Cordiner, James
£975
Auction: 13 January 2010 at 11:00 GMT
Description
A description of Ceylon. London: Longman, Hurst, Rees and Orme, 1807. First edition, 4to, 2 volumes in one, [xii, 445, [ii]; vi, 360], 1 engraved map, 1 plan, and 23 engraved or sepia aquatint plates [2 folding], signature 3G misbound before 3F, contemporary diced calf, Northern Light Board gilt stamp at head of spine, upper joint splitting, some offsetting to plates and text
Footnote
Note: James Cordiner was chaplain to the garrison of Colombo from 1799 to 1804, during which time he established three schools in Colombo for Sinhalese, Tamil and European pupils, and made a six-month tour of the island with the Hon. Frederick North, later fifth Earl of Guilford, the first civil governor of Ceylon. The work, which is handsomely illustrated with engravings taken from Cordiner's own drawings, describes his experiences of Ceylon including his observation of an elephant hunt, pearl fishing and cinnamon cultivation, and includes an account of his tour of the island. Abbey, Travel 409