Dunn, Samuel (editor)
A New Directory for the East Indies
£3,528
Auction: 05 February 2025 from 10:00 GMT
Description
containing I. The First Discoveries made in the East Indies by European Voyages and Travellers. II. The Origin, Construction and Application of Nautical and Hydrographical Charts. III. The Natural Causes ... of the Constant and Variable Winds ... throughout the East-India Oceans and Seas. IV. A Description of the Sea Coasts, Islands Rocks ... etc. in the Oriental Navigation. V. Directions for navigating in the East-India Seas ... VI. Directions for sailing to and from the East-Indies ... The whole being a Work originally begun upon the Plan of the Oriental Neptune, augmented and improved by Mr. William Herbert, Mr. Willm Nichelson, and Others; and now methodised, corrected, and further enlarged, by Samuel Dunn. London: Henry Gregory, 1780. Fifth edition, 4to (28.4 x 22.5cm), xxxvi 554 pp., contemporary half sheep, marbled sides, 2 engraved allegorical plates including frontispiece, contemporary trade card (Gregory & Wright, mathematical and optical instrument-makers, 148 Leadenhall Street) to front pastedown, corners bumped, surface-loss to lower fore corners, frontispiece offset, 3D2-3 working loose
Provenance
From the library of the Murrays of Dollerie, Crieff, Perthshire.
Footnote
Le Neptune orientale, the basis of the work, was first published in 1745; Herbert's New Directory for the East Indies first appeared in 1758. This fifth edition is considerably expanded from all preceding iterations, which all had 144 pages, suggesting that only limited changes if any had been made previously. All editions are rare in libraries and in commerce. A copy sold in these rooms on 21st June 2023 (lot 79) lacked the frontispiece.