Exploration

The Lake Regions of Africa – John Giddie – 1883

Published by Nelson, Edinburgh in 1883 described as a record of modern discovery. So a book that build on the first hand account of all of the great African explorers to date.

Octavo, 275 pages, with 32 illustrations, some light foxing, mark to rear cover otherwise a pretty good copy, with the delightful black and gilt illustrated front board and spine.

The contents separated into three principal sections covering exploration of the Nile, Congo and Zambesi rivers. Nicely done.

Nice book provides timeframe and perspective to 19thC African exploration.

$75.00

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Antarctica – Key Reference to Antarctic Literature – Renard – 1994

The mammoth and quality Antarctica sale of Gaston Renard, through Leonard Joel in 1994 made the associated catalogue a principal reference for Antarctic narratives. Catalogued by Julien Renard who acknowledges the substantial assistance of Mileva Ilic and of his wife Pam and of Thelma Finn.

The descriptions are full and where unique because of ownership, annotation etc they make for interesting reading in themselves. For those that collect and use Spence etc this is an essential addition and will be often off the shelf as scarce items raise their heads.

Quarto, soft covers, 244 pages cataloguing 1,744 items followed by a useful “Reference List” and preceded by a useful bibliophilic “Explanatory Note”. Carries master collector Rodney Davidson’s bookplate … a little wave to front cover perhaps as a result.

Renard first place of reference anything Antarctic of worth.

$70.00

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Ice-Bound on Kolguev [Russian Arctic] – Aubyn Trevor-Battye – 1895

Title continues .. A Chapter in the Exploration of Arctic Europe to Which is Added a Record of the Natural History of the Island.

Published by Archibald Constable, London in 1895.

Royal octavo, xxviii, 458 pages with 3 large folding colour maps, 25 plates and numerous in text illustrations. Original two tone cloth covered binding, top edge gilt. Showing a little age, still a good copy of a scarce account.

The island of Kolguev is in the south-eastern Barents Sea of the coast near the Kanon Peninsula in Russia. The author went there in 1894. He studied the Samoyeds (now referred to as Nenets) wildlife, botany, geology etc.

Illustrations by Nettleship and Charles Whymper.

Oxford graduate Aubyn Trevor-Battye (1855-1922) travelled widely in the north both in America, Europe and Asia. During the Kolguev expedition winter came early and along with companion they had to make a long unplanned journey through northern Russia. Through this experience Trevor-Battye joined the Conway expedition to Spitsbergen in 1896.

Unfortunately oil was discovered on Kolguyev in the 1980’s and the well is still active but a low levels. The population of the island is around 400 of which half work at the oil well the balance are Nenets who still hunt wild reindeer, fish etc.

Kolguyev Island accessible in the 1890’s and first studied by Trevor-Battye.

$160.00

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Victoria’s Forgotten Goldfield – Christie and Gray – Signed by Christie – First Edition 1981

… A History of the Dargo, Crooked River Goldfield.

Super little book and a very details and oft curious story of the goldfield at Dargo, in Eastern Victoria.

Softcover, small format, 136 pages, with illustration, tables of information etc a nice production. Signed on the title by Christie, very good condition albeit the back cover is marked at edges, but with no comprise internally which is bright and clean.

After discovery in 1865, gold recovery peaked in 1868 at 7,652 ounces and soon fell away. Despite this brief moment of glory as with other gold fields it spurred an enormous amount of interest and development in the area. We are off tomorrow to look at a spot not too far away.

Well honed history of one of the lesser known and more curious gold finds in Australia

$35.00

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Ten Great Mountains – R.L. Irving

Classic “Mountain” book by the author of “The Romance of Mountaineering” – Voyager’s favourite romantic book.

Published by Dent, London in 1942. Octavo, 213 pages nicely illustrated with diagrams of ascents and from original expedition photographs. Ownership name on front free end paper, chip to dust jacket top of spine, otherwise a very good copy, and clean and bright internally for a wartime publication.

Unusual selection of mountains with Snowden and Ben Nevis before we move on to the more challenging Mount Cook and the highly challenging and some yet to be conquered … the Matterhorn; Ushba; Mont Blanc; Mount Logan; Nanga Parbat; Kangchenjunga and Everest,

The “Royal” list of Mountains … presented well by the knowledgeable Irving

$35.00

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The Exploration of Australia – Albert Calvert – First Edition 1895

A pretty good copy of the first edition of Calvert’s book much admired and coveted in any collection on the subject. A compendium volume was issued a year later due to the success of this work.

Published by George Philip, London in 1895. Small quarto, 26cm by 21 cm, quarter bound cream buckram (simulated vellum) over deep blue buckram with gild titles and line decoration. Aged to spine as usual, corners rubbed. Pretty good internally the large folding map repaired close tear. Internally a little browned due to the spongy nature of the paper, really quite clean throughout; viii, 26 pages. Frontispiece of Dampier, 16 plates. A solid book 1.4kgs.

The super map is 87cm by 72cm with the routes of the likes of Sturt, Mitchel, great, Winnecke etc marked

Albert Calvert carried out his own explorations often influenced by gold exploration and mainly in western Australia. He was a prolific writer about Australia partly to fund his exploratory activities. He had previously published ‘The Discovery of Australia” concerning the early maritime activities of the Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch, French, British etc. In the Preface to this work he describes his pain in working with the early accounts, in terms of their completeness, reliability etc. In this work he is more at ease in that he has the first hand accounts of the various explorers .. on land he mapped out each day of their activities … hence the huge map included.

Exploration covered include in the maritime, Dampier; the Dutch; Cook; Flinders; Phillip; Baudin, Bougainville … in the interior, Wentworth; Sturt; Mitchell; Macquarie; George Grey; Eyre etc

Calvert’s collectable account on the exploration of Australia with valuable map.

$150.00

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The Lake Regions of Africa – John Giddie – 1883

Antarctica – Key Reference to Antarctic Literature – Renard – 1994

Ice-Bound on Kolguev [Russian Arctic] – Aubyn Trevor-Battye – 1895

Victoria’s Forgotten Goldfield – Christie and Gray – Signed by Christie – First Edition 1981

Ten Great Mountains – R.L. Irving

The Exploration of Australia – Albert Calvert – First Edition 1895

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