West African Studies

Charles George Kingsley (1866–1910) was Mary's younger brother. Their relationship was complex; Mary spent much of her early life caring for him and their parents, and she remained devoted to his well-being even as she gained international fame for her travels.

The identity of this "friend" is not explicitly stated. It may refer to a specific individual she met during her travels in West Africa, or perhaps more broadly to her father, George Kingsley, whose unfinished work she initially set out to complete, or even to the many friends and colleagues lost to the tropical diseases common in the region at the time.

C. G. Kingsley, dedication
A dedication is a formal statement at the beginning of a book, where the author names a person or group to whom the work is inscribed as a mark of affection or gratitude.