Travels in Egypt, Nubia, Syria, and Asia Minor

IRBY, CHARLES and MANGLES, JAMES.

Travels in Egypt, Nubia, Syria, and Asia Minor; during the years 1817 and 1818.

PRINTED FOR PRIVATE DISTRIBUTION. London. 1823. PRESENTATION COPY. Quarto. First Edition, [xxxiii], Errata, 560pp. Engraved folding map, 3 plans (2 folding), 6 lithographed plates. Contemporary half calf, (Atabey 606, Blackmer 860). Inscribed to: "Louisa Norris from Captain Mangles". Occasional slight spotting, map with some offsetting and short tear. Binding has scuffing on both covers. Otherwise a very good copy with no markings and mostly a clean and tight text. "This privately printed work takes the form of six letters: the first from Cario dated 1817 and the last from Cyprus dated 1818. Irby and Mangles assisted Belzoni in his excavation at the site of Abu Simbel, an independent account of which is given in the letters. From there, they journeyed through the desert to Gaza, Jaffa, Beirut and Tripoli; thence to Baalbek and Antioch; and reached Aleppo where they were among the earliest modern explorers of Syria." "On the 14th of August, 1816, the Hon. Charles Leonard Irby and James Mangles, Commanders in the Royal Navy, left Endland...with the intention of making a tour on the continent. This journey they were led to extend far beyond the original design. Curiosity at first….carried them at length through several parts of the Levant, which have been little visited by modern travellers, and gave them more than four years of continued employment." Upon their return to England it was suggested that a selection of their letters be transcribed and "some" copies be privately printed. This copy is from the Humphrey Winterton Library (H W bookplate) and was auctioned in the London salerooms of Sotheby's 28 & 29 May 2003 (lot 400). This library was described as "the most important and finest library of its kind to come to auction within living memory" Sotheby's April 2003