Narrative of a Journey into Khorasan, in the Years 1821 and 1822, including Some Account of the Countries to the North-East of Persia

Quarto, 9.25 x 10.75 inches (235 x 275 mm), quarter leather over cloth boards, expertly rebacked; xxvi, [1], 623, 148 pages; large folding map, 25.5 x 17.5 inches (648 x 445 mm); ex-library Sion College, London, with their stamp and their crest gilt-stamped on front board. Map heavily foxed, with offsetting to facing pages and small closed tear at upper right; otherwise very good condition with ample margins and clean and bright text.

An early detailed account. "James Baillie Fraser left his native Scotland for India in 1813. After a short and unsuccessful stint working in a trading business in Calcutta, in 1821 Fraser accompanied Dr. Andrew Jukes of the East India Company on a diplomatic mission to Persia. Jukes died in Isfahan in late 1821, but Fraser continued the journey, visiting Tehran, Mashhad, Tabriz, and other cities before returning to London. This book is Fraser's account of his voyage through Khorasān, a historical region that includes parts of present-day Iran, Turkmenistan, and Afghanistan. It contains detailed information about the peoples of the region and their customs, religious practices, and forms of government. Appended to the main work is a lengthy 'Geographical Sketch of the Principal Districts of Khorasan,' with descriptions of the countryside and of towns such as Herat, Afghanistan. At the end are listed the route and travel distances from Mashad to Herat, Herat to Kabul, Kabul to Balkh, and between various other points. Also included are several tables with geographic and meteorological data." (Library of Congress)