The youngest daughter of William, Duke of Clarence (later William IV) and the actress Mrs Jordan, the author married the colonial administrator Viscount Falkland. After being posted to Canada as Governor of Nova Scotia, Lord Falkland, accompanied by his wife, the author, was sent out to India in 1848 where he took up the post of Governor of Bombay.

The book is divided into two parts. The larger part deals with the author's life in India; the remainder with her journey home during which she visited Egypt, the Holy Land, and Syria. A colourful picture of life in India during the days of the East India Company, the author having travelled extensively within her husband's fiefdom. The same good humour ensured that Amelia Cary's account of the journey home is entertaining as well as informative (Theakstone).

First edition; 2 vols, 8vo, ix, 326; x, 287, x, 24(ads) pp., 2 lithographed frontispieces, title-page vignettes, original blind-stamped red cloth gilt, minor spotting to frontispieces, slightly rubbed, a very good example.