French Language translations or about the French

Platypus by Lesueur from Baudin Voyage – c1820

An original hand coloured engraving of Platypus after a drawing by Charles-Alexandre Lesueur from the voyage of Nicolas Baudin. Depicting a female and male platypus and another male head appearing from the rushes to the right and the “tail up” of a diving female showing the monotremate area under the tail with the opening to the reproductive organs.

printed on wove paper 20cm by 13cm … small, charming historic engraving using a stipple engraving technique. Good condition.

Platypus delight from the Baudin expedition

$180.00

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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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Queen Emma – R.W. Robson – Scarce New Guinea

Few New Guinea expatriates have not heard of Queen Emma (Emma Coe) a Samoan-American who built a trading Empire and lived with great style a Ralum near Rabaul in New Britain. An extraordinary account.

A really rather scarce book.

A first edition published by Pacific Publications, Sydney in 1965. Octavo, 239 pages including an Appendix summarising the de Rays Swindle of 1877-1884 of which there is an Emma connection [A story in itself]. Another Appendix summarising Attacks by Natives on European 1876-1904 … they were busy! … and a useful index. End paper maps and illustrated from period photographs. The dust jacket has quite a large piece missing from the back but holds up rather well in Brodart. Internally very clean.

A Queen Emma amongst Cannibals

$60.00

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A Complete Treatise of Mines Etc – Henry Manningham – First Edition 1756

An extremely rare work from a period when mining expertise was as much a military endeavour as for the extraction of resources.

Lengthy title continues … extracted from the Memoires d’Artilliere. To which is prefixed, by way of Introduction, Professor Belidor’s Dissertation on the Force and Physical Effects of Gunpowder. Illustrated by a Variety of Copper Plates.

A first English language edition of this work translated and compiled by mining engineer Henry Manningham. The original French by P Surirey de Saint Remy (1660-1716). Benard Forest de Belidor (1698-1761) was a hydraulics and ballistics expert. Born into a military family he later became Professor of Artillery at Aisne. He became an early expert on the calculus and its use in solving technical problems.

Published by Millar, the Strand, London 1756. Octavo, xxix,168 pages with 21 folding copper engraved plates, elaborate engraved vignette on Dedication. Ex John Crerar Library with the odd stamp, later half leather binding somewhat worn, top edge gilt. Toned and pages a bit brittle still a useful copy of an extremely scarce item.

Early Mining and the Use of Gunpowder Carefully Explained.

$390.00

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The Long Way – Bernard Moitessier – First English Edition 1974

First English edition published by Adlard Coles in 1974, after the French edition of 1971. Translated by William Radamor.

Octavo, 252 pages, illustrated from photographs, sketches of riggings etc, numerous charts of tracks. Super condition very good dust jacket.

Sought after account of the enigmatic Moitessier … has anyone sailed further ..we do not think so ..

Moitessier’s story all began as a participant in the single-handed round the world yacht race, the Golden Globe race, of 1968. Almost done and technically in the lead, whilst in the South Atlantic for a second time, instead of returning to Plymouth he sailed on along his original course returning to the Pacific. He then made his way to Tahiti .. Little was known as to his motivation until this book …

Bernard Moitessier – A special man and a special sailing adventure unlikely to be repeated.

$80.00

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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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Platypus by Lesueur from Baudin Voyage – c1820

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.

Queen Emma – R.W. Robson – Scarce New Guinea

A Complete Treatise of Mines Etc – Henry Manningham – First Edition 1756

The Long Way – Bernard Moitessier – First English Edition 1974

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

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