. 985. "Voyage de politique coloniale [du 8 mai 1900 à mai 1901], fait en bateau, en chemin de fer, en caravane et à cheval [...]. "In the summer of 1900, H.E.M. Ilg, advisor to the Emperor of Ethiopia, kindly invited me, on behalf of H.M. the Negus Menelik II, to go to Addis-Ababa [...]. Le Roux made his trip 10 years after Rimbaud's death. He never mentions the poet, but talks about the many people Rimbaud came into contact with. 2. RIVOYRE (Barthelémy Louis Denis de): Obock, Muscat, Bouchire, Bassorah. Illustrated by Saint-Elme Gauthier, with map. Paris, E. Plon et Cie, 1883. One volume. 12 by 18.5 cm. (4)-292 pages + 1 folding map + 14 plates. (including 2 on double page). Paperback, in printed cover. Spine cut, some foxing in the text. First edition. Numa Broc, Dict. des explorateurs [...]. Afrique, p. 286. Obock, before being supplanted by Djibouti, was the ephemeral capital of the French Somali Coast, thanks to the action of Denis de Rivoyre. 3. RUSSEL (Stanislas, Count): Une mission en Abyssinie et dans la mer rouge. October 23, 1859 - May 7, 1860. Preface by M. Gabriel Charmes. Paris, E. Plon, Nourrit et Cie, 1884. One volume. 11 by 17.5 cm. (4)-XXVIII-306 pp. + 1 f. errata. Contemporary half cloth. Modest binding. First edition. Stanislas Russel, Comte de Bedford in 1859, was sent to visit the Red Sea coast to set up a French trading post there, with a view to recruiting labor for our plantations on Reunion Island. He negotiated a treaty of occupation ceding Adulis Bay with Zulla and Dissé Island to France. The treaty was never ratified (cf. Henri Brunnschwig, Une colonie inutile, Obock. Cahiers d'études africaines 1968, pp. 32-47). 4. RAFFRAY (Achille): East Africa. Abyssinia. Enriched with a special map and woodcuts drawn by L. Breton from watercolors and sketches by the author. Second edition. Paris, E. Plon et Cie, 1880. One volume. 11 by 18 cm. XII-395-(1) pages + 10 plates h.t. (including 3 double-page and 1 fold-out) + 1 color fold-out map. Modern bradel boards in perfect condition, cover boards preserved. Scattered foxing. 2nd edition (E.O.: 1876). Numa Broc, Dict. des explorateurs. Afrique, pp. 275-276. A naturalist specializing in entomology, Raffray "obtained from the Ministry of Public Instruction a mission to travel in East Africa." Along the way, he changed his destination to Ethiopia. "Raffray's observations covered not only flora and fauna, but also religion, festivals, justice and political organization...