Small 8vo. 300 pp., later quarter morocco with marbled boards, new endpapers, translated from the French, index, foxing throughout, small marginal tear to page 99 with loss of few letters, cut to lower corner of page 113 without any loss to text, inscribed in ink verso front cover: 'This book belongs to the library in York town No 138', printed by David Carlisle for W. Pelham, Boston, first American edition, 1803.

Synopsis

Louis-Marie-Joseph De Grandpré (1761-1846), a French army officer who narrates in this work a journey he made in 1789-1790 through the Red Sea, the Indian Ocean and Bengal. Much of this narrative deals with Arab trade and presence in India, their influence on Indian architecture and life in general. The author gives a detailed account of Aden, the main port of Yemen. He also describes in details the importance and role Mokha played in the trade and production of coffee.
In his account of social life in Arabia, De Grandpré discusses the importance of horses in the life of the Arab Bedouins, the Arab architecture, mosques, costumes, horsemanship, and gives a minute observation on the political system of Yemen based on information he got from the governor of the port of Bahr. He also reports on the activities and competition between the French and British in that area.
Bibliographic references: Howgego P. 84; Hünersdorff, Coffee Bibliography I, p. 600.