Ad 1-2: First French editions of two books about China, especially interesting for their botanical and agricultural information, bound with (ad 3): the first and only edition of their translator's book on the English colonies, including a 31-page French ''translation of Benjamin's Franklin's evidence before the House of Commons Commitee of 1766 on the Stamp Act'' (Cat. Goldsmith). This last is particularly rare.
Torén (1718-1753), a botanist who served as chaplain to a Swedish East India Company voyage to China and India in the years 1750 and 1752, recounted his voyage in a series of letters in Swedish to his former professor Linnaeus in Uppsala. Eckeberg (1716-1784), a captain for the Swedish East India Company but trained as physician and chemist, was another friend of Linnaeus and brought him numerous natural history specimens collected during his voyages. Blackford's book contains an account of the countries he visited and is a classic in the North American travel literature.
Very good copies. Ad 1 with two small excisions in the head margin restored, not affecting the text. Backstrip slightly damaged, the hinges cracked, and the inside front hinge reinforced, but the binding is structurally sound and most of the tooling clear Cat. Goldsmith I, 10721 (ad 1), 10732 (ad 2), 10762 (ad 3); China Illustrata Nova I, 559 and 556 (ad 1 and 2); Cordier, Sinica, col. 2098 (all 3 works); Sabin 5691 (ad3).