Travels in europe, asia, and africa; describing characters, customs, manners, laws, and productions of nature and art: containing Various Remarks on the Political and Commercial Interests of great britain: And delineating, in particular, a new system, For the Government and Improvement of the British Settlements in the east indies: Begun in the Year 1777, and finished in 1781

London: Printed for J. Murray, 1782. In two volumes. xxiii, [1], 482; [xi, [1], 503pp, [1]. Contemporary gilt-ruled calf, morocco lettering-pieces. Rubbed, spines dulled and marked. Armorial bookplate of John Bateman to FEP of Vol. I, leaf Dd3 of Vol. I detached, slight loss to lower corner of leaf F1, Vol. II, short horizontal tear to lower margin of terminal leaf of text. The first edition of an anonymously published account, composed during the course of a trip on a from London to India, of ‘Travels...in those countries of Asia and Arica, where trade...might be rendered of inestimable importance to the revenue and wealth of Britain’, with much discussion of India and its rule. In his preface the author is forthright in his opinion of the value of greater understanding of ‘political oeconomy’, in an age where ‘Commerce has become the great source of jealousy and competition among the powers of Europe’. It is therefore rather fitting that the work includes an early reference to, significant quotation from, and study of, Adam Smith's Wealth of Nations (1776). At the Cape of Good Hope in April 1799, the author is lent a copy of Smith’s work by Daniel Barwell (‘fond of reading’, a note sadly informs the reader of this work that he ‘was drowned on the coast of Zealand, where the ship was wrecked’), and describes it as replete with 'new and just ideas, which enlighten the minds of his readers, even so far as to arm them with arguments in opposition to his own' (Vol. I, pp. 207). The author's admiration is also accompanied, in a lengthy 47-page, two-column appendix – complete with quotations - and with our anonymous traveller’s own ‘crude’ economic observations, ‘submitted with respectful deference’, on population, finance and trade. The authorship of these volumes has been frequently confused, not least by the incorrect attribution to two different individuals. Halkett & Laing (amongst others) suggest William Thomson (1746-1817), whose role in the publication was likely as editor, but the authorship has also been credited to the Irish-born politician and pamphleteer Sir Philip Francis (1740-1818), a prominent and outspoken adversary of Governor-General of Bengal, Warren Hastings. Joseph Parkes’ memoirs of the latter, however, set the record straight: (London, 1867) 'the author was given out to be one Macintosh, whose name occurs in Francis's Indian journal. But it runs so minutely into defence of Francis, and vituperation of his enemies, especially of Hastings, that some assigned the authorship of these portions of it to Francis in person'. ESTC T97734.. First edition. 8vo.