Travels in China, containing descriptions, observations, and comparisons, made and collected in the course of a short residence at the Imperial Palace of Yuen-Min-Yuen, and on a subsequent journey through the country from Pekin to Canton. In which it is attempted to appreciate the rank that this extraordinary empire may be considered to hold in the scale of civilized nations

Barrow, John

Published by printed by A. Strahan for T. Cadell and W. Davis, London, 1804

About this Item

First edition, 4to, pp. ix, [3], 632; 3 engraved plates (2 double-p.), 5 hand-colored aquatints after William Alexander, a little light foxing to text and plain plates, frontispiece slightly offset; recent quarter brown calf over marbled boards, gilt-paneled spine and black morocco label; nice copy. Ownership signature of H. Wallop dated 1805 on title page. "Barrow accompanied Lord Macartney's mission to the court of China in 1792 as his private secretary, and the present account of the country, accompanied by a number of fine plates, is one of the best illustrated English travels on China. The strict exclusion of Europeans by the Chinese Emperors had left China very much terra incognita to the western world well into the nineteenth century. Barrow was an excellent observer, and the text contains a number of descriptions of Chinese artifacts and novelties" (Hill, Collection of Pacific Voyages). Tooley 84; Hill 16; Lust 365; Cox I, 346; Abbey, Travel, 531; Cordier, Sinica, 2388-9.

Seller Inventory # 57071

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Travels in China, containing descriptions, observations, and comparisons, made and collected in the course of a short residence at the Imperial Palace of Yuen-Min-Yuen, and on a subsequent journey through the country from Pekin to Canton. In which it is attempted to appreciate the rank that this extraordinary empire may be considered to hold in the scale of civilized nations
• Publisher: printed by A. Strahan for T. Cadell and W. Davis, London
• Publication Date: 1804
• Edition: 1st Edition
• Seller catalogs:
  • Travel
  • Asia
  • China
  • Illustrated Books