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- A Series of Adventures in the Course of a Voyage up the Red-Sea
A Series of Adventures in the Course of a Voyage up the Red-Sea, on the Coasts of Arabia and Egypt; and of a Route through the Desarts of Thebais, hitherto unknown to the European Traveller, in the Year MDCCLXXVII. In Letters to a Lady.
Irwin, Eyles.
J. Dodsley, ( 1780), London
25.5 cm. xv, (1), 400 pp. full-page b/w plate, b/w view, 3 folding b/w engraved charts.
Price: $750
First edition. Irwin was an interesting character. Born in Calcutta of Irish parents, he worked his way up the ranks of the East India Co. to become Superintendent of the company’s China operation. Here’s how the DNB sums up what happened next: “Upon the deposition of Lord Pigot in 1776, Irwin signed a protest against the revolution in the Madras government, and on his refusal to accept the post of assistant at Vizagapatam, to which he was appointed by the council in November 1776, was suspended from the company’s service. In order to seek redress, Irwin sailed for England early in 1777. After enduring many vicissitudes of fortune during a journey of eleven months, a full account of which is given in his Series of Adventures in the course of a Voyage up the Red Sea, &c., Irwin arrived in England at the close of the year, and found that he had already been reinstated in the service of the company.” This book was the result of that 1777 voyage back to England. Irwin went on to publish more than a dozen volumes of poetry, travels and history. This volume has been rebound in full pebbled calf with blind stamped rules and ornaments, as well as leather spine labels. The spine is lightly sunned . Some dark substance has stained the lower edges of some pages, with no loss of text. Very good condition overall, with charts showing light offsetting.
