Described by The Morning Post as exhibiting 'facilities of observation never before possessed by a European lady', Anne Katharine Elwood was the ideal narrator for an exotic and exciting travel journal. The first woman to travel overland to India, she acquired a reputation as a pioneer even before her diary was published. When it first appeared in 1830 this work attracted much praise from critics and the general public alike. Elwood's travelogue introduces readers to an extraordinarily diverse range of locations and sights. Volume 2 describes the customs, habits, castes and religions of Indian society, includes a startling account of snakes and lizards, and ends with Elwood's homeward voyage via Ceylon, St Helena and Ascension Island. A contemporary critic recommended her account as 'the most amusing book of travels we have read for a long time'.