The Cree Journals. The Voyages of Edward H. Cree, Surgeon R.N., as Related in His Private Journals, 1837-1856

(Exeter: Webb & Bower, 1981) 0906671361. 4to; original printed boards; laminated pictorial dustwrapper; endpaper map; pp. 276; lavishly illustrated in full colour with reproductions of Cree's line and watercolour pictures. Trace of spotting to top edge and reverse of dustwrapper. Near fine condition. "This book is a selection from the private journals of Dr Edward H. Cree, who served as a surgeon in the Royal Navy in the period 1837-69. It presents a splendid panoply of people and places in the last century. Cree's service took him to many parts of the world, including ten years in the Far East, where he witnessed land and sea actions in the First Opium War of 1839-42. He was engaged also in the pursuit and destruction of piratical Chinese fleets, served in the Baltic in actions against the Russians, and was present at the capture of Sevastopol and Kinburn in the final stages of the Crimean War. ... The spirit and atmosphere of the period are captured wonderfully well by the line and water-colour pictures sketched and painted by Dr Cree himself. And in his introduction the editor, Michael Levien, outlines Cree's background and sets the historical scene in which the action is unfolded. The Cree Journals is a fascinating personal narrative and an important historical document. It will delight all those who enjoy travelling through the past, giving them a sense of experiencing history in the making." .