A General Collection of The Best and Most Interesting Voyages and Travels in All Parts of the World

London: Longman, Hurst, Rees and Orme, 1804-1814. First edition. Leather. Fair. 12" by 9". None. The first edition of John Pinkerton's comprehensive study of worldwide travel. A true cornerstone in its field, this profusely illustrated title is seldom found as a seventeen volume set. Frontispiece and 8 plates to volume I, including a folding map. Twelve plates to volume II. With fourteen plates to volume III, with Eighteen plates to volume IV, fourteen plates to volume V, five plates to volume VI, thirteen plates to volume VII, eighteen plates to volume VIII, eight plates to volume IX, eight plates to volume X, fifteen plates to volume XI, sixteen to volume XII. nine (with two on the same leaf) plates to volume XIII, ten plates to volume XIV, fifteen plates to volume XV, two plates to volume XVI, Collated, lacking plate 9 to volume XIV, 'Skinning of the Aboma Snake & Indian Female of the Arrowauka Nation'. Lacking plate 14 'Ruins of One of the Temples of Elephantina, Upper Egypt' to volume XV. With the volumes dated the following: Vol 1 - 1804; Vol 2 - 1808; Vol 3 - 1809; Vol 4 - 1809; Vol 5 -1809; Vol 6 - 1809 ; Vol 7 - 1811; Vol 8 - 1811; Vol 9 - 1811; Vol 10 - 1811; Vol 11 - 1812; Vol 12 - 1812; Vol 13 - 1812; Vol 14 - 1813; Vol 15 - 1814; Vol 16 - 1814; Vol 17- 1814 This set has some water damage and worming, with loss to the binding also. In need of a sympathetic rebinding. An important work, which looks at some of the most important journeys worldwide throughout history. There are six volumes dedicated to Europe. John Pinkerton was a Scottish antiquarian, cartographer, and numismatist. In addition to this title, which was his largest work, Pinkerton also issued 'A New Modern Atlas' and 'Recollections of Paris'. In full calf bindings. Externally, sound with rubbing to the boards and spine. Loss to the leather at the front board of volume I. Heavy rubbing to the joints of volume XI. Rubbing to the spines and boards of all volumes, resulting in loss to the leather. Loss to the spine labels of volumes VII, IX, VIII, X and XI. Front board to volumes XIV and XV are detached but present. Damp staining to volume I resulting in chips to the extremities of the first 100 pages with loss to the edges. Further damp stains to pages. Loss to the final fifty pages at the edges due to the damp staining, with loss to the text. Damp staining to the bottom of pages to volumes V, VI, XI, XVI, with some of the pages adhered. Chips to the page edges of volume XI due to damp staining. Severe loss to the bottom of pages to volume VII due to a large amount of worming. This loss only affects the bottom margin up to page 808. Following this the occasional words are affected to the text and all of the plates to the rear are affected, with the damage encroaching on the image. Heavy worming to the bottom of margins to volume XII affecting pages 1-132, 299-395 and 443-678. Affecting the margins only of the text leaves and the plates. Loss to the text of pages 195-244 due to damp staining. Closed tear to page 727 of volume II. Loss to the extremities of the preliminaries. Fair