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ABEL, Clarke.
Narrative of a Journey in the Interior of China.
Clarke Abel was a British surgeon and naturalist who accompanied Lord Amherst on his mission to China as the embassy's chief medical officer and naturalist, on the recommendation of Sir Joseph Banks. The mission was Britain's second unsuccessful attempt to establish diplomatic relations with China. It involved traveling to the capital Pekin (Beijing), and the famous botanical gardens of Fa Tee near Canton. While in China, Abel collected specimens and seeds of the plant that carries his name, 'Abelia Chinensis. However, a shipwreck and an attack by pirates on the way back to his home in Britain caused him to lose all of his specimens. The book gives a detailed account of the collection's misfortunes. Fortunately, he had left some specimens with Sir George Staunton at Canton, who was kind enough to return them to him.
- Published
- London: Longman, et al., 1819.
- References
- Tooley 1; Bobins II 790; Abbey Travel II 537.
- Plates
- 8
- Binding/Size
- M=4to
- Value
- 0-5000
- Published
- London: Longman, et al., 1819.
- Ref
- 192
Illustrated with maps and engravings, some in colour. xvi 420 pp. Hardcover. 4to. Full brown leather with gilt Greek key design to board edges. Elaborate gilt decoration to spine, with gilt title on black label. Marbled endpapers. Earlier professional re-backing in period style; former owner's label ('Ex Libris Dorrance') to front pastedown. A solid copy. Abel was a naturalist to Lord Amherst's embassy, and many plates are of natural history subjects. The voyage description includes Java, Hong Kong, Manilla, and a sea-fight with Malaysians. Coloured plates in order: 1. Exocoetus Splendens (flying fish?). 2. The Crater of Gonong Karang / The Ascent up Gonong Karang. 3. View of the Central Spring at Epetan in Java. 4. The Great Snake of Java. 5. The Waterfall at Hong Cong (sic) 6. Nan Wang Hoo. 7. View of the Landing Place at Pulo Leat. 8. (Monkey - Orang-utang)
