The China Coaster's Tide Book and Nautical Pocket Manual for the Year 1931

A highly detailed manual and handbook for the professionl seaman working the China coast and Southeast Asia just prior to WWII. Contains a wealth of information on topics such as house, weather and port flag signals, tide times and levels, harbour and mooring regulations, quarantine rules, cargo rules and restrictions, lists of licenced pilots' names, phone numbers and addresses, list of steamers' names and numbers running to and from Shanghai, distance and bearing charts, and much more. Ports described in detail, with sailing instructions, include Tientsin [Tianjin], Dairen [Dalian], Tsingtao, Shanghai, Amoy [Xiamen], Foochow, Wenchow, Keelung, Tamsui, Hong Kong, Bangkok, as well as many smaller ports in between. Flag diagrams, charts and maps in colour. Includes 15 pp. of advertisements, many nautical-related. Cover, binding and interior in very good, complete and bright condition. Upper front page corners (1 cm.) neatly clipped up to the tide tables for November 1931, presumably the last month that the book was used (clipping is well clear of any text). Handwritten notes on one blank page in what is possibly Romanian; small hand sketched diagram of Woosung harbour in margin of opposing page. Small (5 mm) tear to cover at base of spine. Overall excellent condition for a fascinating and very rare item. 482 pp., 6 fold-out maps and charts, index. Size: 16 x 9 cm.