Travel & Voyages

The Voyage of the Duff – A Missionary Voyage to the Southern Pacific Ocean 1796-1798 – Captain James Wilson

I our opinion one of the best produced facsimiles of one of the great late 18thC voyages to the Pacific. The standard likely because of the publisher Frederick Praeger, New York etc., printed in Austria with that quality.

The fact that the large folding maps and folding plates have all been reproduced is a production delight most others avoid .. maybe you get one in that form .. here we have them all.

Small quarto, 420 pages, illustrated as described above the original a masterpiece of cartography and engraving. Very good condition.

Super informative introduction by Irmgard Moschner of the Vienna Museum.

If you look elsewhere on our site we have the original issue of this volume for sale .. but not at this price.

Full title … A Missionary Voyage to the Southern Pacific Ocean Performed in the Years 1796, 1797, 1798, in the Ship Duff, Commanded by Captain James Wilson. Compiled from Journals of the Officers and the Missionaries; and Illustrated with Maps, Charts and Views Drawn by Mr William Wilson, and engraved by the most eminent Artists. With a Preliminary Discourse on the Geography and History of the South Sea Islands; and an Appendix, including details never before published, of the Natural and Civil State of Otaheite.

An early voyage to the Pacific, undertaken for the purpose of establishing a mission in Tahiti, and a settlement of 25 persons was formed. Though the King befriended them, they met with continual difficulties because of civil wars and were finally forced to flee to Australia, though returning some time later in 1815. The work contains many valuable details regarding Tahiti, the Fiji Islands, Tonga, the Marquesas, etc. The discovery of a new group of islands, named the Duff Group among the Santa Cruz Islands. The narrative is full and readable with considerable valuable observation – not at all in the often dry “missionary” style. Stands, in our view, as a key read in the early Pacific Voyages genre.

The folding “Chart of the Duff’s Track in the Pacific Ocean” was the first map to use the name Australia than New Holland. Other important maps comprise – Feejee Islands; Marquesas Islands; Duff’s Group; Gambier Islands; Island of Otaheite and Island of Tongataboo.

Views comprise … Harbour of Rio Janeiro; Missionary Settlement at Matavai; View of Tallo Harbour; Great Morai of Oberca; Morai and Ark of the Eatooa at Attahooroo and Fiatookas of Futtasaihe.

The 18thC Voyage of The Duff up there with the best

$70.00

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Leichhardt’s Expeditioners – Dan Sprod

A limited edition of 750 this book by Dan Sprod provides enlightening detail from the journals kept by William Philips and John Murphy who participated in Leichhardt’s successful expedition from Moreton Bay up through Northern Queensland and the North Coast to Port Essington.

Well written as with all of Dan Sprod’s work dealing with the personalities and contributions of each party as well as progress of the expedition.

Nicely illustrated and with a map in rear pocket. Never before published content makes this a must for those interested in Australian inland exploration.

Lechhardt’s party get properly on the record

$50.00

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Trial By Ice – The Antarctic Journals of John King Davis

The collectable Erskine Press 1997 edition in fine condition.

The greatest Ship’s Captain of the Heroic Antarctic era with seven voyages from 1907 to 1930. Unrivalled experience in Ice Navigation. Stern discipline earned him the nickname “Gloomy Davis”.

This book, taken from his journals provides an interesting contrast to those of Mawson in particular.

Maybe Gloomy but Very Good

$75.00

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Sent Forth a Dove [Discovery of the Duyfken] – James Henderson

In 1606 the Dutch India Company ship the Duyfken came upon the Cape York Peninsula. The author reconstructs the fascinating adventure of this little ship and tells of the building of the replica.

The Duyfken appeared at the Hobart Wooden Boat Festival in 2023.We hope it returns in 2025. Voyager photograph of the vessel in the River Derwent shown here.

A softcover, large octavo, 218 pages, heavily and nicely illustrated. Published by the University of Western Australia in 1999. A super copy.

The Duyfken started it all as a Dove would

$30.00

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Terre Napoleon – Australia Through French Eyes 1800-1804 – Susan Hunt and Paul Carter.

This is the upmarket hardcover version of this beautiful book published by the Historic Houses Trust of New South Wales in association with Hordern House – hence the quality.

Introduction by subject super expert Jacqueline Bonnemains of the Le Harve Museum where much of the great artwork from the early French expeditions resides.

Largish quarto, 148 pages, illustrated throughout from the Baudin voyage, many in illuminating colour. A very good if not fine copy in a fine dust jacket.

Baudin presented and described so well ..

$60.00

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New Light on the Discovery of Australia as revealed by the Journal of Captain Don Diego de Prado y Tovar

We had mislaid this book – but now it’s found.

Published in London by Henry Stevens, Son and Stiles, 1930. First edition, 262 pages, full page map, 2 fold out maps, 2 pages facsimile copy of pages of Prado’s Relacion, 2 large Prado fold out maps in pocket at rear.

A sequel to Clement Markham’s work on Quiros and compiled from historical records since found.

The opening paragraph sets the scene “ the recovery of the long-lost manuscript Relacion of Captain Don Diego de Prado y Tovar, who accompanied Pedro Fernandez de Quiros on his famous voyage of exploration in the South Seas in 1605-6, is undoubtedly the most important “find” of virgin historical material made in modern times. It furnished us for the first time with a detailed account of the discovery of Torres Strait and Northmost Australia, made during the continuation of the voyage to Manila by Prado and Torres after the parting of the ships at Espiritu Santo, whence Quiros returned to America””

Maps include Cornelius de Jode’s Speculum Orbis Terrae of 1593, folding map of Wytfliet’s Descriptionis Ptolemaicae Augmentum 1597 Facsimiles of Four Prado Maps (in one) and a Sketch Map of the Voyage of Prado and Torres deduced from dates, latitudes etc.

Fundamental re discovery of Australia … good maps

$140.00

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The Voyage of the Duff – A Missionary Voyage to the Southern Pacific Ocean 1796-1798 – Captain James Wilson

Leichhardt’s Expeditioners – Dan Sprod

Trial By Ice – The Antarctic Journals of John King Davis

Sent Forth a Dove [Discovery of the Duyfken] – James Henderson

Terre Napoleon – Australia Through French Eyes 1800-1804 – Susan Hunt and Paul Carter.

New Light on the Discovery of Australia as revealed by the Journal of Captain Don Diego de Prado y Tovar

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