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CAPTAIN THOMAS WILLIAMSON, Oriental field sports: Being a Complete and Accurate Description of the Wild Sports of the East, London: Edward Orme, 1808

(Set of 2 Volumes)
Volume I: xiv; 306 including engraved vignette title page and 20 engraved plates
Volume II: 239 including engraved vignette title page and 20 engraved plates
Brown leather-bound with gilt border on front and back covers, all edges marbled and spine with 5 raised bands
29 x 24 x 4.5 cm (each)

Captain Thomas Williamson was a British officer who served in the British regiment in Bengal for two decades and created sketches of his time in India. These illustrations, as well as his knowledge of sports and wildlife, came to the attention of the Orme family, who engaged English painter Samuel Howitt to create watercolours based on Williamson's sketches. The resulting coloured aquatints portray the vibrant Indian landscape and fauna, including depictions of tigers and majestic elephants, described by the author as possessing "the energy of the horse, the sagacity of the dog, and a large portion of the monkey's cunning." Originally published in 20 parts between 1805 and 1807, the work, as indicated in the preface, explores more than sports, and is offered to the public as depicting the Manners, Customs, Scenery, and Costume of a territory now intimately blended with the British Empire Williamson also authored a travel guide on India titled The East India Vade-Mecum, first published in 1810.

LIST OF PLATES

VOLUME I

1. Engraved vignette title
2. Hunters going out in the morning. No. I
3. Beating Sugar Cane for a Hog. No. II
4. The Chase after a Hog. No. III
5. Hog-Hunters meeting by surprise a Tigress & her Cubs. No. IV
6. The Hog at Bay. No. V
7. The Dead Hog. No.VI
8. The Return from Hog-Hunting. No. VII
9. Driving Elephants into a Keddah. No. VIII
10. Decoy Elephants catching a Male. No. IX
11. Decoy Elephants leaving the Male fastened to a tree. No. X
12. A Rhinoceros hunted by Elephants. No. XI
13. A Tiger prowling through a village. No. XII
14. A Tiger seizing a Bullock in a pass. No. XIV
15. Shooting a Tiger from a platform. No. XIII
16. Driving a Tiger out of a jungle. No. XV
17. Chasing a Tiger across a river. No. XVI
18. The Tiger at Bay. No. XVII
19. A Tiger springing upon an Elephant. No. XVIII
20. The Dead Tiger. No. XIX
21. Shooters coming by surprise upon a Tiger. No. XX

VOLUME II

22. Engraved vignette title
23. A Tiger hunted by Wild Dogs. No. XXI
24. A Tiger killed by a poisoned arrow. No. XXII
25. Shooting a Leopard. No. XXIII
26. Exhibition of a battle between a Buffalo & a Tiger. No. XXIV
27. Hunting an old Buffalo. No. XXV
28. Peacock Shooting. No. XXVI
29. Shooting at the edge of a jungle. No. XXVII
30. Driving a Bear out of Sugar Cane. No. XXVIII
31. Death of the Bear. No. XXIX
32. Hunting a Kuttauss, or a Civet Cat. No. XXX
33. Hunting Jackalls. No. XXXI
34. Chase after a Wolf. No. XXXII
35. The Common Wolf Trap. No. XXXIII
36. Smoking Wolves from their Earths. No. XXXIV
37. The Ganges breaking its banks: with fishing &c. No. XXXV.br.38. Killing Game in Boats. No. XXXVI
39. Dooreahs or Dog Keepers leading out Dogs. No. XXXVII
40. Sices, or Grooms, leading out Horses. No. XXXVIII
41. Hunting a Hog Deer. No. XXXIX
42. The Hog Deer at Bay. No. XL

Reference: J R Abbey, Travel in Aquatint and Lithography 1770-1860, 427; Rohatgi & Parlett, pp. 252-254