Non-fiction

117 Days Adrift (In the Pacific) – Maurice & Maralyn Bailey – First Australian Edition 1974

Published by The Australasian Publishing Co, Hornsby a first edition 1974. Large octavo, 192 pages with endpaper maps, further charts and numerous excellent illustrations

This story is up there with Apollo 13.

Maurice and Maralyn Bailey give up their lives as a clerk and a tax officer in the South of England sell their house to live life at sea. They had the Auralyn built to meet their own needs and finally sailed for New Zealand in June 1972.

The made the Atlantic and through the Panama without notable incident. However North East of the Galapagos it all went wrong when they were hit by a whale and the boat began to sink. All attempts to save her were in vain and they had to abandon the Auralyn for their inflatable raft and dinghy. Meagre supplies were recovered.

Along the way we have storms, capsizing, numerous sightings of ship that did not see them … the first on day 8! They captured fresh water but not without difficulty and caught fish and turtles for food. Eventually rescued by a Korean fishing vessel “Weolmi 306” drifting further north having already crossed the main shipping route.

Their remarkable story and their survival among the marine life of Pacific area known as the “Tropical convergence” warranted foreword by Sir peter Scott

Incredible story of survival in the Pacific

$30.00

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Come Aboard – Eric Hiscock – First Edition 1978

Published by Oxford University Press a first edition 1978. Octavo, 237 pages with 43 coloured photographs by the Hiscock’s and seven charts. Very good near fine condition.

In 1976, Eric Hiscock and his wife set off on their third circumnavigation of the world.

They traveled west from New Zealand in the jib-headed ketch Wanderer IV via the Durban to England, the Canaries and a stop off in the West Indies before through the Panama and across the Pacific taking in the Marquesas, Tahiti and Fiji.

Nicely illustrated and with good technical dialogue.

Fine sailing third time all the way

$30.00

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The Happy Island – Bengt Danielsson – First UK Edition 1952

A scarce book, the first UK edition published by George Allen & Unwin, London 1952 .. we also have the first US Edition. Octavo, 256 pages nicely illustrated with the authors photographs. Good to better condition with a chip lower dust jacket.

The author was part of the Kon-Tiki expedition. They were shipwrecked at Raroia which is a coral atoll in the Tuamotu Archipelago, to the east of Tahiti.

Danielsson and his wife returned there and spent a year and a half enjoying the relaxed lifestyle. A very funny account but there is tragedy in the death of a key character and the inevitable cyclone.

Perspective .. in 2012 the population of Raroia was 233, there is nowhere to stay so visitors are always invited to stay in the homes of maybe the friendliest people on earth!

Unusual Pacific account

$30.00

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The Lhota Nagas – Mills – First Edition 1932

First edition, published by MacMillan, London in 1932. Largish octavo, 255 pages nicely illustrated from photographs and drawings with a nice map of the relevant area. Striking blue cloth covered binding with gilt titling to spine and front as well as a lavish gilt image of a Lhota warrior in full dress.

Whilst the author had no formal anthropological training this is widely regarded as the primary source of information regarding the reclusive and inviting Lhota Nagas

Mills addresses the origins of the tribe, their migration, appearance, dress, ornament and weapons. Domestic life among the Nagas and the “Morung” … agriculture and the various unusual associated ceremonies. Hunting, fishing, food, medicine and drugs. Games they play, music and entertainment. The laws and customs by which they abide… war and head-hunting, Slavery and the position of women. Religion and life after death … magic, folk tales and songs. A good chapter on their language and various appendices concerning the Lhota calendar, mensuration and human sacrifice.

John Philip Mills (1890- 1960) was educated at Winchester College and Corpus Christi Cambridge. He spent three years as the Assistant Commissioner at Mokokchung, remote Nagaland in Northern India bordering Assam. During that period he worked on this book. Later in life he was rewarded for his work … back in London he was appointed Reader at the School of Oriental and African Studies, London University. In the 1950’s he was President of the Anthropological Institute.

The surprising life of the Lhota Nagas a unique people

$240.00

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The Wreck of the Batavia & Prosper – Simon Leys

A fine first hardback published 2005 by Black Inc, Melbourne. Small octavo, 110 pages, illustrated comprising two separate essays of close to equal length.

The author’s account of the unusual going’s on to do with the wreck of the Dutch East Indies Batavia and the horrid aftermath is good succinct account.

Despite the unusual format of the title …Prosper is a totally different narrative and not a wreck account … deeply personal the author Pierre Ryckmans (here under his pen-name Simon Leys) recalls a summer spent on a tuna fishing boat off Brittany … his introduction to “proper sailing”.

Batavia special and unusual combination … Prosper

$22.00

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Capture of the Mahonesa – Original Hand Coloured Aquatint – Whitcombe 1816

An original hand coloured aquatint by Sutherland after a painting by Thomas Whitcombe (1763-1824) a leading British maritime artist. Published at 48 The Strand, London, 1st November 1816 for Jenkins’s “The Naval Achievements of Great Britain”; surely the greatest ever naval illustrated work.

Printed on thick Whatman paper measuring 30 cm by 21.5 cm with wide borders. Some ghosting from a previous mount as can be seen from the image. Reflected in the price … a desirable collectable naval item.

The action took place on 13th October 1796 off the coast of Spain near Cartgeria. The 22 gun frigate HMS Tepsichore, under Captain Richard Bowen had been shadowing the Spanish fleet. On his return to Lisbon he encountered the Mahonesa under Captain Ayalde. The Spanish offered “battle” and Bowen accepted and won the Mahonesa with little loss on his side. He took his prize to Lisbon but unfortunately had caused so much damage to the ship that it was considered worthless as a prize. This was the first encounter of the Anglo-Spanish War which was to last a further eight years.

Price $190.00 unframed … ask for framing options if you wish.

Thomas Whitcombe exhibited at the Royal Academy (56 times), the British Institution and the Royal Society of British Artists. Many of his paintings of naval engagements are in the National Maritime Museum, Greenwich

$190.00

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117 Days Adrift (In the Pacific) – Maurice & Maralyn Bailey – First Australian Edition 1974

Come Aboard – Eric Hiscock – First Edition 1978

The Happy Island – Bengt Danielsson – First UK Edition 1952

The Lhota Nagas – Mills – First Edition 1932

The Wreck of the Batavia & Prosper – Simon Leys

Capture of the Mahonesa – Original Hand Coloured Aquatint – Whitcombe 1816

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