Jones, James Felix (1813-1878) Memoirs by Commander James Felix Jones. Steam-Trip to the North of Baghdad, 1846; Journal for Determining the Tract of the Ancient Nahrwan Canal.
Bombay: Bombay Education Society Press, 1857.
Rare first edition, quarto; printed as part of the series, Selections from the Records of the Bombay Government. No. XLIII-New Series, presented in six sections: [1] A steam-trip to the north of Baghdad, 1846; [2] Journey for the purpose of determining the tract of the ancient Nahrwan canal, 1848; [3] Journey to the frontier of Turkey and Persia, through a part of Kurdistan; [4] Researches in the vicinity of the medial wall of Xenophon; [5] Memoir of the Province of Baghdad; [6] Notes on the topography of Nineveh and on the general geography of the country between the Tigris and the upper Zab, 1852; illustrated with 3 large-scale hand-colored maps in pocket at rear; and 27 (of 30) lithographic plates, many folding with hand-coloring; rebound in calf-backed marbled boards, top edge gilt (a few leaves lightly foxed; lacking three plates, a few small nicks and short tears as expected; corners bumped); 9 1/2 x 6 1/2 in.
This collection of Jones's most important memoirs published by the Bombay Government contains extensive information and surveys of Ottoman Iraq, Kurdistan and the Kermanshah province in Western Iran. In addition to his encyclopedic observations and plans, Jones includes detailed maps and illustrations of the area, most of which are enhanced with delicate hand-coloring. The lithographs are printed on notoriously delicate paper; however, they appear here remarkably undamaged, clean and bright.
