The Manchus, or the Reigning Dynasty of China: Their Rise and Progress by Ross, John - 1880

Paisley; London: J. & R. Parlane; Houlston & Sons, 1880. First edition. Hardcover. Fine. A near fine copy of this scarce book and an intriguing copy, with a contemporary Japanese booksellers label "Jujiya Book Store, buying second hand books, #5 Yatozaka, Yokohama." There is also a Chinese red block stamp on the title page. Reverend John Ross (1842 - 1915), was a Scottish United Presbyterian Missionary to Northeast China. He was sent there in 1872, at that time known as Manchuria. The preface states the book the character of the locals and provides "an opportunity of judging contemporaneous Chinese, their actual character and their possible conduct." Besides being the founder of a church in .... The author is best known for being the first to translate the bible into Korean. Ross went first to Yingkou, then to Mukden (the present-day Shenyang), establishing a church there in 1889. This church was called Dongguan Church (East Gate Church) because it was built just outside that gate, as Christian churches were not allowed within the city wall. It was rebuilt after the Boxer Rebellion. Several OCLC entries including OCLC 503710177 (2 copies, British Library); OCLC: 1151881051 (2 copies in Denmark); OCLC: 253997447 (State Library Berlin); OCLC: 458216929 at BNP, etc. A fine copy with no discernible detractions. Bright and clean with no hinge wear despite the bulkiness of the text. Thick 8vo, xxxii, 751pp; 2 maps: black & white frontispiece and line drawings throughout the text including full page illustrations. Publishers tan cloth covered boards, gilt title and Manchu portrait device in gilt on front board. Rare in the trade- RareBookHub cites two copies at auction, in 1908 & 1909.