This is a book review published in Volume XXIX, No 58, Feb. 1818, pages 475-498 (22 pp) of the Edinburgh Review. The review is entitled "Captain Hall's Voyage to Loo-Choo". It is a contemporaneous review of Basil Hall's book, Account of a Voyage of Discovery to the West Coast of Corea, and the Great Loo-Choo Island.

The review has extensive quotes from the book and deals primarily with the visit to Loo-Choo and (pp 482-497 -- 16 of the 22 pages). Mixed in with the quotes from the books you find the reviewer's perspective. To illustrate, the reviewer concluded the following about the Loo-Chuans:

But it is not only their manners and tempers that are thus singularly agreeable; -- their dispositions seem to be thoroughly amiable and gentle, and their honesty and integrity without blemish. (p 486)

The reviewer was struck by the fact that despite repeated requests for an interview with the sovereign, Captain Maxwell only was able to see the "heir-apparent". This is the same situation Commodore Perry encountered on his visit to Okinawa in some 35 years later.

The page size is 21 x 12.8 cm (8.25 x 5 in) (16mo).

To view the first page of the review, click here