In his preface to Scenery and Reminiscences of Ceylon, Deschamps states that the views he has selected represent some of the most familiar scenes and objects to those who know Ceylon. He adds that he has tried to illustrate various costumes of the country where possible. The plates are accompanied by a concise history of the island from the earliest records to the British conquest from the Dutch in 1795-96 and final subjugation of the Kandyan kingdom in 1815 and 1817, with details and statistics of local interest.

Deschamps was an Adjutant in the Royal Artillery who arrived in Sri Lanka in 1828 and spent nine years on the Island.

First edition; folio (50 x 34 cm), [iv], 48 pp., original hand coloured pictorial lithographed title (neat repairs to fore-edge), 12 hand-coloured lithographed plates by Deschamps all printed on thick paper (plates 1-4 with neat marginal restoration to fore-edge outside the image area, plate 3 with long tear into image with repair but no loss), original morocco-backed pictorial cloth boards gilt, spine renewed.

Abbey (Travel), 414; De Silva (Early Prints of Ceylon), pp 95-138.