Frank, I will go back to H. Charlier and ask him for some clarification on his answer.

Frank, thank you for your detailed and very helpful analysis. I'm sure it will help others as well.

I will now get the book re-bound as the boards are dammaged and the endpapers also by library cards.

I had a response this morning from H. Charlier of Belgium who is selling another copy with red boards on Abe (reliure rigide en percaline rouge avec titres en dorure), with regard to the same questions:-

1. The last word on pg. 271 is well ' stream '.
2. The adress doesn't include ' 11 '.
3. The dragon head on the left is pointing up and on the right down.

All the best.......

Thank you all for your replies.

Frank in response to your questions:-
1: Stream is missing on page 271
2: The head of the Dragon/Phoenix? is pointing down.

Simon
Did the 1909 reprint have all the first issue points that are outlined in Frank's post?

Sean
I have decided to pass up the dust-coat in favour of a fine umbrella. This will be far more suitable for the large amount of rain that continues to descend on Hong Kong. We shall soon be boating to work, cooking up breakfast and fighting to find the elusive shaving tackle....

Bit of a puzzle this one, is this copy of mine a first edition?

Dark red cloth boards, no picture of the boat on the front, but title in gilt on the spine.

Publishers Address as follows:
BRISTOL
J.W. ARROWSMITH, QUAY STREET
LONDON
SIMPKIN, MARSHALL & CO., 4 STATIONERS' HALL COURT

Dated on title page 1889

No adverts in the front, and one page of adverts in the back for:-
Arrowsmith's Bristol Library.
Fcap. 8vo, stiff covers, 1/-; cloth, 1/6.

The adverts show 37 books, ending with Jaques Bonhomme.
There is no mention of Prince Prigio.

There you have it.

Perhaps there were two first editions, one printed in Bristol and one in London, to add to the mystery this looks like an ex-library copy - was there a cheaper print run done for libraries at the same time?

Sadly the covers are not in good condition, so I shall get it rebound, because as the Saturday Review says - Arrowsmith's Bristol Library is "as necessary to the traveller as a rug in winter and a dust-coat in summer"

Also - where can I get a dust-coat?