Travels in Various Countries of Europe, Asia and Africa

This is a terrific condition set of "Travels in Various Countries of Europe, Asia and Africa" by Edward D. Clarke. The volumes are dated 1816, 1817 and 1818 and were printed for T. Cadell and W. Davies in London; 4th edition (stated). Handsomely bound in leather with a gilt border around the covers, gilt lettering and decorations on the spine, marbled page edges on all sides, 5 raised bands on the spine, marbled end papers and ribbon page markers. The set features many fold-out maps, diagrams and engravings (all are present and firmly attached; a couple are in color) as well as numerous in-text illustrations ("embellishments and vignettes") and maps. The set chronicles Clarke's travels to Russia, Tahtary, Turkey, Greece, Egypt, and the Holy Land; volume VIII contains a supplement "Respecting the Author's Journey from Constantinople to Vienna Containing His Account of the Gold Mines of Transylvania and Hungary."

Clarke was an English clergyman, naturalist, mineralogist and traveler. "His writings are much esteemed as a candid record of experiences in countries at that time imperfectly known. His experiences in Africa and Egypt, for example, before modern developments, including systematic excavation, had changed the appearance of the country, are of great interest. He saw many antiquities, now famous as museum exhibits, in their original homes, and visited the catacombs of Alexandria."

The contents of the volumes are as follows:

VOLUME I (1816): Russia, Tahtary and Turkey - 1st Part, 1st Section (engraved frontispiece portrait of Clarke; fold-out map of the "General Outline of the Author's Route"; fold-out "Map of the Mouths of the Don"; fold-out "Map of the Situation of Tcherkask"; numerous embellishments and vignettes.

VOLUME II (1816): Russia, Tahtary and Turkey - 1st Part, 2nd Section (large frontispiece fold-out "Map of the Antiquities of the Crimea"; fold-out "Chart of the Bay of Aktiar"; numerous embellishments, vignettes and in-text maps.

VOLUME III (1817): Greece, Egypt and the Holy Land - 2nd Part, 1st Section (large frontispiece fold-out map of the "General Outline of the Author's Route"; fold-out map of "The Ruins of Cnidus"; color fold-out diagram of the "Order of Battle of the Army under Sir Ralph Abercrombie"; fold-out map of "Lake Mareotis"; fold-out diagram of the "Disposition of Landing the Subdivision of Reserve"; fold-out "Survey of the Country between Aboukir & Alexandria"; fold-out map of the "Rosetta Branch of the Nile"; numerous vignettes and an in-text map.

VOLUME IV (1817): Greece, Egypt and the Holy Land - 2nd Part, 1st Section (fold-out frontispiece map of "A New Plan of Jerusalem"; numerous embellishments and vignettes.

VOLUME V (1817): Greece, Egypt and the Holy Land - 2nd Part, 2nd Section (large frontispiece fold-out map of "A General Outline of the Author's Route through Greece, Macedonia, Terace, Bulgaria, Walachia, Transylvania, and Hungary"; fold-out engraving of "The Obelisk Heliopolis"; fold-out illustration of a "Hieroglyphic Tablet Discovered at Saccara"; fold-out illustration of "Lares, Beads, Amulets &c. Found at Saccara"; fold-out illustration of "Antiquities Found at Sais"; large fold-out illustration of "An Entire Hieroglyphic Tablet"; fold-out illustration of an "Inverted Position of Hieroglyphics"; fold-out diagram of "A Plan of the Catacombs of Necropolis at Alexandria"; numerous embellishments and vignettes.

VOLUME VI (1818): Greece, Egypt and the Holy Land - 2nd Part, 3rd Section (fold-out illustration of "Terra-Cottas Found in the Sepulchres of Peloponnesus"; numerous embellishments, vignettes and in-text maps; with a "Catalog of Books of the Patmos Library."

VOLUME VII (1818): Greece, Egypt and the Holy Land - 2nd Part, 3rd Section (color fold-out frontispiece of "Orestes and Electra Making Votive Offerings at the Tomb of Agamemnon"; fold-out "Topographical Chart of the Plain of Marathon"; numerous embellishments and vignettes.

VOLUME VIII (1818): Greece, Egypt and the Holy Land - 2nd Part, 3rd Section ~ To Which is Added a Supplement Respecting the Author's Journey from Constantinople to Vienna Containing His Account of the Gold Mines of Transylvania and Hungary (large frontispiece fold-out "Chart of the Sea of Marmora"; fold-out "Topographical Chart of the City of Constantinople"; large fold-out map of the "General Outline of the Author's Route"

Condition:
The set is in terrific condition both inside and out. All volumes are tightly bound with no cracks and no loose pages. All folding maps/engraving/diagrams are present and are firmly attached. There are a few lines of contemporary writing in pencil on a front blank end paper of vol I; each volume has an inscription dated 1919 written in pencil on a front end paper. The pages are in great condition - crisp, white and mostly clean with only an occasional light stain found on a page or a map, and an occasional ink smudge.