Author: Forbes, James
Title: Oriental Memoirs: Selected and abridged from a series of familiar letters written during seventeen years residence in India, and a narrative of occurrences in four India voyages, in 4 volumes.
Description: London: Printed for the Author by T. Bensley, 1813. First edition. Pp. xxiii, 481; xv, 542, (2, plate placement); xii, 487; xi, 425, (3, errata + plate placement); frontispiece engraved portrait of the author, 93 engraved or lithographed plates with 27 of these finely hand-colored (10 hand-colored plates are of birds). Later one-half polished brown leather, spine with five raised bands that are lettered in gilt in four compartments, the raised bands are also decorated in gilt and with gilt panel lines and the leather on the corners and front and rear covers are finely tooled in blind decorations, over maroon cloth-covered boards, 4to (11 1/2 x 9 1/2 inches). Forbes travelled to Bombay, India in 1765 as a writer for the British East India Company and was resident there until 1784. He was a prolific writer and artist and filled 52,000 manuscript pages with notes, sketches and color paintings, concerning all aspects of Indian life on the western coast, its wildlife, flora and architecture. After returning to England he toured continental Europe extensively until returning to England once more to write 'Oriental Memoirs' which he published at his own expense based on the detailed letters and notes he had written during his seventeen years residence in India. The work documents four voyages to India by Forbes and includes observations on parts of Africa and South America that he visited during these sea voyages (modified after Wiki entry). See also Abbey, Travel, 436; Nissen, ZBI, 1409; Fine Bird Books (1990), p. 96; Anker 148, Casey Wood p. 345; Ripley, Yale p. 98. No ownership marks. Some of the engraved plates show mild foxing and age-toning, minor water mark to the gutter only of the last two text pages of volume 1, the fine hand-colored plates and the text pages are all very bright and clean; a tight copy in near fine condition..

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