FORSTER’S A JOURNEY FROM BENGAL TO ENGLAND, 1808, IN HANDSOME CONTEMPORARY CALF

FORSTER, George. A Journey from Bengal to England, through the Northern Part of India, Kashmire, Afghanistan, and Persia, and into Russia by the Caspian-Sea. London: Printed for R. Faulder and Son, 1808. Two volumes. Octavo, contemporary full brown calf, elaborately gilt-decorated spines, raised bands, brown morocco spines labels. $2800.

Second edition of this fascinating narrative of travel through Eurasia, the Middle East, and India, with large folding map of Forster’s route from Loldong to Petersburg, in handsome contemporary calf-gilt.

In 1782, the author, George Forster, an employee of the East India company stationed in Madras, undertook an astonishing overland journey that took him from Calcutta to Western Russia. In his travels, he reached destinations including Cashmere, Afghanistan, Herat, Khorassan, and Mazanderan, as well as the Caspian Sea, which he crossed. During the course of his trip back to India from England (which he eventually reached), he wrote a partial account of the journey. After his death in 1792, the narrative was finished using his papers and published by an anonymous editor. The first edition was published in 1798; this is the first octavo edition and the second edition overall. Wilson, 73. Armorial bookplate.

Interior fine, light wear mainly to extremities of binding. An about-fine copy.