Travels, or Observations Relating to Several Parts of Barbary and the Levant; [with] A Supplement to a Book Entitled Travels or Observations, &c. wherein Some Objections, lately made against it, are Fully Considered and Answered with Several Additional

folio [34.5 x 23 cm]; [viii], xv, [i], 442, [ii], 60, [viii] pp, 34 copper engraved plates, plans & maps (including 10 fldg maps, plates), leaf of engraved music, half-title & div half-titles, title in red & black, engraved head & tail pieces, text illus. contemporary full calf, gilt title lettering on red leather spine label, joints cracked but firm, old wear to edges, bookplate of William Robertson, Advocate (relative of Scottish historian of same name, lightly foxed on 2 leaves, interior is crisp, fine. Cox i, p377. Pritzel 8649. Gay 391. Nissen. 3839 Casey Wood p566. Blackmer Sale 307: "His work is valuable for its accurate descriptions of antiquities, geography & natural history he observed". Gibbon praised him and 'his scrupulous fidelity was vindicated by James Bruce and by later African explorers. . . a noble example of typography' (D.N.B., vol 17, p 1384). Lowndes 2372: 'These Travels have been universally esteemed, not only for their accuracy and fidelity, but on account of the illustrations they contain of natural history, of the classic authors, and especially of the Scriptures.' A handsomely printed work, the best description of North Africa of the period. The author visited Egypt, Sinai, Palestine, Cyprus and most of North Africa, and provides much material on Tunis and Algeria. A section on Lebanon is included in the description of the Levant. More than 640 species of plants are described. There is also a list of the rarer plants of Barbary, Egypt and Arabia. The plates include natural history, botany, animals, antiquities. His geological views were enlightened for his time, while his conjectures on the subject of the pyramids have been fully confirmed by later investigators. There is a section on plants, birds, animals, etc, he collected. This is regarded as the best edition which includes the supplement published 6 years later and which contains his folding plate Lithostrotum Preaenestinum which is found in some historical reference works. Another folding plate in the supplement includes 6 images including 5 maps.