As nice as copy as one could hope to find, this is inscribed on the half-title: “To Lady Johnston from The Author, Nov 4th 1865.” The gilt on the binding is far more elaborate than on most other copies, suggesting a de luxe issue.
Educated at Trinity College, Dublin, Tennent’s political career began in 1832 when he was elected a Member of Parliament from Belfast. A supporter of Sir Robert Peel, he served as Secretary of the India Board before being knighted in 1845. From August 1845 to December 1849, Tennent served as the civil secretary to the colonial government in Ceylon, returning to Great Britain in 1850. A life-long interest in literature and history led to the publication of his experiences in Ceylon.
When published in 1859, Tennent’s Ceylon: An Account of the Island, Physical, Historical and Topographical instantly became the best account of the region in the 19th century and the standard work on the subject into the 20th century. In the Introduction to his work, Tennent begins by praising the early works on Ceylon by the mediaeval voyagers and merchant adventurers: “But amidst this wealth of materials as to the island and its vicissitudes in early times, there is an absolute death of information regarding its present state and progress during more recent periods, and is actual condition at the present day … Thus for almost every particular and fact, whether physical or historical, I have been to great extend thrown on my own researches…”
Five editions were printed in eight months after publication. “It contained a vast amount of information arranged with clarity and precision, and received generally good reviews. In 1861 he republished part of it as Sketches of the Natural History of Ceylon” (ODNB). In the introduction to this work, he explains that information included in his Account was much abbreviated compared to what one finds here.
While copies are frequently found on the market, examples in such fine condition, let alone with an authorial presentation are very rare indeed.
