Thomas Baines on the Zambesi

Vere Louis Bosazza, D.Sc., F.R.G.S., F.G.S., was a student of African exploration, particularly its maritime aspects, who wrote on David Livingstone and his colleagues. He was a Member of the Royal Institute of Navigation, and his practical knowledge of seamanship gave him a special insight into the navigational aspects of Livingstone's travels. He published little, but produced a good deal of material in typescript, although his typing was erratic and his scripts have many manuscript additions.

Thomas Baines (1822-1875), artist, was born in King's Lynn. He travelled to the Cape Colony in 1842, and accompanied the British army as its artist during the Kafir war, 1848-1851. He was part of an expedition to North-West Australia in 1855, and in 1858 was the artist for the Zambesi expedition led by David Livingstone, with whom he travelled to Tete. He joined expeditions to the Victoria Falls in 1861 and to the goldfields of the Tati in 1868. Baines made maps of the routes he travelled and sketches of the scenery and people he encountered during his journeys. He died in Durban, Natal, on 8 May 1875.

A description of Thomas Baines' Zambesi expeditions with inserted photographs and illustrations. The chapters are headed 'Kings' Lynn, 1820-1842', 'On the Lower Zambesi, 1858-1859', 'The Middle Zambesi, 1861-1863', 'A court of enquiry into the dismissal of Baines', 'The defence of Baines at Cape of Good Hope', 'Conclusions' and 'Appendices'.

Presented by Dorothy Middleton.

Please cite as Cambridge University Library: Royal Commonwealth Society Library, Thomas Baines on the Zambesi, RCMS 224

The R.C.S. Manucript Collection includes Vere Bosazza's transcript of Browne's expedition to the Zambesi, RCMS 222, and papers he compiled on David Livingstone, RCMS 223.

MSS Addenda, vol. III. Indexed

This collection level description was created by RAS using information from the original typescript catalogue. The biographical history was compiled with reference to the entry on Thomas Baines in Leslie Stephen and Sidney Lee, eds, 'Dictionary of national biography', vol. I (London, 1908), pp. 913-914.