Travels in Palestine, through the Countries of Bashan and Bilead, East of the River Jordan: Including a Visit to the cities of Geraza and Gamala in the Decapolis

Buckingham, James Silk

Travels in Palestine, through the Countries of Bashan and Bilead, East of the River Jordan: Including a Visit to the cities of Geraza and Gamala, in the Decapolis.

London, Longman, Hurst…, Second Edition, 1822. Two volumes, 8vo. Pp. [iii], xxxviii, [2], 402; iv, 474, 2, (adverts). Period diced calf, spines blind stamped and with new red Morocco letter pieces stamped in gilt. Skilfully rebacked using the original spines. Frontis portrait of Buckingham in Volume I. Six folding plates of plans, 2 engraved folding maps, 28 vignettes (most are full page).

Inscribed by Buckingham to his sister. To Mrs. Philp, with the sincere regards of her affectionate brother- J.S. Buckingham August 1826.

A very good and attractive set. The bindings have slight shelf wear and some scuffing around the edges. The original gilt floral border is intact except for a very few places (see photos). The marbled endpapers have the bookplate of R.K. Philp (Robert Kemp Philp a Unitarian minister in Falmouth). The text blocks are clean, tight and without any markings. The plates have light foxing in places and the map of Palestine has had some repairs along some of the folds.

Loosely laid in is a Signed Lecture ticket by Buckingham for the course Mr. Buckingham's Lectures on The Eastern World.

Buckingham was a "English traveller, social reformer and prolific travel-writer (1786-1855).

Born in Flushing, near Falmouth…he went to sea at the age of nine…he was taken prisoner by the French…returned to Cornwall and for four years was employed by a bookseller". After a while he "tried the law as a profession…at length Buckingham was appointed captain of a West-Indiaman, …for four or five years in that trade". At length he found himself in Egypt and was given a commission by Mohammed Ali Pasha to develop a trade relationship between Egypt and India. At one point in his travels he was delayed in Arabia and then later he moved on to Bombay in an effort to trade with China. His efforts were blocked by the East India Company and after a stay in England he returned to Egypt. Here he began his travels in a "Turkish costume and speaking Arabic, he travelled overland through Syria, Mesopotamia and Persia and eventually arrived in Calcutta in 1816…where he established the Calcutta Journal, an overly anti-government periodical". After another period of travels he returned to England where he published a series of periodicals and served as M.P. for Sheffield. He continued to travel in America, Canada, Nova Scotia, Holland, Germany, Switzerland, France, and Italy.

Afterwards and "For the rest of his life Buckingham toured Britain delivering lectures on his adventures and the places he had visited. He was also one of the most prolific travel writers of his day".

He was interested in many topics and "he published tracts on social reform, temperance, and similar subjects". (Howgego p 77 (1800-1850).After a full life of travel he was certainly qualified to give a course of lectures as described above in the signed lecture ticket. Inscribed copies by Buckingham, much less to a family member, in contemporary bindings are scarce to the market.