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Rare 19th century map shows the course of the Nile River in southern Egypt and northern Sudan. The map shows the most up-to-date mapping of the interior of the African continent, and was compiled by James Wyld from a number of governmental and private sources.

The map was published at the start of formal British rule in Egypt and Sudan, when British troops had recently conquered Egypt following the growth of anti-imperialist sentiment. This 1882 conquest allowed the British to formally station themselves as head of the country, having followed a period in which they were forced to share power with Egyptian, French, and Ottoman entities.

Control of the Nile was vital for British interests in the region, however, in 1882 they were still weakly represented above the cataracts. The Mahdist State had seen the fall of Egyptian independence, and that same year they conducted a surprise attack against a British-led Egyptian force. They continued this revolt until the fall of British-held Khartoum (shown on the map), and British control of the Sudan was stymied for another decade and a half.

The map includes topographical information, cataracts, place names, tribal names, caravan routes, railways, ruins, and telegraph lines. The map shows the split between the White and Blue Niles in the southernmost part of the map. This level of organization would have been critical for staff-level planning of military organizations.

The map includes dedication to "General Lord Wolseley, G.C.B." Wolseley was the British Commander tasked with suppressing the Urabi Revolt in 1882. After returning to his duties as adjutant-general, in September 1884 he led an unsuccessful expedition to rescue General Gordon and the besieged garrison at Khartoum.  

Rarity

The map is apparently very rare.   We were unable to locate another example offered for sale in a dealer catalog or at auction.

OCLC locates several editions between 1883 and 1896, all exceedingly rare.