John Hassell, biographer of George Morland and a drawing master, was the author of several books on watercolour drawing and was a pioneer in the use of aquatint engraving for book illustration. He was also a publisher and printseller specialising in small guidebooks illustrated with his own drawings reproduced as miniature aquatints, hand-coloured. His favourite subjects were views in the Home Counties.

'This is a book of considerable interest now that canals are now no longer what they once were, the highways both of commerce and pleasure' (Prideaux).

First edition; 8vo; 24 hand-coloured aquatints by Hassell, watermarked 1812, scattered light foxing, affecting some plates, neat ownership signatures to front free endaper, bookplate to front pastedown; contemporary red straight-grained morocco gilt, covers with triple gilt fillet, floriated bored tooled in blind, tiny gilt floral corner pieces, central panel with triple gilt fillet, Greek key design tooled in blind, corners elaborately tooled in gilt, spine in 6 panelled compartments, gilt lettered direct to second and fifth, others richly gilt, raised bands, slight rubbing to joints and extremities, inner dentelles gilt, all edges gilt, blue endpapers; a very good copy.

Abbey Scenery 30; Tooley 252.