John Henry Gray's (1823-1890) scarce guide-book of Canton. The work is structured into seven distinct walks around the city, with extensive detail and history on the sights and landmarks encountered on each route. Reverence and respect for the history of China and its people comes through clearly in the veneration given to the monuments and temples described. Gray is also singular for including the hustle and bustle of the city in his routes as well as the great landmarks, taking the reader through the streets of furniture makers, glassblowers, silk weavers, the ponds of fish breeders, rice paper art studios, markets and foundries, and even local restaurants. Gray spent nearly 30 years in China and was Archdeacon of Hong Kong for a decade, and wrote several works on Chinese people and customs that helped combat a lot of negative stereotypes pervasive in Britain at the time.

Scarce with only 5 copies in UK institutions and only two of the copyright libraries (BL and Cambridge).

First edition; 8vo (23 x 15 cm); tear to p.245 repaired without loss; contemporary black half calf, spine head cap repaired and corners renewed, spine lettered in gilt in five gilt ruled compartments, a little rubbed, a very good copy; [iv], iv, errata slip, 695, errata slip, lxi pp.