AINSWORTH, William Francis.

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Researches in Assyria, Babylonia, and Chaldea; First edition of this account of the 1836 expedition by its surgeon and geologist. Ainsworth contributed "geological sections across northern Syria and the Taurus Mountains, discovered several deposits of commercially important minerals in Mesopotamia and Anatolia, and explored a substantial part of south-east Persia" (ODNB). William Francis Ainsworth (1807-1896) was a doctor specializing in cholera before being chosen by the expedition's leader, Francis Chesney (1789-1872), to join the 50-person crew. The Euphrates expedition set out to create a new overland trade route to India via the eponymous river, "as well as asserting British political presence in the area, promoting British commercial ties, and gathering scientific and archaeological data" (ODNB).Despite facing many tribulations along the journey, such as losing one of their two steamers, 20 men drowning, and Ainsworth being forgotten during a refuelling stop and walking 50 miles over two days to reunite with the ship, the crew managed to sail along 1,200 miles of the river successfully. Various other expeditions to cement the route were carried out over the 1840s, but plans to construct the Suez Canal meant the route was abandoned. "This account of the geological work [of the expedition] is dedicated to Francis Chesney head of the expedition. Ainsworth produced this work very quickly, long before Chesney's own account had appeared"(Atabey).

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