Including a Journey from Scanderoon to Aleppo, and Over the Desert to Bagdad and Sussora… a Voyage from Bombay to Mocha and Suez in the Red Sea; and a Journey from Suez to Cairo and Rosetta in Egypt

By Parsons, Abraham

London: Longman, Hurst, Rees and Orme. 1808, First Quarto Edition, aquatint frontispiece and one plate — engraved plates of Baghdad and Antioch by Medland after drawings by the author. Occasional light spotting, contemporary diced calf covers, full-leather spine with five raised bands, gilt decorative tooling and morocco label with gilt title; marbled end leaves, prior owner’s armoral book plate, gutters professionally strengthened. A Very Good and complete copy of a rare publication. —Abbey, Travel 348; Atabey 927, Longman, 1808

Parsons’ detailed journal, which was published posthumously, includes accounts of the merchants and commerce of the places he visited, including Bahrein, Muscat, Mocha and Jeddah and the importance of the latter as the port for Mekkah, as well as the various trade routes for merchandise to and from Cyprus, Syria, Palestine and Egypt via Damiata. While in Cairo, Parsons witnessed the grand procession of pilgrims bound for Mekkah which he recounts in great detail (pages 324-336). Parsons trained in the merchant navy, and he later set up business in Bristol. In 1767 he was appointed by the ‘Turkey Company’ as consul and commercial agent at Scanderoon. After six years he left Scanderoon and travelled extensively in Syria and Mesopotamia, during which time he visited India and returned by the Red Sea and Cairo.

$2500.00 -