A New Directory for the East Indies

The scarce enlarged edition of this influential work giving nautical directions to India and Southeast Asia. The first edition was published in 1758 as an English directory to the charts of Le Neptune Orientale, published in 1745, and ran through several editions. This edition, the first edited by Dunn rather than Herbert, is enlarged to 554 pages from the slim 144 that comprised prior editions. The frontispiece, originally a François Boucher drawing, has been redone by Isaac Taylor to include a fortified coastal town and the EIC coat of arms.

The Directory was created specifically for the use of East India Company officers helming Company vessels. Clive's successes in India had given Britain almost total control of Bengal and with more trade flowing out of India, all under the monopoly of the EIC, that meant more vessels needing help to make the long journey round the Horn. By 1780 the Maratha War, the American Revolutionary War, and conflicts with France were draining the Company coffers and a much expanded Directory was aimed at increasing the survival rate of ships making the perilous journey. The need for repeated editions of the Directory explains its scarcity in any edition: they were used to bits by captains as they navigated the seas and had to be frequently replaced.

Samuel Dunn (1723-1794) was a prolific teacher and writer on nautical and mathematical sciences. Despite his self-promotion and self-aggrandisement, he described himself in his will as 'master for the longitude at sea', he was prolific in his field and rose to the attention of the EIC. He was made editor over William Herbert for this edition and by 1790 was made the examiner of the Navigational exam for new EIC officers. By several accounts it seems he lorded this position over officer hopefuls in dogmatically insisting upon his mathematical principles and equations being used to solve the nautical problems he set.

Navigation of the Arabian Gulf is mentioned due to its importance as a stop off point before the final push to India. Makalla, Doffar, Muskat, the Strait of Hormuz, Qeshm, Khark Island, Basra, Greater and Lesser Tunbs, and Abu Musa are all places mentioned on the suggested route. It is mentioned that the coast of Arabia, from Musandam to Bahrain, is not frequented by European ships.

Fifth edition, much enlarged and expanded; 4to (29 x 24 cm); 2 engraved allegorical plates including frontispiece, trade bookplate to front pastedown, a little offsetting from plates otherwise clean internally; contemporary half sheep, gilt spine in six compartments with gilt lettering piece, marbled boards rubbed with a little loss of marbled paper to corners, a couple small splits to foot of spine, a very good copy; xxxvi, 554pp.

Pickett (Bibliography of the East India Company), 1194 (see also 683, 686, 1052).