Exploration

Narrative of the Wreck of HMS Porpoise – Robert Purdie [A Flinders Item]

Octavo, xiv, 134 pages, published by Hordern House in 2014. A very good copy.

Robert Purdie was a young surgeon who was wrecked on HMS Porpoise on a reef off the Queensland coast (to become known as “Wreck Reef’’). This was the vessel originally taking Matthew Flinders back the England having completed his coastal survey of Australia, confirming the entirety of the land mass. Purdie’s account had been published anonymously in The Naval Chronicle in 1807/07. He had been a junior officer on the Investigator and was among those that stayed on the reef whilst Flinders and other rowed back to Sydney to successfully mount a rescue.

The narrative is lively, informative and readable … here well presented with an excellent introduction and notes by Matthew Fishburn

Flinders and Wreck Reef by Surgeon’s Mate Purdie.

$40.00

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The Great South Land – Searching for the Antipodes from Classical Scholars to Quiros & Dampier.

Published by Hordern House in 2011 another scholarly catalogue of key works presented in a depth and standard unlikely to be surpassed.

Hardback quarto, in dust jacket, unpaginated but circa 180 pages with 127 rare items. A fine copy.

After a useful introduction we start with “Ideas of a southern continent” … Classical Geographers with works by Strabo, Mela, Macrobious, Ptolemaeus … the Renaissance and later. Leading to Marco-Polo, Mandeville and the “travellers and story tellers”. Dutch exploration and the VOC … Duyfken, Tasman, Pelsaert. Before the Spanish and Portuguese … Varthema, Quiros, Mendana. The “English Adventurers make Landfall” .. Drake, Woodes Rogers, William Dampier. Hakluyt wraps it all up. All up 104 voyagers, travellers or distinguished authors.

The period up to Dampier explained by reference to key works

$40.00

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Encyclopedia of Exploration to 1800 – A Comprehensive Reference Guide to the History and Literature of Exploration, Travel and Colonisation from the Earliest Times to the Year 1800.

An as new copy of this great work by the unique Raymond Howgego, published by the equally unique Hordern House in 2003. Part of a greater series of works.

A comprehensive [understatement] reference guide. Large quarto, xv, 1,168 pages, containing 2,327 articles, referencing 7,500 persons or ships, in over 1.2 million words all cross referenced to primary and secondary sources … bibliography of 20,000 works etc. Dust jacket as published, multiple silk marking ribbons …all in super condition.

Raymond Howgego was teacher of physics before he gave that up to become a full-time traveler and travel writer. Possibly put down more words than any other living person. Seemingly can handle almost all European languages and Arabic and probably a few others. He still has an interest in amateur radio and fixing electronic items … we withhold his call sign, but you can find it if you try.

As new Howgego on Exploration the Foundation Volume

$230.00

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Into the Blue – Boldly Going Where Captain Cook Has Gone Before – Tony Horwitz.

Published by Allen & Unwin in 2003 a substantial softcover, 480 pages, illustrated appropriately, very good like new condition.

Horwitz follows James Cook as if on all three of his famous voyages of exploration. From the very first page this book has you hooked in what Bill Bryson describes as an “enthralling excursion around the Pacific”. Even for those that have read the first hand accounts and the monumental works of Beaglehole we suggest this will provide a new perspective

Captain Cook by Horwitz – a new take with superb perspective.

$25.00

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Royal Society of Tasmania – Papers & Proceedings – 1926 [the Dutch in Tasmania and Crowther]

Contains an important historical paper by Clive Lord on the planting of the Dutch Flag in Tasmania.

Geoffrey Ingleton’s copy … Ingleton Catalogue stamp no 14258 on rear cover.

Perfect bound in original paper covers, 196 pages with 11 plates and 22 figures within the text.

Contents further include inter alia … Isostatic Background of Tasmanian Physiography; the Constitutional Separation of Tasmania from New South Wales 1825; Oil Shales of Tasmania; Tasmanian Spiders; Tasmanian Cetacea; New and Little Known Tasmanian Lepidoptera; Notes on the Tasmanian Race (Crowther) etc etc. As well as the formalities … Annual Report etc.

The Dutch plant their flag and Crowther on the Tasmanian Aborigines

$60.00

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The Ascent on Everest – John Hunt

Leader, John Hunt’s classic account of the conquest with of Everest Alfred Gregory’s photographs.

This is the delightful Readers Book Club edition of 1955. Octavo, 320 pages nicely illustrated.

A very nice copy, very clean inside. Super dust jacket showing Tenzing on the summit, a little creased but still very nice.

All the way to the very top

$30.00

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Narrative of the Wreck of HMS Porpoise – Robert Purdie [A Flinders Item]

The Great South Land – Searching for the Antipodes from Classical Scholars to Quiros & Dampier.

Encyclopedia of Exploration to 1800 – A Comprehensive Reference Guide to the History and Literature of Exploration, Travel and Colonisation from the Earliest Times to the Year 1800.

Into the Blue – Boldly Going Where Captain Cook Has Gone Before – Tony Horwitz.

Royal Society of Tasmania – Papers & Proceedings – 1926 [the Dutch in Tasmania and Crowther]

The Ascent on Everest – John Hunt

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