Semple, James George

FIRST EDITION, 8vo (210 x 125mm.), xxii, [2], 382pp., half-title, engraved portrait frontispiece, contemporary speckled calf, black label

Sir James Colquhoun of Luss, Bt, engraved armorial bookplate

Borba de Moraes p.495; Ferguson 297; Sabin 41421 (second edition)

Condition is described in the main body of the cataloguing, where appropriate
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Semple, an adventurer who went by several different names, had a colourful life in which he claimed “to have accompanied Frederick the Great during his campaign of 1778, to have been introduced to the Empress Catherine of Russia, to have accompanied Prince Potyomkin to the Crimea, and to have designed a uniform for the Russian army” (ODNB). In 1784 he was arrested for obtaining goods under false pretences and was eventually transported to Botany Bay, but was diverted to South America after a mutiny aboard the ship. He eventually made his way back to England, where he was rearrested. He published this autobiography while he was in Tothill prison.