AUTHOR - James Forbes, F.R.S. (Fellow of the Royal Society, 1749–1819) 

FIRST EDITION YEAR - 1813 

FORMAT - In Four Volumes 

PUBLISHER - Printed for the Author by T. Bensley, Published by White, Cochrane, and Co., London

12x9.5x1.5 In (Each).

This is the rare First Edition of James Forbes's monumental four-volume work, Oriental Memoirs. The complete set is a rich compilation of "Familiar Letters" detailing Forbes's seventeen years of residence in India (1765–1784) as a writer for the British East India Company.

The published work is considered a classic of early Indology and natural history, documenting every aspect of Indian life, customs, architecture, flora, and fauna on the western coast. Forbes was a prolific artist, having recorded approximately 52,000 manuscript pages of notes and sketches during his time abroad.

The historical account also includes observations on parts of Africa and South America visited during his four sea voyages. Critically, the work is famously illustrated by engravings from original drawings, many done by Forbes himself. The volumes contain a total of 94 plates, of which 27 are typically finely Hand-Coloured (often depicting natural history subjects like birds), making this 1813 edition highly sought after by collectors of natural history and early India travel accounts.

Non-exportable

Provenance: The Estate of Mangaldas Nathubhai