Travel & Voyages

Macquarie Island and its Future – Sir Douglas Mawson – 1922

A scarce offprint from the Royal Society of Tasmania Paper and Proceedings printed by “The Mercury”, Hobart and published in December 1922.

Original wrapper, 54 pages with seven plates including a full map of the Island. University stamp of Adelaide University School of Geology where Mawson was Professor of Geology at the time of this publication – so he likely had his hands on this copy. It is clearly marked “duplicate” so we feel it has honestly got into the private ownership at some time.

Macquarie Island of course had been central as a chosen station for the Mawson led Australasian Antarctic Expedition 1911-1914. The first radio connection with the Antarctic was achieved … and quite a bit else.

Mawson read his report in an abbreviated form at the 12thJune meeting of the Society that year.

Scarce Mawson Item – Macquarie Island – his views to its future.

SO SORRY SOLD

$120.00

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In Crocodile Land – Wandering in the Northern Territory – Ion idriess

Published by Angus and Robertson in 1948, a reprint of the first.

Tall octavo, 241 pages, with great period photographs – lots of crocs! A very good copy.

Idriess crocodile and buffalo hunting in the “bad coasts” of the Northern Territory. Wild men and Wilder women!

Idriess gets the Croc’s

$50.00

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Gold-Dust and Ashes – The Romantic Story of the New Guinea Goldfields – Ion Idriess

First published by Angus and Robertson, Sydney in 1933. This edition dated 1944. Octavo, 258 pages, end paper maps and nicely illustrated with period photographs. Dust jacket a little rubbed and nicked, some age, still a better than good copy. Gist inscription tucked behind front free end paper.

Ion Idriess’s great book about the early New Guinea Goldfields of Bulolo, Wau and Edie Creek. One of the must have books in the PNG/ Mining list – great photographic images.

Gold- Dust it is!

$40.00

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“The Arabian Nights” – The Book of the Thousand Nights and A Night & The Supplemental Nights to the Thousand Nights and A Night – 16 Volumes Complete – Sir Richard Francis Burton

To many, one of the greatest men to live in the Victorian era Sir Richard Francis Burton- Adventurer, Explorer, Linguist extraordinaire… originally published the first ten volume work in 1885 and the additional six volumes between 1886 and 1888.

Criticised and acclaimed Burton did not hold back exposing the sexual imagery in the source texts and further emphasising by adding extensive footnotes and appendices on Oriental sexual more.

Because of strict laws on obscene material these volumes were printed privately for subscribers only by “The Burton Club” – this set circa 1910.

Collectable and gift worthy. A trifle rubbed here and there and the gilt spines a little light affected – otherwise a super and substantial set.

Heavy and obviously large in scale – a postage supplement will be required, at cost, dependent on the location of the purchaser … please enquire – it will be worthwhile

The whole of the Arabian Nights in captivating Burton Language.

$490.00

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Under the Southern Cross – Horace Leaf [Intro by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle - Spiritualism Down under etc] – First Edition 1923

Scarce book and impossible to find with its dust jacket (albeit chipped). A super copy.

Horace Leaf (1886-1971) was a serious spiritualist, clairvoyant with and interest in psychometry and healing. He was a friend and associate of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle – who writes the introduction. The pair worked together to find the missing Agatha Christie and made contact with Lenin when he was on the other side.

Conan Doyle had done his own tour of the Antipodes and had wanted Leaf with him – Leaf couldn’t make it. Afterwards, Conan Doyle persisted with Leaf to make a trip down under … Leaf didn’t think he had the financial wherewithal … Conan Doyle responded by saying he had left five hundred pounds in Australia for Leaf.

The book is a very interesting read. Published by Cecil Palmer, London in 1923. Thick octavo, 263 pages, illustrated from photographs taken on tour. All in excellent condition – accept that there are three strange pin style holes right through the rear board and the last group of pages – strange and almost unnoticeable – could be some strange experiment has taken place?

Leaf arrives in Western Australia and makes himself busy and then off to the Gold Fields; on to Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane before a boat to New Zealand, north and south islands. Returning to Sydney he makes a trip to Tasmania [the only addition to the Conan Doyle route].

This all sounds like a regular travel trip but not so. Along the way we have interesting psychic goings on with some startling occurrences particularly the Melbourne readings. Interesting positive references to aboriginal character. Near the end we have a journey up Mt Wellington Hobart to a tea house to have the leaves read by a psychic – who passes the test – this must have been at the Springs Hotel which burned down in the 1967 bush fires.

Leaf wrote Conan Doyle’s obituary published in “Ghost Stories” in October 1930. Unfortunately, Leaf may indirectly have exacerbated Conan Doyle’s health leading to his move to the “other side”.

Psychic tour of Australia by Conan Doyle Associate.

$120.00

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Rough Water – Stories of Survival from the Seas – Clint Willis

A worthy soft cover published by the aptly named Adrenaline Books, New York in 1999. Octavo, 356 pages, fancy wrap card covers add to sturdiness. Very good to better copy.

Interesting mix of fact and fiction from Shackleton, Knox-Johnstone, Trumbull on the raft with Patrick O’Brian and Wauk (Caine Mutiny – let’s not forget Bogie!) then on to cold water and David Lewis etc. Glossary and bibliography at the end all help those new to the water.

Survival at sea all from your armchair

$25.00

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Macquarie Island and its Future – Sir Douglas Mawson – 1922

In Crocodile Land – Wandering in the Northern Territory – Ion idriess

Gold-Dust and Ashes – The Romantic Story of the New Guinea Goldfields – Ion Idriess

“The Arabian Nights” – The Book of the Thousand Nights and A Night & The Supplemental Nights to the Thousand Nights and A Night – 16 Volumes Complete – Sir Richard Francis Burton

Under the Southern Cross – Horace Leaf [Intro by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle - Spiritualism Down under etc] – First Edition 1923

Rough Water – Stories of Survival from the Seas – Clint Willis

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