Cote Occidentale d'Afrique

The year is 1890. The French public is eager to learn more about the new colonies that France has won in the "Scramble for Africa." Colonel Henri-Nicholas Frey addresses their curiosity by compiling this geography, which describes in vivid detail the people, places, and things on the coastal regions of West Africa, from southern Morocco to the Congo. Frey draws on his own military experience in West Africa, but his primary sources are the writings of explorers, missionaries, and travelers to the region. Frey also articulates the rationale for the French presence in West Africa, including the imperative to abolish the slave trade, which he describes as “the plague of Africa.” Over 300 illustrations and maps, based on photographs, watercolors, and drawings culled from many sources, enliven the book.