Mandelslo?S Travels In Western India (A. D. 1638-9)

The author owes a few words of explanation on presenting this little book to the public in the form in which it appears. The first English translation of Mandelslo?s Travels, by J. Davies, was published in London, nearly three hundred years ago, in 1662, and the work is at present but little known and very rare. As the most valuable part of his travels refers to his tour through Gujarat, he decided at first to give a critical summary of the same, with extracts, in his History of Gujarat which is in preparation. But when completed it was found that this account, in spite of his attempts at compression, extended over several chapters, and took up a rather disproportionate space in the larger historical work. He has been decided to publish it as a separate book with the addition of chapter on his interesting visit to Goa, his account of Portuguese in Western India and his return voyage to Europe. But it is expected that the present work will supply a different want in its critical, historical and topographical remarks. The book contains nine chapters and six fine illustrations to make it more interesting amongst the student, researcher and reader.