winter miscellany - Gert Jan Bestebreurtje

THE FIRST COMPREHENSIVE DESCRIPTION OF ARABIA
86 NIEBUHR, Carsten. Beschryving van Arabie, uit eigene waarnemingen en in’t
land zelf verzamelde narigten opgesteld. Uit het Hoogduits vertaald. Amsterdam, S.J.
Baalde, Utrecht, J. van Schoonhoven & Comp., 1774.
4to. Contemporary mottled calf, spine richly gilt, with red morocco title-label to
spine. With engraved title-page, 7 engraved maps (5 folding; the large folding map of
Yemen coloured in outline) and 18 engraved plates (3 folding; including two coloured
plates with Arab texts) by C.J. de Huyser, N. v.d. Meer and Th. Koning.
(4),XXXXII,408,(14) pp. € 2.150,00
First Dutch edition. - In 1761, at the invitation of Frederick V, King of Denmark,
Carsten Niebuhr (1733-1815) joined a Danish government-sponsored scientific expedition
to explore the Arabian Peninsula, known as Arabia Felix. The five other members,
who would die all during the expedition, were Peter Forrskal, a Swedish naturalist,
Christian Kramer, a Danish physician and zoologist, George Baurenfeind, a
German artist, Friedrich von Haven, a Danish linguist, and a former Swedish military
man named Berggren. They, disguised as Muslims, sailed on a ship carrying pilgrims
to the Arabian port of Jidda. Niebuhr’s account of his journey in Arabia and the
Persian Gulf provided Europeans with the first comprehensive descriptions of the
region; his map of Yemen was the first to detail scientifically that portion of the
Arabian Peninsula. ‘ There are few better demonstrations of how little was still known
about the Arab world in the second half of the eighteenth century than the Danish
expedition which set sail for the east in 1761 ‘ (Europe and the Arab world, 48). - A
fine copy of a classic of early Arabian exploration.
Tiele 795; Cat. NHSM I, p.258; Gay 3589; Howgego p.751.
THE FIRST DUTCH EMBASSY TO THE EMPEROR OF CHINA
87 NIEUHOF, Joan. L’ ambassade de la Compagnie Orientale des Provinces Unies
vers l’empereur de la Chine, ou Grand Cam de Tartarie, faite par Pierre de Goyer, &
Jacob de Keyser.. Mis en François .. par Jean le Carpentier. Leyde, Jacob de Meurs,
1665.
2 volumes in 1. Folio. Contemporary panelled calf with blind-tooled central ornament
and ornaments in the corners on both covers, skilfully rebacked with the original
spine laid down, spine ribbed and gilt. With title printed in red and black, engraved
allegorical frontispiece, engraved vignette on title, engraved portrait, folding map
(skilfully remargined), 34 double-page plates (Paolinxi plate not inserted as usual) and
110 nice large engravings in the text. (18),290; 134,(1) pp. € 5.250,00
First French edition, published the same year as the original Dutch edition. - In 1665
Nieuhof published what is regarded as the definitive account of the Dutch embassy to
Peking, and it is for this that he is best known (Howgego p.752). Nieuhof ’s account
presented the Dutch reader with the most substantial and detailed description of the
Middle Kingdom yet published. It contains information from the most important