An Account of an Embassy to the Kingdom of Ava (First Edition, Published 1800)

London: W. Bulmer and Co. 1800

4to, xxiii + 503pp. Half-leather hardcover binding, 5 raised bands, gilt lettering to spine, tooling to leather sections on boards.

Illustrated with 26 plates. These include eight botanical plates, six of which are folding. A folding plate describing the Birman alphabet. Engraved plates portraying persons of rank in ceremonial dress and other Birman figures. Notable buildings, the Great Temple at Pegue, plus folding ground plan, a kioum or monastery, the Imperial Court at Ummerapoors. A scene showing a method of capturing wild elephants. Many of the plates are by the Bengali artist Singey Bey. The two maps are by J Archer, one of the River Irrawaddy, and the other showing the Ava empire. All collated and complete.

Michael Symes FRS (1761–1809) was an Irish soldier, diplomat and politician. Symes entered the East India Company Army in 1780, as a cadet in the Bengal Army. On furlough in 1786 as a lieutenant, he re-enlisted in 1787. He went to India again in the following year, with the newly raised 76th Regiment of Foot. He served as aide-de-camp to Sir Thomas Musgrave, 7th Baronet at Madras in 1791, became captain in 1793, and lieutenant-colonel in 1800. In 1795 Symes was sent by Sir John Shore, the Governor-General of India, on a mission to Burma. He obtained from King Bodawpaya, then known to the British as King or Emperor of Ava, a royal order permitting a British agent to reside at Rangoon to protect the interests of British subjects. Francis Buchanan-Hamilton accompanied him, as botanist. Symes was sent in 1808 to Spain. He served during Sir John Moore's retreat to Coruña, suffered from the hardships of the campaign, and died on the way home, on board the transport Mary, on 22 January 1809. (wikipedia.com)

Condition: Overall good-very good. Spots of superficial wear to boards, slight scuff marks to leather corner and spine. Closed tears to hinges. Chip to spine. Previous owner’s signature and small slip from previous bookseller’s catalogue with this book’s entry tipped in. Creasing to front flyleaf. Note in pen on following flyleaf recording Symes’ death. Edges appear to be trimmed. Fore edge of first fold-out map also appears to be trimmed. Light foxing throughout. Minor closed tears to edges of some of the plates. Some offsetting to pages facing the plates. Small closed tear and some creasing to 2^nd fold-out map. ‘Instructions to the Binder’ page is missing at rear of book. Light creases to some pages towards rear of book. Overall text and plates are clean and clear. Copy is well bound, with reinforcements at gutters between endpapers and pastedowns.