Lhasa And Its Mysteries : With A Record Of The Expedition Of 1903 - 1904

London: John Murray. Very Good- with no dust jacket. 1905. First Edition. Hardcover. Rebound (not recently) in green cloth boards. Light brown staining to lower margin of front endpaper and preliminary leaves. 1 plate (facing page 412) with 25mm tear to blank margin with paper tape repair. Provenance: Athelstan Joseph Alexander Kean, with ex libris bookplate on front endpaper. Bookseller's ticket W. H. Smith & Son's. ; First printing. xxii, 530 pages + colour frontispiece + 110 plate leaves (two colour) + in-text illustrations + 8 maps (including three folding, one of which is a large colour folding map of the "Route to Lhasa", compiled by Waddell, and showing Sikhim, Bhotan and Central Tibet). Final unnumbered leaf with printer's imprint not present. Page dimensions: 220mm x 144mm. Rebound in green cloth boards with gilt lettering and rule on spine. Waddell was the chief medical officer on Younghusband's military expedition into Tibet in 1904. This volume contains many interesting photographic illustrations of Tibet as it was at that time. "The following pages give an account, inadequate no doubt, yet I would fain hope, so far as it goes, intelligible and authentic, of Central Tibet, its capital, its Grand Lama Hierarchy, and its dreamy hermit-people, as they appear to one who has had exceptional advantages for making their aquaintance." - from the preface. Contents: Lhasa the Forbidden; The Grand Lama and his Evolution as the Priest-God of Lhasa; How the British Mission came to be sent; Forward! The Peaceful Mission becomes an Armed Force; Invasion of the Chumbi Valley across the Jelep Pass and Occupation of Phari Fort; Advance to Tuna on the Tibetan Plateau, across the formidable Tang Pass; Wintering in Tibet; On to Guru, with Battle at the Crystal Springs; The Tibetan Army and its Leaders; Dash on Gyantse, past the lakes Rham and Kala, with fight in the Gorge of the Red Idol; Gyantse - Its Fort and Town; Temples, Priests, and Convents of Gyantse and Neighbourhood, with visit to the Caves of the Entomed Hermits; Besieged at Gyantse; Relief of Gyantse and Storming of the Jong; Gyantse to Lhasa, past the Yamdok Sea, and across the Tsangpo Valler; Lhasa, "The Seat of the Gods"; Temples and Monks in the Hermit City: The Lamas' Holy of Holies; Oracles and Sorcerers; The Priest-God and his Palace; Tea with the Regent, Ruler of Tibet; Peace Negotiations and Signing of the Treaty; Rambles round Lhasa; The Return Journey - Exploration of the Tsangpo Valley, and snow-bound at Phari; Appendice - Scientific Results of the Expedition and Notes to the Text.; 8vo .