A True and Exact Description of the most celebrated East-India Coasts of Malabar and Coromandel; as also of the Isle of Ceylon: With all the adjacent kingdoms, principalities, provinces, cities, chief harbours, structures, pagan temples, products, and living creatures: The manners, habits, oeconomies and ceremonies of the inhabitants. As likewise the most remarkable warlike exploits, sieges, sea and field-engagements betwixt the Portuguese and Dutch; with their traffick and commerce. The whole adorned with new maps and draughts of the chief cities, forts, habits, living creatures, fruits, &c. of the product of the Indies, drawn to the life, and cut in copper plates. Also a most circumstantial and compleat account of the idolatry of the pagans in the East-Indies, the Malabars, Benjans, Gentives, Brahmans, &c. Taken partly from their own Vedam, or law-book, and authentick manuscripts; partly from frequent conversation with their priests and divines: With the draughts of their idols, done after their ori

London: [John Churchill], [1732]. Second edition in English, from volume III of A. & J. Churchill's Collection of Voyages and Travels, folio, 35 x 21.5 cm., engraved title, frontispiece portrait of the author, title, pp.(503)-822, [16, index], 33 (of 34) folding plates, maps & plans, (lacking only an audience of the King of Kandy), two portraits, 53 text illustrations. Signatures are 6M–9Z1. The letterpress title (p.[501]) has signature mark 6M at foot, and 'Vol. III.' Preface begins on p.503. An excellent copy bound in full contemporary speckled calf, neatly re-cased. Lacking only the plate of the audience with the King of Kandy. This second edition of the first English translation was published by John Churchill after the death of his brother Aylsham. It had first appeared 1704 as the last part of volume III of the now infamous A Collection of Voyages and Travels. In 1704 John and Aylsham Churchill exploited the almost non-existent copyright laws to publish a massive series of tracts relating to the "New World", works either scarce enough to warrant reprinting or had yet to be published in English, to sate the growing thirst from the public for new information on far away countries. This work, by Philip Baldaeus (1632-1671), was of the type most sought after: an account of the East-Indies adorned with images of cities, languages, and animals new to European eyes. Baldaeus had accompanied the invading Dutch force to Ceylon and was only the second European to publish an account of the Tamil people and their way of life. His specimens of the Tamil language, including his translation of the Lord's Prayer, were the first treatise an on Indian language to printed in Europe. This superb copy has 34 double page plates, maps and plans: Malabar [map]; Amadabath; Suratte; The English fort of Bombay; Goa [plan]; Cranganor; Cochin; Cochin [plan]; The city of Cowlang [plan]; Tutecoryn [birds-eye view]; Choromandel, [Map]; Negapatam; Paliacatta; Masulipatam; Malabar language (3 plates), and in [Part II], Ceylon, Insula Ceylan [Map]; Fort of Batecalo; The city of Galle; Colombo [plan]; Siege of Colombo [Map]; Negumbo; Island of Manaer [map]; [map] Regnum Jafnapatnam; Fort at Jafnapatnam; Mallagam; Paneteripou; Kopay; Illondi Matual; The church Poelepolay; Catching horses in Jafnapatnam; The catching of Elephants. Both portraits, of the author and of Gerard Hulst, are present. Mitter p.57; Landwehr 260 (556)