Details
John Lewis Burckhardt (1784-1817)
Travels in Arabia, comprehending an account of those territories in Hedjaz which the Mohammedans regard as sacred ... published by authority of the Association for promoting the Discovery of the Interior of Africa, edited by William Ouseley. London: Henry Colburn, 1829. 2 volumes, 8 (21.6 x 13cm.) Folding engraved map (slightly torn at inner margin) and 4 folding plans. Bound for presentation in contemporary calf with arms of the East India College gilt-stamped on covers, marbled endpapers (old spines relaid and with new morocco labels, corners restored). Provenance: prize awarded to Archibald Roberts Young, May 1836, as first of his class in Hindustani (bookplate).
FIRST OCTAVO EDITION. Travels in Arabia was one of five works edited from the journals of Burckhardt, all posthumously-published by the Association which had sent him to Africa. The Swiss-born explorer had crossed to Jeddah from Suakin on July 20, 1814. Suffering from fever and in great straits for money, he was relieved by Mohammed Aly, the viceroy of Egypt, who also consented to let him visit Mecca as a Moslem pilgrim, despite being aware of his true identity. After passing an examination in the religion of Islam, and in fact surprising his judges by his degree of learning, Burckhardt became the first European to have performed the rites of pilgrimage at Mecca. Although the penalty of discovery would probably have been death, he mixed freely with the pilgrims, and in the following January joined a caravan to Medina, in order to visit the prophet's tomb. Prostrated by fever until April, he returned to Egypt in an exhausted condition, via Yembo, arriving at Cairo in June 1815. Blackmer 239. (2)
Travels in Arabia, comprehending an account of those territories in Hedjaz which the Mohammedans regard as sacred ... published by authority of the Association for promoting the Discovery of the Interior of Africa, edited by William Ouseley. London: Henry Colburn, 1829. 2 volumes, 8 (21.6 x 13cm.) Folding engraved map (slightly torn at inner margin) and 4 folding plans. Bound for presentation in contemporary calf with arms of the East India College gilt-stamped on covers, marbled endpapers (old spines relaid and with new morocco labels, corners restored). Provenance: prize awarded to Archibald Roberts Young, May 1836, as first of his class in Hindustani (bookplate).
FIRST OCTAVO EDITION. Travels in Arabia was one of five works edited from the journals of Burckhardt, all posthumously-published by the Association which had sent him to Africa. The Swiss-born explorer had crossed to Jeddah from Suakin on July 20, 1814. Suffering from fever and in great straits for money, he was relieved by Mohammed Aly, the viceroy of Egypt, who also consented to let him visit Mecca as a Moslem pilgrim, despite being aware of his true identity. After passing an examination in the religion of Islam, and in fact surprising his judges by his degree of learning, Burckhardt became the first European to have performed the rites of pilgrimage at Mecca. Although the penalty of discovery would probably have been death, he mixed freely with the pilgrims, and in the following January joined a caravan to Medina, in order to visit the prophet's tomb. Prostrated by fever until April, he returned to Egypt in an exhausted condition, via Yembo, arriving at Cairo in June 1815. Blackmer 239. (2)