HIMALAYAN TRAVELS
Calcutta: Chuckervertty, Chatterjee & Co., Ltd and self-published, 1920. Hardcover. Very Good. Item #SHEL2041
1st printing. Octavo gray cloth with gilt-titles on spine. Pagination: title with self-published statement and printer on verso, dedication and verso blank, Contents with Illustrations (1) - 6, Preface, (i) - iii, Introductory Note (iv) - vi, Portrait of V. A. Stowell, who wrote the Introductory, 1- 298, Errata (A) - E. Illustrated with numerous b/w photos. Two folding maps: "Sobla Slip & Dam" (map of a small lake created by a landslide along the Tejam and Mehia Rivers), also "Map of Pilgrim Route from Hardwar to Gangotari Kedarnath Badarinath / Ramnagar Kathgodam." encompassing Tehri State and Garhwal. This second map has a short split near the gutter. This book is an exquisitely detailed description of the map area including accounts of the residents, landmarks and villages, landforms, roads and trails, and much more. The author was a government employee, a settlement officer of the district defined by the second map. Wisdom Library describes the work of such an officer: "the Settlement Officer plays a crucial role in land management, including surveying plots and resolving boundary disputes. In historical India, these officers were often viewed negatively by residents. Their responsibilities included determining the annual value of land uniformly, ensuring fair assessment and management of land settlements. Thus, the role of the Settlement Officer is significant in maintaining land records and addressing disputes while navigating the complex perceptions held by the local populace." Little is known in the public digital record of the author, but Stowell, who wrote the Introduction and who wrote A Manual of Land Tenures of Kumaon Division, strongly believed that Singh's experience and ability to write and describe everything he encountered must write this book and is glad he did. This copy is a "gentle" ex-library copy with neatly applied ink library stamps applied to the ffep, the title page, and the rear free endpaper. It has a checkout sleeve glued to the front paste down and a small sticker on the same with a number on it. No ugly library call number on the spine and no stamps on the edges. No perforations. A couple of leaves have the upper corner creased and repaired. Light wear to the extremities. Accepting the gentle ex-lib features of this copy I nonetheless grade it a very good copy. Additional photos on request. Exceedingly rare.
Price: $1,500.00