Best - Brieven Over Oostindiën. [translated Into Dutch After The Original German Edition Briefe Aus Ostindien]. First Dutch Language Edition.

Amsterdam, Johannes Allart, 1808. Recent private clothbacked marbled boards. Hftitle (verso blank), title (verso blank). (xvi), 307pp. 8 fine handcoloured illustrations on 2 plates featuring 2 male Mendicants, a Brahman female and an Imam (plate 1), plate 2 with a female Pariah , a Moslem female, a male Moslem and a Snake-charmer, 4 black/white engraved and captioned plates of which 3 extending, featuring a Pagoda, an adorned Elephant carrying drums at each side, appearing on a Muslim festive day, a Hindu burial cortège and public lodging building or, a Caravan Serail; preface, explanatory table of plates, table of contents. SAAKES 4 (1808). Although title suggests this is a description of a private journey through dutch colonial Indonesia, this ego-document deals in fact with British India. It includes extensive eye-witness reports by a german traveller through parts of India, which includes a description of Madras. Further observations deal with observations on Hindu and Mohammedan religion and beliet, cultus and customs, temples and mosques, life of Hindu and Moslem women: betrothal, engagement and marriage-ceremonies, the so-called Sutti, education of children, dress and jewellery, the phenomenon of Polygamy and concubinage, dress and jewellery; a full chapter is devoted to the re-location of twe Hannoverian Regiments to Arkot, Madras Region; various british Indian provinces, their rulers and the Hindu Caste-system; Pagodas or Pagan temples and Paganism, progress of european missionary labour, female temple dancers, performance and costumes; arrival of a Vakil, or an emissary of Tippoo-Said at Madras; means of subsistence, war- and warfare between local rulers, means of transport, public entertainment and performances, e.g. snake-charmers and cord-dancers, fire-swallowers, fakirs, magic, conjuring and tricks, dwarfs and exhibitions of human misfits and handicapped, means of transport; the Fortress St. George (first British settlement near Madras (1839) and european settlers, etc..Untrimmed copy. Very good. (hole in french title skilfully restored, hole in ti.-p. with loss of author's name a bit clumsily restored, first quire loose but skilfully refixed, ow. a very clean copy with very fresh colouring to the costume plates).