Thomas Shaw. Travels, or Observations Relating to Several Parts of Barbary and the Levant.

(TRAVEL)

Printed at the Theatre

Oxford

1738

FIRST EDITION. English, interspersed with some Hebrew. 37 copper engraved plates including illustrations, views and 12 maps of which 5 are fold-out and one Rabbinical, two double-page plates and 1 page of sheet music. On p. 357, “Rabbinical” map of the Holy Land with locations in Hebrew and English, based upon the map of R. Elia Mizrachi in his Commentary to the Pentateuch. Title printed in red and black with large engraved vignette of the Oxford Theatre, engraved head- and tail-pieces and initials.

Blackmer Catalogue 307; Lowndes II, 2372; Röhricht 1352; Tobler p. 123; Laor, 725-6.

Shaw traveled to Egypt, Palestine, Cyprus and around North Africa. The present work of his is most valuable for its accurate descriptions of antiquities, geography and natural history. As Lowndes notes, “These travels have been universally esteemed, not only for their accuracy and fidelity, but on account of the illustrations they contain of natural history, of the classic authors, and especially of the Scriptures.” “A noble example of typography.” (DNB).