Description

A travelogue by a French diplomat Théophile de Ferrière Le Vayer (1812-1864) describes his journey to Asia, made in 1843 and 1844 through Tenerife, Rio de Janeiro, Cape of Good Hope, Le Réunion, Malacca, Singapore, Manilla, Guangzhou, Calcutta, Bombay, Aden Cairo, Alexandria, Malta and return to France through Southampton.

The end of each chapter discusses the importance of the colony.

The travelogue includes descriptions of cities and places, customs, developments of the colonies and also issues, such as the influence of slavery in Portugal on the current situation in Brazil, descriptions of the vineries of Constantia, the Table Mountain, general considerations on the colonies in the Cape of Good Hope, Creole dinner in Le Réunion, replacement of the working force of colored slaves by the Chinese immigrants, which the author holds in highest regards and predicts, that they are going to expand in the Americas, a long description of Macao and a dinner at a Chinese restaurant in the city etc.

The second part, which is a shorter travelogue, depicting the journey in 1845, describes Sri Lanka and Madras, Calcutta, with cholera, the Bengal Club, women, and opium sales, as well as the trade between the Americans and French with India and China, Macao and contains a description of Hong Kong.