A GLIMPSE OF ORIENTAL NATURE, Pictures and Verses, by a Lady. With Preface, by the Rev. G.R. Gleig, Chaplain General to Her Majesty’s Forces.

FIRST EDITION, PRESENTATION COPY. 8vo, [22.5 x 18.3 cm], 25 leaves, with 22 chromolithograph and hand-coloured plates, including a decorative title with additional gold printing, a coloured dedication and three leaves of letterpress including a printed title, preface and contents; some occasional marks; original decorated blue cloth with a gilt panel design, gilt edges, expertly recased, somewhat rubbed in places, but still a desirable copy, inscribed at head of dedication leaf 'with the authors and publishers respectful complts'.


Most of the natural history subjects illustrated by Miss Ward stem from the authors stay in Ceylon and include a number of exotic butterflies, woodpeckers, 'Walking Green-leaf,' 'Walking dry-leaf', 'Stick Insect', 'Nectarina bird' together more everyday subjects as coffee, vanilla and nutmeg. Each of the illustrations is rather luxuriously coloured and given suitably descriptive verses to enhance the readers interest.

The preface, by the Rev George Robert Gleig, explains that 'It has pleased God to take away the health of the authoress, and to cut her off, in so doing, from most of the pursuits and recreations incident to her position in life. She has in fact been, in some sort, a recluse for many years past… She has thus found companionship in Flowers, Plants, Birds, and beautiful Insects; and having a perfect mastery over her pencil, she not unnaturally did her best, by transferring their shape and colours to her sketch book… This practice begun in Corfu, and continued under the tropical sun of Colon, has not been interrupted since her return to England.'

The only indication of an author we have found is from the contemporary index of 'The Stainforth Library of Women's Writing' where the work is ascribed to a 'Miss Ward.'

OCLC records four copies in the UK, at the BL, Bodleian, Cambridge, NLS and the National Art library in the V&A, and three in North America, at Princeton, Texas and Kenyon college.