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George Lord MACARTNEY

Voyage dans l'intérieur de la Chine, et en Tartarie, fait dans les années 1792, 1793 et 1794

Chez Buisson, à Paris 1798 - 1799, In-8 (12,5x19,5cm), (4) viij, 515pp. et (4) 412pp. et (4) 399pp. et (4) 326pp., 5 volumes reliés.

MACARTNEY George Lord
Voyage dans l'intérieur de la Chine, et en Tartarie, fait dans les années 1792, 1793 et 1794
Chez Buisson, Paris 1798 – 1799, In-8 (12,5 x 19,5 cm), (4) viij, 515 pp. & (4) 412 pp & (4) 399 pp &(4) 326 pp., 5 volumes, contemporary sheep
First edition, with 4 frontispieces and 3 large folding maps at the end of volume 4 (excellent travel maps, maps of China, etc.). Numerous tables at the end of volume 4 on commerce and money, among others.
Contemporary light brown porphyry sheep. Spine with two different blindtools, roulettes at bands and foot of spine. Title and volume labels of green morocco. Frieze border to covers. Headpiece of volume I worn in parts. One corner bumped. A little rubbing. A fine copy.
This account was put together based on the papers of Lord Macartney and the commanders and ambassadors of the journey by Macartney's secretary, Sir George Staunton.
Macartney was sent to China by order of George III as ambassador extraordinary for the first tine with the goal of establishing trade relations, meeting with the Chinese elites and recording any observations possible on his journey. He sailed from Portsmouth in three ships, The Lion, the Hindoostan and the Jackal. Macartney made his way across much of the country, and stopped in Tianjin and Peking. Nonetheless, due to differing customs, the mission was a total failure. For the Chinese, diplomatic relations could not be undertaken on an equal footing; the ambassadors should have prostrated themselves before the Emperor and sworn allegiance to him, which Macartney refused to do, being unable to accept any kind of subordination of the British King to the Chinese Emperor. China's categorical refusal to establish trade relations laid the foundations for the Opium Wars and the fall of the Chinese Empire.
This work remains one of the best descriptions of the territories Macartney crossed, giving detailed information on the sciences, natural history, aristocracy and more...and will be eminently useful to anyone following in Macartney's footsteps.  

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