London: Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme and Brown, 1817. First edition 4to, Bound in late 19th century half calf, marbled boards. A little light spotting to extremities. Title on spine. A very good copy. The book bears the owner's signature of T.J. Powell, Brecon. This would seem to be the Welsh composer and conductor Thomas James Powell.
xxvii, [1, blank], 565 pp. 270 by 210mm (10¾ by 8¼ inches). Although translated from the French, this was the 1st Edition. A Classic analysis of Hindu society. Jean-Antoine Dubois, 1765-1848, French catholic missionary, sailed in 1792 to India where he spent twenty-seven years, serving first in Pondichery, then at Mysore and Mangalore. He abjured western society, dressed as a Sanyasi, and became a vegetarian. In 1827 he returned to Paris where he was appointed head on the Missions Étrangères. This book, one of the first classic analyses of Hindu society, soon became a standard work and a kind of manual for the Indian Civil Service. It is now known that a substantial portion of the work was plagiarized from the writings of a French Jesuit, Father Gaston-Laurent Coeurdoux, who worked in south India from 1732 to 1779 and was himself a noted Indologist.

Amsterdam: Les Freres Wetstein, 1718. Beautiful engraved double page taken from the First edition (in French) of Le Bruyn's important illustrated account of his voyage to Russia, Persia, India and Java.
The book is arguably the best authority for costumes of the era in the countries visited. This double page shows the costumes typical of 'Homme Persan' and 'Dame Persanne'. In a very good condition for its age. Some very small closed tears to edges. Blank on verso.
Scope of images: 355 x 290 mm (14 x 11½ inches). Actual item: 405 x 325mm (16 x 12¾ inches). Belle double page gravée tirée de la Première édition (en français) de l'important récit illustré de Le Bruyn de son voyage en Russie, Perse, Inde et Java.
Le livre est sans doute la meilleure autorité pour les costumes de l'époque dans les pays visités. Cette double page montre les costumes typiques de « Homme Persan » et « Dame Persanne ». En très bon état pour son âge. Quelques très petites déchirures fermées sur les bords. Blanc au verso.
Portée des images : 355 x 290 mm (14 x 11½ pouces). Article réel : 405 x 325 mm

Paris: Dentu: 1807. Nineteenth century (but not original) half leather binding, with brown marbled boards. Black labels to raised bands to the spine. Mottled closed page edge. Housed in a matching brown and marbled slipcase. Hand coloured end papers with gilt highlights. The binding appears to be a good amateur rather than professional job. Two hand made map pockets (with the large folding maps inside). Map of Interior 350mm x 270mm. Map of the voyage 490mm x 380mm. Very nice clean and tidy condition. No significant flaws. A touch of marking to the half title only. There is a small closed tear to the map of the voyage. Reliure demi-cuir XIXème (mais pas d'origine), à plats marbrés marron. Etiquettes noires aux bandes en relief jusqu'au dos. Bord de page fermé marbré. Logé dans un étui assorti marron et marbré. Feuilles de garde coloriées à la main avec rehauts d'or. La reliure semble être un bon travail d'amateur plutôt que de professionnel. Deux pochettes pour cartes faites à la main (avec les grandes cartes pliantes à l'intérieur). Plan d'intérieur 350 mm x 270 mm. Carte du voyage 490mm x 380mm. Très bel état de propreté et de rangement. Pas de défauts importants. Une touche de marquage au faux titre seulement. Il y a une petite déchirure fermée sur la carte du voyage.

Paris: Librairie de la Societe Bibliographique, 1874. Contemporary green leather spine with gilt titles. Marbled boards with green accents. A picture of the first attempts made by the French to establish their domination in India. Martin's generous efforts; the works of La Bourdonnais; the rivalry of it with Dupleix; the recall of La Bourdonnais; the admirable labours of Dupleix, so badly supported by the government of France; the struggles of his successors and the final failure.
xi, 504 pp. Title page has small ex libris stamp. Some water staining / foxing throughout. Large fold-out map (47 x 39 cm) to the rear has become detached, a little creased, but otherwise in a good condition. 240 by 160mm (9½ by 6¼ inches). George Bruce Malleson was born in Wimbledon (UK). Educated at Winchester, he obtained a cadetship in the Bengal infantry in 1842, and served through the second Burmese War. His subsequent appointments were in the civil line, the last being that of guardian to the young Maharajah of Mysore. He retired with the rank of colonel in 1877, having been created C.S.I. in the 1872 Birthday Honours. He authored the biographies of the Mughal Emperor Akbar, the French governor-general Dupleix and the British officer Robert Clive for the Rulers of India series. Dos de l'époque en cuir vert avec titres dorés. Planches marbrées aux accents verts. Une image des premières tentatives faites par les Français pour asseoir leur domination en Inde. les efforts généreux de Martin; les œuvres de La Bourdonnais ; sa rivalité avec Dupleix ; le rappel de La Bourdonnais ; les admirables travaux de Dupleix, si mal soutenus par le gouvernement de la France ; les luttes de ses successeurs et l'échec final.
xi, 504 pp. La page de titre a un petit cachet ex libris. Quelques taches d'eau / rousseurs partout. Grande carte dépliante (47 x 39 cm) à l'arrière s'est détachée, un peu froissée, mais sinon en bon état. 240 par 160 mm (9½ par 6¼ pouces). George Bruce Malleson est né à Wimbledon (Royaume-Uni). Formé à Winchester, il obtint un grade de cadet dans l'infanterie du Bengale en 1842 et servit pendant la seconde guerre birmane. Ses nominations ultérieures étaient dans la ligne civile, la dernière étant celle de tuteur du jeune maharadjah de Mysore. Il prend sa retraite avec le grade de colonel en 1877, ayant été créé C.S.I. dans les honneurs d'anniversaire de 1872. Il est l'auteur des biographies de l'empereur moghol Akbar, du gouverneur général français Dupleix et de l'officier britannique Robert Clive pour la série Rulers of India.

London: Seeley, Burnside & Seeley, 1843. First edition - complete. '...To which is prefixed, a geographical memoir of Abyssinia and South-Eastern Africa by James McQueen esq. grounded on the missionaries' journals, and the expedition of the Pacha of Egypt up the Nile.' Original brown blind stamped buckram with gilt titles to spine. Yellow end papers. Small bookseller's embossed stamp to the half title. (George Gardham of Beverley). Two folding hand coloured maps of the relevant parts of Africa.. The buckram is a little faded and rubbed to the edge. There is a little chipping to the head and tail of the spine with slight loss. A split to the board has been repaired. A closed tear to the half title page has been neatly repaired. The maps are in very nice clean condition. xxvii, 529. pp

Paris & Niort: Allouard et Kaeppelin & Robin et Cie. First Edition. No date, but 1854. Contemporary black blind stamped buckram with gilt titles to the spine. There is a little chipping to the head and tail of the spine, and the beginnings of cracking to the front board, but it is still holding. 8 engraved plates - complete. There are small library stamps from a French Diocesan library. Slight darkening to the pages. Overall a very respectable copy. [iv], 368, [ii] pp. 240 x 150 mm (9½ x 6 inches). Première édition. Pas de date, mais 1854. Bougran noir contemporain estampé à froid avec titres dorés au dos. Il y a un peu d'écaillage sur la tête et la queue de la colonne vertébrale, et des débuts de craquelures sur la planche avant, mais ça tient toujours. 8 planches gravées - complètes. Il existe de petits timbres de bibliothèque d'une bibliothèque diocésaine française. Légère assombrissement des pages. Dans l'ensemble, une copie très respectable. [iv], 368, [ii] p. 240 x 150 mm

Philadelphia: Rosenbach Museum & Library, 1999. Black softback with blue dust jacket. Front cover overlaid with an illustration. The exhibition at the Rosenbach featured a copy of Manjiro's own lavishly illustrated manuscript account of his adventures, and this companion book includes full-page colour reproductions the manuscript. 116 pages. 260 x 185 mm (10¼ x 7¼ inches). In 1843 (at just 16 years old) Nakahama Manjirō became the first Japanese person to live in the United States. Two years earlier, at the tender age of 14, he had been rescued after a shipwreck by the crew of the 'John Howland', an American whale ship from New Bedford, Massachusetts. Having mastered English, sailing the world on whaling ships for several years, and trying his hand at gold mining, Manjirō later risked his life to go back to Japan in an attempt to make his homeland more "hospitable."
After much suspicion, and many interrogations, he was later to become a shōgun's samurai, a teacher of English and American culture, and his translation of Nathaniel Bowditch's 'The New American Practical Navigator' constituted the introduction of modern scientific navigation methods to Japan. His life story is certainly a fascinating one, and number of Manjirō's students would go on to play seminal roles in the Meiji-era modernisation of Japan.
This information has been extrapolated from an article written by Junji Kitadai.

London: Whittaker, 1825. 2 volumes. Recent library cloth with silver titles to spine. 8 plates including a large folding map. Xvi, 1-458, vi, 1-156. pp. Complete. 220 x 140 mm (8¾ x 5½ inches). (Plate has been bound as a frontis to volume 2). Folding map is sound, but has a little darkening / foxing. The binding is very fresh. To each title page, is a small library stamp, these are the only evidence of library marks. Small hole to the title page of Vol. 2. Stain to plate 7. Otherwise, intermittent foxing and staining, but still a very presentable copy.
"Known as 'Long's Second Expedition.' Almost a cyclopaedia of material, relating to the indigenous people of the explored territory. Nothing escaped the attention or record of the gentleman who accompanied the expedition; and their statements respecting the Sioux and Chippeway tribes are among the most valuable we have. Vol. II. contains a vocabulary" William Hypolitus (or Hippolitus, or Hypolite) Keating (1799 Delaware – 1840 London) was an American geologist. His father, Baron John Keating, of Irish ancestry, had been an officer in the French army in the West Indies and had settled in Wilmington, Delaware. He was educated at the University of Pennsylvania, and then in France and Switzerland, where he studied mining. In 1822, he became Professor of Chemistry and Mineralogy at the University of Pennsylvania and a member of the American Philosophical Society. He is perhaps best known for his work on the staff of Stephen Long's expedition to the Great Lakes in 1823, an account of which he published in 1824. In the account he first hypothesized the existence of what is now known as Lake Agassiz. Bibliography - Sabin 37137

Paris: Eug. Rey, 1906. Limited edition guide book to New York, with text and illustrations by Charles Huard. Attractive engraved frontispiece of a lady overlooking New York. The edition was published in a total of 600 numbered copies. 100 on Japon and 500 on velin d'Arches. This is one of the Velin copies. Originally published in pale blue wrappers, which have been retained here. Half leather white / vellum binding, with spine label and gilt titles. Marbled boards. Owner's bookplate to the inside front board. The binding is in good repair, with a little marking only. Original wrappers are in good state, with a touch of marking to the original cover only.
Xii. 202, [iv]. pp 200 x 150 mm (7¾ x 6 inches). Guide de New York en édition limitée, avec texte et illustrations de Charles Huard. Joli frontispice gravé d'une dame surplombant New York. L'édition a été publiée dans un total de 600 exemplaires numérotés. 100 sur Japon et 500 sur velin d'Arches. C'est l'un des exemplaires de Velin. Publié à l'origine dans des emballages bleu pâle, qui ont été conservés ici. Reliure demi cuir blanc/vélin, avec pièce de dos et titres dorés. Planches marbrées. Ex-libris du propriétaire sur le panneau avant intérieur. La reliure est en bon état, avec un peu de marquage seulement. Les emballages d'origine sont en bon état, avec une touche de marquage sur la couverture d'origine uniquement.
XII. 202, [iv]. pp 200 x 150 mm