An Historical Account of the Embassy to the Emperor of China. STAUNTON (Sir George).

An Historical Account of the Embassy to the Emperor of China, Undertaken by Order of the King of Great Britain; Including the Manners and Customs of the Inhabitants; and Preceded by an Account of the Causes of the Embassy and Voyage to China. Abridged principally from the Papers of Earl Macartney, as compiled by Sir George Staunton, Bart. Secretary of Embassy to the Emperor of China, and Minister Plenipotentiary in the absense of the Embassador.

Engraved frontispiece, engraved additional title, two folding maps and 21 engraved plates, of which eight have two images, by Dadley, Grignion, Sansom, Sparrow, Audinet and Owen.

8vo. [218 x 133 x 40 mm]. xv, [i], 475, [5] pp. Recently bound in half calf, marbled paper sides, the spine divided into six panels by raised bands and gilt compartments, lettered in the second on a red goatskin label, the others with gilt centres and corners, plain endleaves and edges.
London: printed for John Stockdale, 1797.

A little light spotting and browning. A good copy. This is the abridged edition of Staunton's An Authentic Account of an Embassy from the King of Great Britain to the Emperor of China, published by Nicol in two volumes plus an atlas in 1797.

Lord Macartney was appointed by George III in 1792 to be the first British ambassador to China. He was to negotiate commercial treatises for the export of tea and for the import of British goods. He took with him a sizeable retenue amongst whom George Staunton was one of a number to publish accounts of the journey and mission. For many English readers his work offered the first opportunity to understand Chinese manners and customs from first hand descriptions.

Stock no. ebc8173