INSCRIBED BY THE DEDICATEE
WEST INDIES - HENDERSON, John (author). A.S. FORREST (illustrator). The West Indies. London, Adam and Charles Black, 1905.
Large 8vo.; publisher's light blue cloth prettily blocked in dark green, cream, and gilt to spine and upper cover, lettered gilt, top edges gilt; pp. ix + [i] + 270 + [ii] + [4] publisher's catalogue; with 74 fine coloured plates protected by captioned tissue-guards; a very good, sound, copy with light overall dusting and fading to spine, internally fresh and crisp throughout save 4 offset brown marks to front free endpaper, from previous insert, marginal brown toning to half-title, a scuffed tear to bottom edge of one tissue-guard, and with a neat ink inscription to front blank, "With compliments of Sir Alfred Jones" alongside the handsome wood-engraved bookplate of Arthur Agius; scarce.
First edition, inscribed by the Dedicatee to an unnamed recipient. The author addresses Sir Alfred Jones, K.C.M.G., in an acclamatory 2-page dedication. The text, which is imbued with racial stereotyping of the period, focusses on the topography and history of Jamaica, with concluding chapters on "The Caribbean Group" and Haiti; other chapters are devoted to the army, horse-racing, and local pursuits such as turtle fishing and alligator shooting.. The accompanying illustrations prove wider-ranging, with scenes from Barbadoes, St. Lucia, Trinidad, St. Thomas, and elsewhere, in addition to those relating to Jamaica.One of the rarer books in Black's "20/-s" series, with a total issue of 2000 rather than the more usual 3000 copies. Inman 89.
#2114527