Journal of a Route Across India Through Egypt to England.: In the latter end of the year 1817, and the beginning of 1818.

WITH HAND-COLORED ENGRAVED ILLUSTRATIONS
Illustrated with full colored aquatint frontispiece and 11 plates (8 full-page hand colored); 1 large folding engraved map of the seat of war in India with touches of hand coloring; 6 maps and plans, including a map of Egypt with the route through the desert and down the Nile taken by the author to reach Alexandria. 4to. Contemporary ¾-calf leather, marbled boards, professionally & sympathetically re-backed using fine matching brown polished calf leather, gilt ruled spine with red & black gilt lettered morocco labels. London: John Murray 1819. First and only edition of this fascinating account of an overland journey from India to England, written by the eldest son of King William IV and Mrs. Jordan. (Abbey Travel 519; Tooley 222.)

Fitzclarence served in Spain and France during the Napoleonic Wars before being sent to India, where he was appointed aide-de-camp to the Marquis of Hastings, in which capacity he made the campaigns of 1816-17 against the Mahrattas. When peace was arranged the event was considered of sufficient importance to send the dispatches by an overland route. Fitzclarence was entrusted with the task. He started from the western frontier of Bundelkund, on December 7, 1817, and traveled through districts infested by the Pindarrees, witnessed the defeat of the latter by General Doveton at Jubbulpore, and reached Bombay. He went from Bombay to Kosseir, Egypt, by the cruiser Mercury. In Egypt he explored the pyramids with Sir Henry Salt and Giovanni Belzoni, giving a valuable account of their discoveries. He reached London on 16 June 1818.

Complete as issued. Boards scuffed; frontispiece laid-down on heavy paper; errata slip tipped-in; lacking half-title; some foxing and light soiling; images mostly clean and bright. Rare.