Durch Massailand zur Nilquelle

This volume offers a firsthand account of a German scientific expedition that crossed the vast, little‑known territories of the Maasai in the early 1890s. The explorer, commissioned by an anti‑slavery committee, set out to chart the region’s geography and assess its economic potential while deliberately avoiding the established caravan routes. His journal records the hardships of traveling with a small contingent of African soldiers and carriers, and the constant need to rely on the hospitality of local communities.

The narrative is enriched by more than two‑dozen full‑page plates and hundreds of detailed illustrations drawn from the author’s own photographs and sketches. Readers will hear vivid descriptions of the landscape, from the arid plains to the seasonal rivers, and gain insight into Maasai customs, social structures, and the early trade networks observed by the team. Though the scientific data is presented with the modesty of a field report, the book paints a compelling picture of a remote world on the brink of change.