Journal of an Embassy from the Governor-General of India to the Courts of Siam and Cochin China; exhibiting a view of the actual state of those kingdoms

London: Henry Colburn, 1830. 2 volumes 8vo. (8 3/4 x 5 1/2 inches). Volume I: viii, 475, [1] pp. Volume II: [ii], v, [2], 458 pp. Illustrated with 12 plates (7 of which folding), large folding map of "Siam and Cochin China," plan of Bangkok, folding map and plan of Singapore, 4 wood-engraved plates, 7 wood-engraved in-text vignettes, folding letterpress table of vocabularies [Together with]: CRAWFURD, John (1783-1868). Journal of an Embassy from the Governor-General of India to the court of Ava. London: Henry Colburn, 1834. 2 volumes. 8vo (8 3/4 x 5 1/2 inches). Volume I: [ii], x, 541, [1] pp. Volume II: x, 319, [1], 163, [2] pp. Illustrated with 5 plates (truncated) (4 of which folding), large folding map of "Burman Dominions and adjacent Countries," folding plan of Ava, one wood-engraved plate, 5 wood-engraved in-text vignettes. Original brown fine diaper-grain cloth, spines gilt lettered and blind ruled, yellow coated endpapers.

A cornerstone in the literature of British involvement in Southeast Asia and a richly illustrated and insightful record of early nineteenth-century diplomatic, linguistic, and cultural encounters in exceptional original condition.

Crawfurd, a Scottish physician, linguist, and colonial administrator, was dispatched by the Governor-General of India, Lord Hastings, to lead two successive diplomatic embassies with the aim of opening Southeast Asian markets to British trade. His missions, first to the courts of Siam and Cochin China in 1821-22, and later to the Burmese capital of Ava in 1827, were among the earliest formal British diplomatic overtures to these kingdoms. Crawfurd's extensive writings are not only the primary accounts of these embassies but also constitute important early ethnographic and commercial surveys of the region. A gifted linguist and sharp observer, Crawfurd combined scientific curiosity with imperial ambition, documenting local customs, commerce, government, languages, and geography in impressive detail. His works are especially noted for their inclusion of comparative vocabulary tables and for their depictions of Penang, Malacca, and the Straits Settlements, particularly Singapore, where he later served as Resident from 1823 to 1826. The plate suite is especially noteworthy: it includes a large folding map of Siam and Cochin China compiled from contemporary sources and engraved; a panoramic View of the Town and Roads of Singapore from the Government Hill by Captain Charles Elliot; and a striking folding View of the City of Bangkok. The second work includes an important large folding map of Burma, along with geological appendices, making it a rare intersection of imperial travel narrative and early palaeontology. Though his embassies achieved limited diplomatic results, due in part to the reluctance of local rulers to negotiate on British terms, Crawfurd's narrative was widely read and became an essential reference for later administrators and travelers.

Abbey Travel 405; Cordier Sinica 454; Howego II C54 & 55. (Inventory #: 42211)