The Junks and Sampans of the Yangtze. - 1947

Shanghai.: Inspectorate General of Customs.. 1st editions.. 1947- 1948.. Profusely illustrated with maps, scale drawings, 2 colour plates, full page black and white photographic plates, sketches, maps and other text illustrations, appendices, nautical glossary. Volume I: xxviii + 245pp. Volume II: xv + 506pp. Original dark green cloth lettered in gilt upper cover and spines. Volume I in the scarce little worn and browned dustjacket. A little browned particularly on endpapers with occasional spotting in the largely clean text. A few places of insect damage front free endpapers and half title both volumes, ownership details of E.F. Prior half title of volume I. Prior was a sailmaker in the Melbourne suburb of St Kilda in the first half of the 20th century. 29 x 22cm. A very good copy of this now classic work, these volumes offer a great deal of detail of a vast number of craft that are now long gone from Chinese waters . This detailed and comprehensive work is divided into sections: The Yangtze River-Its Craft & People; Craft of the Estuary & Shanghai Area; The Lower & Middle River & Tributaries; and The Craft of the Upper Yangtze & Tributaries. Worcester was very well qualified to write this work as he had worked as River Inspector in the Chinese Maritime Customs. .