Maggs Bros.

“For the last few years my dreams have been of Africa”. So wrote Baker to his sister in January, 1861, shortly before his departure for Cairo where he arrived in March of the same year. Having considerable time on his hands before meeting Speke and Grant, who were due to reach the White Nile at some point in 1863, Baker determined to make a preliminary account of his exploration of the Nile tributaries of Abyssinia. During the following fourteen months, prior to his arrival in Khartoum he gained valuable experience as an explorer and also learnt Arabic, whilst indulging his passion for big game hunting, his prowess for which won admiration from the Hamran Arabs. (D.N.B.)