First edition of an account of two Swedish voyages to China and the East Indies, the first by the Swedish minister, botanist and explorer Peter (Pehr) Osbeck (1723-1805) and the second by the Swedish naturalist Olof Torén (1718-1753). Osbeck's journal contains interesting observations on the languages, cultures and domestic economy of the area's he visited, but the work's main value lies in the sections on foreign plants and fish, depicted in the engravings. The book opens with a preface by Osbeck, dated Stockholm, 25 April 1757, followed by Osbeck's journal of his voyage to Java and China (pp. 1-311). His journal has "definite scientific merit" (Stafleu) and appeared in an English translation in 1771. Included on page 312 is a letter from Linnaeus to Osbeck. Osbeck's journal is followed by Torén's En Ostinsie Resa til Suratte, China &c., narrating in seven letters to Linnaeus his voyage to China, from 1 April 1750 to 26 June 1752.
The binding shows very slight signs of wear, slightly foxed and browned throughout, the plates are very slightly foxed but otherwise very clean and clear. Overall in good condition. Cordier, Sinica, col. 2097; Cox I, p. 298 note (incorrectly dated 1756); Krok, p. 565; Pritzel 6865; cf. Lust 349-350; Stafleu, Linnaeus and the Linnaeans, p. 149 .