The manners and customs of all nations; also, remarkable biographies, notable histories, eccentric sects, singular inventions, natural curiosities, mystical sciences, extraordinary buildings, wonderful animals,- &c., being a compendium of universal information ..
An 1827 London encyclopedia of world customs and curiosities, compiled by John Platts for a general reading public, its plates here show Russian domestic life, Kamchatkan sledge travel, and a mermaid-like figure. The pictures are small black-and-white engravings with plain, documentary composition, useful to a designer seeking period ethnographic scenes, sledge and boat silhouettes, or fantastical creature motifs.
