Dobell, Peter/Petr Vasil'evich; [Dzhunkovsky, A.S.]. Puteshestviia i Noveishiia Nabliudeniia v Kitae, Manille i Indo-Kitaiskom Arkhipelage Byvshego Rossiiskogo Generalnogo Konsula na Filippinskikh Ostrovakh, Kollezhskogo Sovetnika Petra Dobelia, Sostavil i s Angliiskogo Perevel, s Vysochaishego Soizvolenia A. Dzh. [i.e. Travels and Latest Observations in China, Manila and the Indo-China Archipelago by a Former Russian Consul General in the Philippine Islands, Collegiate Councillor Petr Dobell, Compiled and Translated from English, by the Highest Permission A. Dzh.] St. Petersburg: N. Grech, 1833.

Dobell, Peter/Petr Vasil?evich; [Dzhunkovsky, A.S.]

Published by Publication Date: 1833

Octavo, 2 vols. Xxxvi [i-ii - t.p., iii-vii ? table of contents, ix-x - dedication to K. Bulgakov, xi-xii - second dedication, xiii-xxxvi ? translator's preface & Dobell's biography], 237, [1 - errata]; [2 ? t.p.], vii ? table of contents, 272 pp. With two lithographed frontispieces (A. Bruloff fecit, Lith. V. Langer). Period style brown full sheep bindings housed in a brown cloth slipcase. Spines with gilt-tooled ornaments and gilt-lettered title labels; Occasional very mild foxing, a couple of pencil markings in text, but overall a very good set of this rare work. First edition. Very rare Russian imprint with only six paper copies found in Worldcat. This is the first Russian edition, published three years after the first English edition ("Travels in Kamtchatka and Siberia," 2 vols., London, 1830). The Russian edition contains seven new chapters and seven supplements, not present in the English edition, with the important account of Dobell's voyage to Hawaii and the audience with King "Riho-Riho" (Kamehameha II), the text of Kamehameha II's 1820 letter to Russian Emperor Alexander I, Dobell's first biography and original descriptions of the Philippines, Singapore, and the Malay Archipelago. The first French edition in one volume (Sept années en Chine? Paris, 1838) is a direct translation from the Russian edition done by Russian prince Emmanuel Mikhailovich Golitsin/Galitzine (1805-1853). It has no text difference with the Russian edition (apart from some changes in the order and structure of chapters xiii-xvii). Forbes was incorrect in his statement that "the author's remarks on his voyage to Hawaii are not in this [Russian] edition" (Forbes 836). In fact, they are present in the Russian edition (pp. 111-129) and make it superior in significance to the French one. The Russian edition contains thirteen chapters from the first English edition, dedicated to Dobell's travels across China, the Philippines and South-East Asia in 1798-1828, with nice descriptions of Canton, Macao, Pearl River, Bocca Tigris, Whampoa (Pazhou) Island, Chinese manners and customs, etc. The whole part about "Travels in Kamtchatka" in 1813-1812 from the English edition (the entire first volume and the first four chapters of the second volume) is not included. As the Russian translator noted, "Since Siberia, thanks to endeavours of many of our travellers, is known to the public much better than China, I had the courage to publish only what the respected Author communicated to us about the latter?" (Preface, p. xiii-xiv). Seven additional chapters (XIII, XIV, XV, XVII, XVIII, XIX, and XX) base on Dobell's private diaries (Preface, p. xiv). They contain information about Dobell's success in salvaging and selling the remnants of the ship "Albion" wrecked near Whampoa Island in 1807, the rescue of Boston ship "Atahualpa" from Chinese pirates or "Ladrones" in 1806, the rescue of Philadelphia ship "Asia" at the Bocca Tigris strait in 1807 (with an original article on ginseng written by the Russian translator), Admiral William's Drury occupation of Macao during the Napoleonic Wars in 1808, etc. Two chapters (XVII and XVII) give one of the first overviews in the Russian language of the islands of South-East Asia and the Malay Peninsula. They contain stories about Borneo, Sumatra, Formosa (Taiwan), the Bugis Kingdom of Wajoq in south Sulawesi (mistakenly called a separate island), the foundation of Singapore, tin mining and trade, opium, Javanese coffee and the raise of its consumption, Chinese settlers, trade with Chinese and Europeans, prospects of potential advantages for Russia to start the trade with South-East Asia, etc. Two chapters describe Manila, the Luzon Island and the cholera riots in October 1820. The chapter about Dobell's visit to Hawaii describes King Kamehameha II, retells the conversation between him and Dobell, and gives details of Dobell's speech at the Hawaiian Chiefs' council, mentioning prime minister William Pitt Kalanimoku. There is also a. Seller Inventory # R19

Bibliographic Details

Title: Dobell, Peter/Petr Vasil'evich; [Dzhunkovsky...
Publication Date: 1833
Binding: None
Condition: None