The full title of this book reads 'A picturesque description of North Wales: embellished with twenty select views from nature. Published by Thomas McLean.' It was printed in London at the Columbian Press in 1823 and this copy came to Wales in 1846 as part of Thomas Phillips' donation to St David's College, Lampeter.

In all, Thomas Phillips donated some 22,500 books to Lampeter, which, when added to the collections given and bequeathed by Bishop Burgess and the Bowdler family, made the library of the infant college the largest and most comprehensive in Wales.

Only the plates are displayed on the following pages but the accompanying text has been transcribed and can be viewed underneath the images.

The preface to the volume reads as follows:

'At a time when the whole of the public attention seems to be engrossed by the attractions of foreign countries, whilst travellers of every class, possessing or wholly devoid of taste, are leaving their homes by thousands and tens of thousands in search of the picturesque and beautiful, it may be difficult, but no less laudable, to endeavour to draw back some small portion of regard for those luxurient and exquisite scenes that abound throughout the British Isles - scenes that cannot be surpassed, and very many of them unequalled. It is certainly to be regretted, that in the present day so many should be found, perfectly ignorant of the beauties of our own Islands, yet most eloquently fluent upon the merits of French and Italian scenery, &c. Nor is any thing more common than to meet on every part of the Continent, 'soidisant' people of taste, who have seen no other part of the British Dominions than the place which had the 'honour' to give them birth, and possibly twenty miles around it. An elegant writer has remarked, that, "no one should travel until he has seen his own Country," but the reverse appears to be the present rage; and it has been the wish of the Author, in this small Sketch of Wales, to contribute his mite towards the revival of a kindlier feeling for the unparalleled beauties of our Native Land.'