Author: COXE, William (1747-1828):
Title: Sketches of the Natural, Civil, and political State of Swisserland; in a series of letters to William Melmoth, Esq; from William Coxe, M.A. Fellow of the King's College, Cambridge; and Chaplain to His Grace the Duke of Marlborough. The second edition.
Description: London, Printed for J. Dodsley, 1780, gr. in-8vo, IV + 474 p. + 1 leaf 'Postscript', light stains throughout, contemporary calf, spine with black marocco title piece, small oval red gilt piece volume n° V (of Coxe travels, this is the complete volume on 'Swisserland'). ¶ Rare second edition, curiousely only one mentioned by Perret's valuable 'Guide sur la montagne' somewhere lost in the notice on the first French edition of 1781! Postscript notice: The principal writers upon whose authority based ...are: Guillimann, de rebus Helvetiorum, Stanyan's Account of Switzerland, Dictionnaire de la Suisse etc... And from the contents: The Canton of Fribourg, entirly catholic has 60.000 souls, and it is computed that, in proportion to its size, none of the other cantons have so many troops in that service (France). Description of the mountains (and tourist-spots) like St. Gothard, Furka, Grimsel, Grindelwald and its Glacier, the Gemmi, the bath of Leuk, of Goiters and Idiots in the Vallais, Mont-Blanc and the Glacier of Montanvert etc. etc. For English-language readers, it is still a pleasure to read a well written account of late 18th century Switzerland, seen through the eyes of an English traveller. Please notify before visiting to see a book. Prices are excl. VAT/TVA (only Switzerland) & postage. Barthde Beer, Early travellers S. 133 ff; Haller I,753; Studer, Geogr. S. 523 ff.; Waeber 38; Perret 1159; Barth 17231 (first ed. 1779, one volume of Coxe's travels, Swisserland (sic) only).

Keywords: geography géographie Switzerland Suisse-Générale, Switzerland-general, Schweiz-allgemein travel, exploration voyage history histoire correspondence correspondance helvetica, Switzerland helvetica Alps alpes