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

London: L. B. Seeley, 1824. Half calf binding with embossed decoration and burgundy label with gilt titles to spine. A touch of nicking to the spine and slight rubbing only. Ownership signature of Elizabeth Agnes Fitzgerald of Listowel. A full year of this monthly publication comprising brief reports from each station around the world, divided into United Kingdom, Africa, Mediterranean, the Black & Caspian seas, India, Australasia, North & South America. 4 engraved plates and one map. In addition there are often articles and engravings, including: February - An obituary of four native Christians, and a lengthy report on the Mission to convert the Jews. Engraved plate of the Indian goddess Kalee. April - A memoir of the late Rev. Wililiam Ward, an engraving of a hindoo widow casting herself onto her husbands pyre. June - A Memoir of Theophilus Solomon Schumann. July - A memoir of the Rev James Richards. August - A memoir of the Rev F.C.G. Schroeter, an engraving of the Syrian college at Travancore. September - An obituary of the Rev. T.C. Deininger. October - An obituary of Mr John Harle, an engraved map of Cape Mesurado. November - An obituary of Drinave (a youth training in England), an engraved plate of the temple at Juggernaut. December - an obituary of the Rev. Philander Chase. 582 pages. 220 by 140mm (8¾ by 5½ inches).

Philadelphia: Rosenbach Museum & Library, 1999. First edition. Black soft back 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. In very good / fine condition. 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.

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 vellum binding, with brown 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

London: T. Fisher Unwin, 1925. Scarce in original dust jacket. First UK edition. In hardback red cloth boards with gilt title. The front of the dust jacket has some marks, small tears / nicks to edges, a small surface loss, and a stain. Cloth boards are faded to the bottom and the boards are slightly warped. Neat bookseller label to the front of the dust jacket from La Librairie Francaise Peking - Tientsin. The bookshop was in the lobby of the Grand Hotel de Pekin and had a branch in Tientsin. Text and sepia reproductions of photographs taken by Ernst Boerschmann, documenting his journey in the 12 provinces: Zhili, Shandong, Shanxi, Shaanxi, Szechuan, Hupei, Hunan, Guangdong, Fujian, Jiangsu, Zhejiang. Boerschmann was the first Westerner to systematically document Chinese religious architecture. Captions in English, German, French and Italian. xxvi, 288 pp. 315 x 245 mm (12½ x 9¾ inches).

London: J. Phillips, 1788. New Edition (Second British Edition). Recent quarter leather with marbled boards. Gilt titles. New end papers. Half title, title, contents, biography of author, introduction and text. To the end there is a leaf of adverts on the subject of slavery from Phillips. In very nice condition. The quarter calf is clean and tidy, with just a touch of handling. The edges of the marbled boards are slightly rubbed, but overall in very good clean condition. Internally clean and tidy throughout, with just a touch of foxing to the pages.
An important early American publication against the slave trade. Benezet (1713-1784) was born in Picardy, France. His family moved to London following the edict of Nantz, which was against Protestants in France. The family moved to Philadelphia in 1731, and shortly after he converted to Quakerism. He is described in the Library Company Afro- Americana catalogue (Item 44) as "the colonial anchor-man of the Anglo- American anti-slavery axis." Benezet worked ceaselessly to have slavery abolished by the colonial legislatures, and corresponded with Granville Sharp, one of the most important English abolitionists. 131 + advert leaf pp. Nouvelle édition (deuxième édition britannique). Quartier récent en cuir à plats marbrés. Titres dorés. Nouveaux papiers de fin. Faux-titre, titre, contenu, biographie de l'auteur, introduction et texte. À la fin, il y a une feuille d'annonces sur le sujet de l'esclavage de Phillips. En très bon état. Le quart de veau est propre et bien rangé, avec juste une touche de manipulation. Les bords des plats marbrés sont légèrement frottés, mais globalement en très bon état de propreté. Intérieurement propre et bien rangé, avec juste une touche de rousseur sur les pages. Une importante publication américaine ancienne contre la traite des esclaves. Benezet (1713-1784) est né en Picardie, en France. Sa famille a déménagé à Londres à la suite de l'édit de Nantz, qui était contre les protestants en France. La famille a déménagé à Philadelphie en 1731, et peu de temps après il s'est converti au quakerisme. Il est décrit dans le catalogue de la Library Company Afro-Americana (article 44) comme « l'homme d'ancrage colonial de l'axe anti-esclavagiste anglo-américain ». Benezet travailla sans relâche pour faire abolir l'esclavage par les législatures coloniales, et correspondit avec Granville Sharp, l'un des plus importants abolitionnistes anglais. 131 pages.

Harlow: Longman Group Limited, 1985. First edition. In original illustrated dust jacket. Signed dedication to front: H. E. Gordon Douglas, thank you for all your support towards our mutual goals and many shared interests, Francine Stone 18 November 1993. Fascinating insight in to the flora, fauna, people and buildings of Tihāmah - the Red Sea coastal plain of the Arabian Peninsula from the Gulf of Aqaba to the Bab el Mandeb. Profusely illustrated. From the Gordon's own library. Dedication refers to the former British Ambassador to Yemen (and PDRY) Douglas Gordon. According to international protocol, ambassadors and ambassadors-at-large are officially styled and addressed as His/Her Excellency, and the title is often abbreviated as H.E. Both book and unclipped dust jacket in excellent condition. 148 pages. 310 x 220 mm (12¼ x 8¾ inches).

London: J. M. Richardson, 1822. First Edition. Recent three quarter mustard colour cloth with marbled boards. Excellent fresh condition. Brown leather label with gilt titles. Brown end papers. There is an owner's stamp (elephant), and name stamp in Tamil to the half title. Text block is in excellent condition, clean and tidy throughout with just a touch of darkening and a few light foxing spots. Comes with two leaves of facsimile of the story printed on card. Paramār̲atakuruvin̲ katai; xii, 243 pages. Conforms to OCLC: 8034451. 24cm x 19cm (9½ by 7½ inches).

. Première édition. Toile récente de couleur moutarde à trois quarts avec des planches marbrées. Excellent état de fraîcheur. Etiquette en cuir marron avec titres dorés. Papiers de garde bruns. Il y a un cachet de propriétaire (éléphant), et un cachet de nom en Tamil sur la moitié du titre. Le bloc de texte est en excellent état, propre et net, avec juste un peu de noircissement et quelques rousseurs légères. Livré avec deux feuilles de fac-similé de l'histoire imprimée sur carte. Paramār̲atakuruvin̲ katai ; xii, 243 pages. Conforme à OCLC : 8034451. 24cm x 19cm

London: Keating and Brown: 1833. Brown paper wrappers, printed in black to the front cover. Sewn. Largely uncut. The brown wrappers are clean, but there is chipping to the spine, and a tear to perhaps a third of the length of the spine. Internally very clean and tidy throughout, with just a touch of darkening to the closed page edge. The first of the 4 issues (1833-1837). Includes papers on the work in Ceylon (relief of the Catholics, lists of the Catholic churches), St Lucia, Demerara, abolition of slavery, and the proposals for forming the "British Catholic Society for the Promotion of the Knowledge of Christianity". Included is a long letter from Lord Clifford, which discusses that he will be attending Rome with his Father in Law (Cardinal Weld). 80pp. 80pp.