Our Cruise in the Claymore,

inscribed by the author and her sister to a fellow traveller

Inscription reads: 'Cyril Graham Esq / with the warmest and most / grateful regards of his fellow / travellers Annie Harvey and / Phoebe Romaine'.

Scarce account of a journey to the Lebanon and Syria at the time of the religious unrest in the region between Christians and Druze in 1860. Sir Cyril Clerke Graham (1834-1895) was in the region with his friend Lord Dufferin, the British representative to Syria, helping him with the 'Dufferin Commission' which had been created to investigate the disturbance. Annie Jane Harvey (1822-1898) and her sister Phoebe Romaine (1831-1909) were visiting the Lebanon when they encountered Graham embroiled in the disturbance and he accompanied their voyage to Damascus, Baalbec, Beirut, and Tyre. In the end Harvey was indebted enough to Graham and his companions that she dedicated the work to Lady Dufferin. The return journey includes stops at Santorini, Cyprus, and Rhodes.

First edition; 8vo (20.5 x 13.5 cm); inscribed by the author and her sister on the front free endpaper to cyril graham with his mss notes in the margins, 8 lithographed plates (plate of St Paul's Wall Damascus faintly waterstained), typewritten letter from previous bookseller inserted loose; bound in publisher's blue blindstamped cloth, gilt lettered on spine, corners slightly worn; overall a very good copy; xi, 309pp.

Blackmer 790; Theakstone p.126.