Through Burmah to Western China

Clement Williams (1833-1879), joined the army as a surgeon and was stationed in Burma in 1858. In 1861 Williams was posted to Mandalay in Upper Burma, then known as the Kingdom of Ava. At that time it was still independent and was ruled by King Mindon Min. Williams was one of the first Europeans to live in this region.

Williams gained King Mindon's trust by successfully treating members of his family. This led to Britain appointing him Political Agent in 1863. That same year Williams obtained permission from the King to journey up the Irrawaddy River from Mandalay to Bhamo in search of a trade route from India to China. Though he was unable to reach the Chinese border owing to tribal unrest, his published account enthused Britain to embark on a further series of expeditions to establish a trade route.

First edition, first issue; 8vo (20.5 x 14 cm); 2 folding maps (1 large, hand-coloured in outline, with short tear to fold, both lightly foxed), wood-engraved frontispiece and 5 plates, vignettes in the text, bookplate to pastedown; publisher's original reddish-brown cloth gilt, large gilt pictorial vignette to upper cover, rebacked preserving original spine, corners bumped, text clean and fresh, a very good copy; xiv, [2], 213, [18, ads.], pp.

Cordier Indosinica 177.