Travel & Voyages

The Narrative of Captain David Woodward [Adventures and Suffering in the Celebes] -1805

An extremely scarce account, we can only find one other copy available.

The lengthy full title explains … The Narrative of Captain David Woodward and Four Seamen Who Lost their Ship while in a Boat at Sea and Surrendered Themselves up to the Malays in the Island of Celebes … containing an Interesting Account of their Sufferings from Hunger and Various Hardships, and their Escape from the Malays. After a Captivity of Two Year and a Half: Also, an Account of the Manners and Customs of That Country, and a Description of the Harbours & Coasts etc. Together with An Introduction and an Appendix containing Narratives of Various Escapes from Shipwrecks, under Great Hardships and Abstinence; holding out a Valuable Seaman’s Guide. And the Importance of Union, Confidence and Perseverance in the Midst of Distress.

Printed by Johnson, St Paul’s Church-Yard a second edition 1805 and despite this truly scarce. Octavo, 236 pages, rough cut edges as issued. Contemporary half calf with marbled paper covered boards showing some wear.

Frontispiece a profile of Woodward, folding chart of the Island of Celebes, larger folding chart of the Western Part of the Island (Celebes) visited by Captain Woodward and a two page plate of Proas, Canoes and Implements of War of the Malays.

The first 143 pages comprises Woodward’s narrative the events of which commenced in March 1791. Woodward had departed on an American Ship from Batavia to Manilla. There was a scarcity of provisions and Woodward along with five sailors (one died soon in the events if you are curious about the title) set off on a quest to find supplies. They got separated from their ship and after many adventures and near death with thirst and starvation surrendered themselves to the Malay of the Celebes. They were treated as slaves and suffered many hardships. Eventually they begin to find help and after a failed attempt to escape finally make it to safety at Macassar. From there they are engaged on an American ship, Woodward as Chief-mate and sail for Calcutta. There Woodward meets Captain Hubbard with whom he sails to Mauritius and there Woodward is given Command of the Ship. From there to Bourbon, round the Cape of Good Hope to St Helena for repairs. Then to Ascension and on to England.

Woodward follows this adventure with a description of the Celebes its climate and natural history, religion and manners and a brief vocabulary of the Malay language.

The other misadventures described include … Captain Inglefield’s Narrative; William Boys’s Narrative of the Luxembourgh Galley; Lieutenant Bligh’s Narrative; Loss of the Lady Hobart Packet; Loss of the Pandora Frigate and several more.

Appendices include several useful articles including …. Case of Thomas Travis – seven days in a Pit; Experiment of a Physician; Remarkable Case of the Effects of Long Abstinence, List of a Number of Accidents, Shipwrecks, Escapes etc.

Captain Woodward’s incredible hardship is the Celebes among the Malay’s

$890.00

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Further Selection from the Tragic History of the Sea 1559-1565

Published by the Hakluyt Society in 1967 as an addition to “Tragedies” published eight years earlier under the editorship of the Esteemed Professor Boxer, Vice-President of the Society.

The earlier work dealt with shipwrecks on the east coast of Africa. This selection are further east in or on their way to the East Indies. Also, they had never been translated into English before this book .. no mean task translating 16th Century Portuguese and dealing with the lack of proof reading characteristic of the Portuguese publishing world of the period.

Octavo, 170 pages nicely illustrated with helpful maps and charts. Very good condition with the original dust jacket.

We have the … “Narrative of the loss of the Aguia and Garca, 1559-60 by Diogo do Couto”; “Shipwreck of the Sao Palo and itinerary of the survivors by Henrique Dias” and “Misadventures of the Santo Antonio and Jorge d’Albuquerque by Afonso Luis”.

First translations from the original 16thC texts – shipwrecks from the great Portuguese maritime era.

$40.00

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A View of the Clearings at the Foot of Mount Wellington – Hobart, Tasmania [Vue des Defrichemens. Au pied du mont Wellington (Ile Van Diemen) -1833

An original lithograph from a drawing by Louis Sainson (1801-1887) lithographed by Louis Leborne (1796-1863) and published as part of the great “Atlas Historique to Voyage de la Corvette l’Astrolabe under the Command of Dumont d’Urville”. Published in Paris by Tastu in 1833.

Lithographed on sturdy paper imprint size 33cm x 22cm. Embossed stamp of publisher below title. Good condition albeit with some light foxing in the wider margins away from the image. A scarce Hobart image. We cannot find any record of what the buildings represented, although from the extensive wall they could be the Cascades Female Factory

Price $340.00 unframed – rare

Finely engraved and detailed image up Mount Wellington .

$290.00

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Man Tracks [With the Mounted Police in Australian Wilds] – Ion Idriess

Published by Angus & Robertson 1936, a ninth edition issued one year after the first. The copy of Chicago resident, Idriess friend and admirer, Frances Van Cleef with a note indicating she acquired it in Melbourne on Feb 16, 1937.

Very good condition, a couple of chips to the dust jacket, very clean and tight internally. A super copy.

An impressive Idriess book about the Australian Mounted Police up through the Centre, the North and West. Many lively accounts recounted in the normal Idriess way. The photography in this book is special with a number of unique aboriginal images.

Real Crime solved by Australian Police on Horseback

$80.00

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George Bass 1771-1803: His Discoveries, Romantic Life and Tragic Disappearance – Keith Bowden – First Edition 1952

A very good first edition of this well researched and written book on Bass.

Published by the Oxford University Press Melbourne in 1952. Octavo, 171 pages with illustrations and a fine dust jacket.

The author Keith Macrae Bowden was the author of the official Australian Dictionary of Biography re Bass and therefore holds a certain authority on the subject explorer.

After various introduction we have a family history and the first naval activity on HMS Shark and HMS Reliance. Off to Australia and the exploratory adventures on the Tom Thumb before a trip to South Africa. Time in Port Jackson and the discovery of coal before the “Discovery of the Bass Strait” and the final whale boat voyage. Plans for a fortune and his Pacific voyages and on to South America and his disputable fate.

Nice appendices on the Tom Thumb; Source of Information and a succinct listing of the subjects achievements.

George Bass a fairly full life

$50.00

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(South) Polar Operations – Edwin MacDonald

First edition published by The US Naval Institute, Maryland in 1969.

A square octavo format, 239 pages illustrated throughout with images from photographs, amps and charts.

The author was a Deputy Commander of the US Naval Support Force in Antarctica in 1962. He was in charge of the exploration of coastline of Marie Byrd Land on the USS Glacier.

A boo focused, naturally on the ocean and coastline with chapters covering … the Environment; Polar Icebreakers and Icebreaking; the Convoy.. Procedures on Iceworking Vessels; Polar Navigation, Seamanship and Wintering Over… Safety and (importantly) Survival.

More than an Operation Manual – South with the US

$25.00

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The Narrative of Captain David Woodward [Adventures and Suffering in the Celebes] -1805

Further Selection from the Tragic History of the Sea 1559-1565

A View of the Clearings at the Foot of Mount Wellington – Hobart, Tasmania [Vue des Defrichemens. Au pied du mont Wellington (Ile Van Diemen) -1833

Man Tracks [With the Mounted Police in Australian Wilds] – Ion Idriess

George Bass 1771-1803: His Discoveries, Romantic Life and Tragic Disappearance – Keith Bowden – First Edition 1952

(South) Polar Operations – Edwin MacDonald

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