.jpg?w=1)
Details
BURTON, Richard Francis. Falconry in the Valley of the Indus. London: John van Voorst, 1852.
8o (192 x 126 cm.). Half-title and letterpress title with publisher's device, 8-page publisher's catalogue bound in at the end. Tinted lithographic frontispiece by Ford and West after Josef Mathias Wolf and 3 tinted lithographic plates by B. Waterhouse Hawkins after Lieut. McMullin. Original purple cloth, spine gilt-lettered, covers triple-ruled in blind (some fading).
RARE FIRST EDITION OF "ONE OF THE EARLIEST OF BURTON'S BOOKS OF TRAVEL" (Abbey), in another variant binding to that described by Penzer of the sole edition. Falconry in the Valley of the Indus is the fourth of Burton's quartet of books describing his Indian experiences, and the work in which "Burton first displayed his later characteristic literary combativeness. He lashed out at all the critics of his previous books, implying that they were dishonest or incompetent [...] He took a gleeful delight in catching out his tormentors on a point of fact, as when a scoffing reviewer had ridiculed a tale of the killing of a falcon by an eagle - a story Burton was able to prove was true" (McLynn, Burton, London, 1993, p.54). Penzer records that van Voorst wrote to Burton in 1877, explaining that of the 500 copies published, 257 remained unsold at that time and suggested "scrapping" them. Abbey describes 8 pages of advertisements dated 1851 (presumably the first state), the advertisements in this copy include a work listed as "just published," and quote a review dated "May 1st, 1852" (p.7). Abbey Travel 479; Penzer p.41; Schwerdt I, p.90; Souhart col.83.
8
RARE FIRST EDITION OF "ONE OF THE EARLIEST OF BURTON'S BOOKS OF TRAVEL" (Abbey), in another variant binding to that described by Penzer of the sole edition. Falconry in the Valley of the Indus is the fourth of Burton's quartet of books describing his Indian experiences, and the work in which "Burton first displayed his later characteristic literary combativeness. He lashed out at all the critics of his previous books, implying that they were dishonest or incompetent [...] He took a gleeful delight in catching out his tormentors on a point of fact, as when a scoffing reviewer had ridiculed a tale of the killing of a falcon by an eagle - a story Burton was able to prove was true" (McLynn, Burton, London, 1993, p.54). Penzer records that van Voorst wrote to Burton in 1877, explaining that of the 500 copies published, 257 remained unsold at that time and suggested "scrapping" them. Abbey describes 8 pages of advertisements dated 1851 (presumably the first state), the advertisements in this copy include a work listed as "just published," and quote a review dated "May 1st, 1852" (p.7). Abbey Travel 479; Penzer p.41; Schwerdt I, p.90; Souhart col.83.