BARROW (John). - Lot 51

BARROW (John). Voyage en Chine, formant le complément du voyage de Lord Macartney ; Contenant des Observations et des Descriptions faites pendant le séjour de l'Auteur dans le Palais Impérial de Yuen-min-yuen, et en traversant l'Empire Chinois, de Peking à Canton. Paris: F. Buisson, year XIII (1805). - 3 volumes in-8, 201 x 119 and an atlas in-4, 290 x 213: xvj, 464 pp. ; (2 ff.), 400 pp. ; (2 ff.), 392 pp. ; (2 ff.), 22 plates. Mottled calf, gilt roulette framing the boards, smooth spine decorated, gilt edges (period binding). First French edition, in J. Castéra's translation, of this valuable account of the first British embassy in China (1792-1794). In 1792, the British government decided to establish regular trade relations with the Chinese Empire and appointed Lord Macartney ambassador extraordinary. Among the members of the expedition was John Barrow, then mathematics tutor to George Thomas Staunton, son of Sir George Leonard Staunton. Thanks to the latter's support, Barrow joined the mission as Macartney's house controller. The journey, which took in Cochinchina and the island of Callao, led the embassy to Chouk-Tchou (June 21, 1793). After a stopover in Chu-San, the expedition sailed up the mouth of the Pei-Ho (White River), through Ta-Cou, Tien-Sing, Tong-Chou-Fou, and finally reached Peking, before heading for Zhé-Hol, where emperor Kian-Long received Macartney in September 1793. The British offered to open warehouses in Peking, Chou-San, Liampo and Tien-Sing, as well as free movement between Macao and Canton, in exchange for protection of Chinese trade against pirates in the Gulf of Petchely. Despite an apparently courteous welcome, the emperor rejected these demands, marking a diplomatic failure. Barrow, who quickly acquired a good command of Chinese, subsequently published articles on Chinese language and culture in the Quarterly Review. His account of his travels provides a valuable insight into Chinese customs, history, geography and culture. In particular, he develops the "stagnation thesis", according to which China, though highly civilized, was in decline at the time of European contact. Although Barrow officially ceased to work on Chinese affairs after 1794, he remained an expert consulted by the British government during subsequent diplomatic crises. His work, both literary and scientific, had a lasting impact on Western perceptions of China at the turn of the 19th century. Barrow's account is followed in this edition by that of "Voyage de Pétersbourg à Péking, par la Sibérie, Fait en 1719, par ordre de Pierre Ier". Complete with the atlas featuring 22 plates, including 3 color portraits (of Van-ta-gin, a Chinese and a Hottentot). A very fine copy in contemporary binding, very well preserved. Uniform binding: - HOLMES (Samuel). Voyage en Chine et en Tartarie, à la suite de l'ambassade de lord Macartney... Work translated from English by MM***, revised and published With Observations on the political and commercial relations of England and France with China, and some Notes. Paris: de l'imprimerie de Delance et Lesueur, An XIII. 1805. - 2 volumes in-8, 201 x 121: (2 ff.), xlv, 171 pp. 1 plan, 24 plates; (2 ff.), 188 pp. 27 plates. First edition of the French translation of this report by Samuel Holmes, a sergeant-major who served in the British embassy in China under Macartney. It is illustrated with a plan of the city and harbor of Macao, and 50 (out of 51) plates representing mainly views and costumes, engraved after drawings by William Alexander (1767-1816), each with its own explanation. Missing plate 24 (Mandarin's Palace), replaced at the time by a duplicate of plate 23 (Mandarin's Boat). A very fine copy. Small but not severe wetness at the bottom of the leaves in the first volume.