Travel & Voyages

North West to Fortune (The Discovery of the North West Passage) – Stefansson – First UK Edition 1960

Prolific explorer and writer Vilhjalmur Stefansson’s last book on the history of solving the North West passage. A first British edition published by Allen & Unwin in 1960 … Stefansson died in 1962 at 83 years of age. Octavo, 356 pages after preliminaries, end paper maps, very good condition.

Given his exploration record and the many years spent within the Arctic Circle who better to write this book. Starting the primary objectives of Columbus and Cabot to find route west to the Far East. The first recorded note of the concept is that of Robert Thorne, merchant of Bristol who produced two papers preserved by Hackluyt one addressed to Henry VIII … “I know it to be my bounden duty to manifest this secret to your Grace, which hitherto, I suppose, has been hid”. The proof was more difficult and many lives were lost.

Stefansson’s record goes well beyond the broader list of adventurers Cook, Franklin, McClure (in search of Franklin) and John Rae and later Amundsen. He covers in detail the efforts of the Fur Traders and finally the epoch-making achievement” of the US submarine, Nautilus.

North West Passage complete by Stefansson

$60.00

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Somewhere in New Guinea – Frank Clune – First edition 1951

Published by Angus and Robertson, Sydney in 1951, a first edition in pretty good condition

A companion book to Frank Clune’s “Prowling in Papua”. This time the north side and a good deal of mooching around “as he put it”. Wewak, Hagen, Madang, Markham Valley and Rabaul included.

First Edition Clune in New Guinea

$40.00

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Up from South – A Prospector in New Guinea, 1931 – 1937 – Jack O’Neal

The author Jack O’Neal prospected for gold at Edie Creek, Wau, Bulolo, Ramu and Waria. Pure Morobe goldfield adventure often in danger yet he admired the native tribesman. Based on his diaries and edited by the knowledgeable James Sinclair. Nice list of Pidgin terms for the uninitiated and curious.

Morobe Gold

$50.00

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WG Lawes of Savage Island and New Guinea – Joseph King – 1909 First Edition

Published by The Religious Tract Society London in 1909, a First Edition. Original binding with snag top of spine glued otherwise a pretty good complete copy. Gilt titles and image all bright.

388 pages with folding coloured map of PNG and 21 most interesting black and white photographs. Lawes (1839-1907) went to Niue in 1861 for 11 years before then serving in Papua New Guinea in and around Port Moresby for 32 years from 1874. A tough man who worked with Chalmers met Bully Hayes and built the first church and school in Port Moresby.

Pioneering Missionary in PNG – Cornerstone PNG

$120.00

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Hunters of the Great North (Arctic Exploration) – Vilhjalmur Stefansson – 1922 – Signed Copy to the “Cheerful Philosopher” Gerber Schafer

Published by Harcourt, New York. A special book by the Canadian Arctic explorer and ethnologist. On the whole this book covers the experiences of 1908 – 1907 when he lived with the Inuit of the Mackenzie Delta returning alone across country. References to later expeditions are included.

A first edition 1922 with the scarce dust jacket and the glorious pictorial boards. Very good condition, the scarce dust jacket a bit chipped and some tape used at the rear to repair a tear which has left a mark on the back board now Brodart protected. Private library embossed stamp (no ink) of Eotthe Gozdiskowski on title page very clean and crisp binding firm.

Signed as a gift much later March 17 1942 “to Sgt Gerber D Schafer The Cheerful Philosopher the story of a first trip North to remind him of his first talk with Vilhjalmur Stefansson”.

Well illustrated covering expedition preparation, the trip down 2,000 of the Mackenzie River and the first impressions of the Eskimos, Captain Klinkenberg and the SeaWolf, Discoverer and the Whaling fleet … learning to live like an Eskimo the end of the summer and lost in the Mackenzie delta, snow house, eskimo skin boat and rafting the Porcupine, hunting Caribou, Seals and Polar Bears … real men’s work.

Stefansson (1879 – 1962) whilst born Canadian was of Icelandic parents. His portfolio of exploration is massive and varied. History has him admired but there were disasters. In 1913 – 1916 he led the Canadian Arctic Expedition. His ship the Karluk got stuck in ice. He left the ship with five others to go hunting and the ship was carried away, crushed and sank and 11 men died in various attempts to survive. Some members were ex Shackleton’s British Antarctic Expedition. Survivors thought Stefansson’s departure was deliberate. More curious was his 1921 expedition to claim Wrangle Island north of Siberia, first intended for the Canadian’s who after the Karluk disaster said “no thank you” … so they planted the Union Jack for the British which surprised the Russians as it was their territory and an international incident occurred.

Aside from the above there were many wonderful achievement in his “mixed bag” and he was awarded the 1921 Founders Medal by the Royal Geographical Society. Later in life he was leader of this and that and hung out at Romany Marie’s Greenwich Village Café.

Sergeant Gerber Schafer was known as the “Cheerful Philosopher” and certainly was an incredible individual. In 1918 he was involved in an early aeronautical accident and broke his spine. He was paralysed from the neck down and needed full time care to stay alive. Nevertheless, he decided he could make a real contribution in life and raised money for many good causes from his bed … his achievements too many to list are worth tracking down if you are looking for inspiration….

Rare Arctic Account signed a gift to inspirational Gerber Schafer

$140.00

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Darwin and the Beagle – Alan Moorehead

Published in 1969 by Hamish Hamilton, a little ageing tone but really a very good copy with a complete unmarked dust jacket.

Alan Moorehead’s capable and well illustrated account of the Beagle period of Darwin’s great life. Balanced and readable hallmarks of the author.

More than Galapagos

$25.00

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North West to Fortune (The Discovery of the North West Passage) – Stefansson – First UK Edition 1960

Somewhere in New Guinea – Frank Clune – First edition 1951

Up from South – A Prospector in New Guinea, 1931 – 1937 – Jack O’Neal

WG Lawes of Savage Island and New Guinea – Joseph King – 1909 First Edition

Hunters of the Great North (Arctic Exploration) – Vilhjalmur Stefansson – 1922 – Signed Copy to the “Cheerful Philosopher” Gerber Schafer

Darwin and the Beagle – Alan Moorehead

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