The Asiatic annual register; or, a view of the history of Hindustan, and of the politics, commerce and literature of Asia, for the year 1799

London: printed for J. Debrett ... by Andrew Wilson, the Oriental Press, 1800. First edition, 8vo, pp. xxiv, 32, 287, [1], 328, 78, 208 (of 258), lacking the last 50 pages plus 3 leaves of ads; otherwise, uncut; recent half green morocco over marbled boards by Bayntun, gilt-paneled spine in 6 compartments, gilt lettered in 1; clean tear in 4R4 (no loss), 19th century library stamp on title page, withdrawn stamp on verso of title page, a dimwitted collector has checked off several names in the subscribers' list and underlined several others, going so far as to note that Richard Brinsley Sheridan wrote School for Scandal; all else quite nice. The first (truncated) volume in the series (12 in all were published), with a history of British India, accounts of 8 shipwrecks, arrivals and departures for various ports, translations of various papers from the Persian, accounts of recent discoveries in the Pacific Ocean, proceedings in Parliament relative to British India, proceedings at the East India House (including those on illicit trade), various military and political matters, biographies of Sir William Jones, among others, and a number of miscellaneous tracts, including the journal of am embassy from Madras to Ceylon, by Hugh Boyd (a subscriber), a narrative of journey to the diamond mines at Orissa, by T. Motte, and travels in Cashmir, by G. Forster, congratulatory letters addressed to Warren Hastings (another subscriber); plus, poetry and an account of current books, including the Works of Sir William Jones. Other subscribers include Lord Cawdor, J. P. Kemble, the orientalist John Princip, and the aforementioned R. B. Sheridan. (Inventory #: 69124)